The thing about Dubai is that it's a work in progress. With oil revenue running out, the emirate's rulers are in the throes of turning the sheikhdom into one of the world's premier tourist destinations.
To say that the city is undergoing a building boom is as big an understatement as to say that it can be hot in the Middle East. Current projects include The Palm, a man-made archipelago in the shape of a palm tree and The World with 300 islands resembling a global map. Also under construction are the world's tallest tower, the world's first underwater luxury hotel and a £15 billion development that will include Dubailand theme park, 30 hotels and 1,500 restaurants.
All this means that if you go to Dubai now, pretty much wherever you look you'll see half-built tower blocks and round-the-clock building work.
So wouldn't it be better to wait a few years before visiting, until most of the work is done? Well, it depends whether you're a glass-is-half-empty or half-full sort of person.
Dubai already has lots to offer - not least a near perfect winter-sun climate, fine white sand beaches, glam nightlife and several extraordinary hotels. Topping the bill is the iconic Burj Al Arab, coated with a sail-like fibreglass screen that changes hues at night, and the Madinat Jumeirah, a Disneyesque Arabian city with sandstone walls and miles of waterways.
Hotels are the focal point of life for tourists but there is plenty to draw you out of their confines. You can flex your plastic in 40 shopping malls, ski down a state-of-the-art indoor ski slope or head out in to the desert to sand-board (like snow-boarding but down dunes).
Or you could ride across Dubai Creek, the waterway that bisects the original parts of the city, on a battered old ferry for the princely sum of 15p. On one side, you'll find intense souks dedicated to spice, perfume and gold, and on the other the commendable Dubai Museum, where you can learn about the city's transformation from sleepy trading port just 50 years ago to the feverishly growing metropolis it is today.
Fred Mawer has been a freelance travel journalist for many years. Most of his writing currently appears in the Mail on Sunday and the Daily Telegraph. His first trip to Dubai was part of a research project comparing shopping prices for everything from Barbie dolls and CDs to Levis and computers, in cities on five different continents. His latest visit there was somewhat more enjoyable.
Some of the content of the magazine refers to flights or prices from the UK. At Travel Counsellors Ireland we can source flights from Ireland and provide full quotes in Euros. Please call me for latest availability and prices.
