Arriving Dubai at six in the morning, while it was still cool, at the world
class airport, made us feel like arriving in a modern oasis in the desert. The dusts
of sand were not visible, no one seemed to be sweating, and the fragrance of
perfume from the local people dressed in their traditional robes filled the air,
it smells like the smoke of incense.
Upon leaving the airport, I realized that the airport is practically
inside the city, cars started filling the roads rapidly as people trying to
avoid the traffic jams which would come in a few more hours, with the heat of
the day.
Soon I can see why Dubai is called the business hub of the Middle East,
the Hong Kong of the Middle East. Oil revenue helped accelerate the development
of the city, which was already a major mercantile hub, but Dubai's oil reserves
are limited and production levels are low: today, less than 5% of the emirate's
revenue comes from oil. Dubai's economy today relies on revenues from trade, tourism,
aviation, real estate, and financial services. The most extravagant hotels,
restaurants, attractions parks and beach resorts all made for us to enjoy the
best this life has to offer.
One of the most sought-after leisure and shopping destinations is the
Dubai Mall which attracted lavish shoppers from all corners of the world. Featuring
over 1,200 retail stores, including retailers such as Bloomingdale and Galeries
Lafayette, and hundreds of food and beverage outlets, the Dubai Mall covers
more than 1 million sqm. It is the world's second-largest mall, a gargantuan
complex with an aquarium, a virtual-reality theme park, an Olympic-size
ice-skating rink, Gold Souk (Market) and hundreds of high-class boutiques and restaurants.
The Dubai Mall is structured like a city, with internal pedestrian
streets, junctions and landmarks, integrated into the design and organized by
wide, straight boulevards terminating at beautifully decorated junctions
connecting the many shops. You can walk in the cool climate from Sega to
Kidzania to the cinema, from Versace to Gucci at the Fashion Avenue to the
electronic shops and drink, eat at the many restaurants and cafés in between. After
tired of shopping and stuffed with food you can go watch the movies at the
comfortable cinemas. It really feels like walking in a city in an oasis in the
middle of desert, where you see nobody is thirsty or sweating despite the
soaring heat of above 40 deg C outside the mall.
THE END
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