Dubai is the Singapore of the Gulf. A duty-free shopper’s paradise, luxurious architecture, camel races, beaches, dune rides, deserts and oases, Bedouin markets, oil riches and some of the most decadent hotels in the world. It is a success story that attracts tourists and emigrants from all over. To get under the skin of the UAE, read, ‘Arabic Short Stories’ by Denys Johnson-Davies, watch a contemporary Arabic film at the Dubai International Film Festival and listen to the sounds of an oud, an ancient instrument like the mandolin.
Information
Capital: Abu Dhabi
Official Languages: Arabic
Government: Constitutional Monarchy
Currency: UAE Dirham
Time Zone: +4:00 GMT (1½ hrs behind India)
Telephone Calling Code: 00971
When to Visit
Best time to visit: November to April. The average temperature in Dubai is 25°C with an average low of 14°C in January and average high of over 41°C in July.
What to Eat and Drink
Emirati cuisine includes a lot of meat, fish, dairy and rice due to harsh desert conditions, which makes it difficult to grow vegetables. Food is generally cooked in a large pot, so stews are common. Lamb and mutton are favored over goat and beef. Pork is looked down upon. Lebanese, Indian and European cuisine is also widely available in Dubai.
What to eat and drink
Fuul: Paste made from fava beans, garlic and lemon
Falafel: Deep-fried balls of chickpeas served with flat bread
Shawarma: Thin slivers of grilled meat
Kebab Kashkash: Meat and spices in a tomato sauce.
Matchbous: Spiced lamb with rice
Lamb kebabs
Shrimp beryani
Khabeesa: Flour bread crumbs blended with sugar, cardamom and saffron
Esh asarya: Cheese cake with cream topping
Bethitha: Semolina blended with crushed dates, cardamom and clarified butter
Na’ana shai: Mint tea
Kahwa: Coffee
What to Buy
Duty-free shopper’s paradise.
Carpets and kilims, cars, gold, gems, textiles, silver Bedouin jewelery, Emirati handicrafts, brass and copper ware, perfumes, Iranian caviar, incense sticks, kitschy stuff like Saddam Hussein lighters that give you a shock, mosque-shaped clocks.
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