Dubai

101 Dining Lounge and Bar

A hidden gem in Dubai is the 101 Dining Lounge and Bar which can be found at the One & Only The Palm resort. This modern restaurant is located at the edge of The Palm Jumeirah and can be reached on foot, but it might be easier to take a taxi or boat. The restaurant offers an unique view to admire of the coastline of Dubai at the height of the Dubai marina. The menu contains mostly seafood, salads and Spanish cuisine, with paellas and tapas, but also a few charcoal barbecue dishes.

Bateaux Dubai

Bateaux Dubai is a dinner cruise that offers a quality three course dinner a la carte. The air conditioned boat has a spacious feel to it as the boat has large glass windows on all sides giving you an excellent view of Dubai on all sides. You can find this restaurant at the Dubai Creek. Seeing Dubai with this spectacular moving view while enjoying your fresh meal is a great experience.

Al Hadheerah

Al Hadheerah is a hidden desert oasis where guests can enjoy a wide range of authentic dishes under the starry sky while being entertained with thrilling exhibitions of Arabian heritage. Expect live entertainment of music and dance, horse and camel shows, while enjoying middle eastern cuisines and traditionally seasoned grilled meat. It’s quite apparent they put a lot of effort into making you feel like you’re in a thousand and one night setting. It takes a bit of a journey to reach Al Hadheerah as it’s located in the desert at the Bab Al Shams Resort and Spa beyond the Al Maktoum International airport, but the extravagant experience is very worth it.

Dubai Expo 2020: Connecting Minds, Creating the Future

History of the Expo
The Expo, also known as World Expo or World fair, is an international exhibition and attracts a large public. Each Expo is usually held in another part of the world and varies in character, but it has always a central theme which is of universal concern to all of humanity. The World Expos are considered as the world’s largest global events after the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup.

In 1928 the Convention Relating to International Exhibitions created the BIE (International Exhibitions Bureau, or in French the Bureau International des Expositions). This BIE serves as the international sanctioning body for the registered exhibitions and recognized exhibitions. The registered exhibitions are commonly known as the Expos and the recognized exhibitions are commonly known as the specialized – or the international expositions.

The Expos are the most extravagant exhibitions and have a wide array of themes, but these themes are related to all of humanity. Their duration is between six weeks and six months. Some of these Expos have attracted between 50 and 70 million visitors. Since the 21st century they take place at least at every five years. The most recent World Expos were in 2010 in Shanghai, China and in 2015 in Milan, Italy.

Winning the competition
In the race of becoming the host of the World Expo 2020 Dubai, United Arab Emirates competed with cities like São Paulo, Brazil and Yekaterinburg, Russia and Izmir, Turkey.

At November 27, 2013 the BIE chose Dubai as the winner in the bid for hosting the World Expo 2020. With the choice for Dubai the Expo will be for the first time ever hosted in the Middle-East. It will also be the largest event ever executed in the Middle-East. In Dubai they were so pleased with the win that they bursted out firework from the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. And from the top of this same Burj Khalifa Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum waved the UAE flag. For students across the United Arab Emirates the day after was declared a national holiday.

In Dubai the people were very glad and excited that they won the bid for Expo 2020, because of multiple reasons. The Expo is a great way to promote the capabilities of the city of Dubai. This exhibition could also create up to 277,000 new jobs. And the number of visitors to Dubai could increase in the period of the World Expo with more than 25 million. Of these visitors is estimated that about 70% will come from outside the United Arab Emirates. It is estimated that this would bring an economic stimulation of about $40 billion. Also according to the International Monetary Funds (IMF) the Expo 2020 will bring a rise in the gross domestic product (GDP) of Dubai.

Expo 2020 Dubai
The Expo will open at October 20, 2020 and will be open 7 days a week. After 173 days it will close at April 10, 2021. The location will be at Jebel Ali which is about six kilometres from Al Maktoum International Airport. Because of its location near the western border of the Dubai Emirate it will be easy to get at the Expo 2020 site not only from Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport but also from Abu Dhabi International Airport. And the Red line of the Dubai Metro will be extended with a station at the site to make it also accessible via public transport. The Expo site will cover an area of about 438 hectare (1083 acres) where about 190 country pavilions can show their capabilities. If you want an impressive view over the site and its area you should visit the top of the rotating observation tower. The Expo site will be designed in a mode that it can host 300,000 visitors per day at peak times. But the estimated number of average visitors on a weekday will be around 153,000. This is why there will be also over 200 food and beverage outlets from all over the world and 60 daily live entertainment shows. Besides the great hotels that Dubai already has, many extra hotels will be realized to provide enough rooms for the millions of visitors that the Expo 2020 will attract.

The main theme of the Dubai Expo 2020 will be: “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”. And the sub-themes will be: Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability. The theme emphasizes the great opportunities which are possible with cooperation in our increasingly interconnected world.

Participants are inspired to organize themselves around shared global challenges, because collaboration and innovation are the cornerstones of the masterplan. Al Wasl plaza, which means “the connection” in Arabic, will be the center of the Expo and connects three pavilions. These three pavilions each represent one of the sub-themes Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability. Each pavilion gets its own best practice areas and innovation pods.

The first subtheme Opportunity stands for unlocking the potential for people and communities to contribute to a better future. This pavilion will be made from organic materials. Here you can join different explorations that demonstrate the Sustainable Development Goals for a better world. The second subtheme Mobility stands for examining the creation of smarter and more productive connections, physically and virtually. At this pavilion you will find inventions related to the past, present and future of movement, from ancient exploration to AI (artificial intelligence). There will also be other exceptional highlights such as the largest elevating platform of the world, the city of the future and robot- and drone waiters.The third subtheme is Sustainability and stands for looking at ways that we can pursue progress without compromising the fundamental needs of future generations. At this pavillion can you explore innovative sustainability projects and gain a lot of knowledge about this subject. This is also the pavilion where visitors can pledge to charity and projects that are committed to sustainability.

The layout of the area will be futuristic, and the pavilions will be inspired by the traditional Arabic souks. Many walkways will be covered by futuristic sun shades which are via solar power able to supply a part of the Expo’s power needs. These shades will at night display lights and projections. In total half of the needed power for Expo will come from renewable sources and half of this will come from the Expo area itself.

Ambitions of Dubai
Together with the Expo 2020 Dubai is building the world’s largest solar power project. Dubai also has started several programs for their ambition to make Dubai the happiest city in 2020.

As time progresses Dubai will reveal more of its ambitious and futuristic ideas. Meet The Cities will keep you updated as more of Dubai’s plans get revealed. This Expo will become very spectacular, because Dubai tries to leave a lasting legacy and to set a new standard for future Expos.

Jumeirah Open Beach

Jumeirah Open Beach is one of the bigger and popular beaches of Dubai. Access to the beach is free. The beach has a lot of facilities like showers, toilets and changing rooms. You can also rent chairs and parasols. Drinks and snacks are also sold at the beach. You will find that outside of working hours this beach is popular with locals and expats. Behind the beach runs a long track for recreational jogging.

Umm Suqeim Park Beach / Sunset Beach

Another popular beach is the Umm Suqeim Park Beach. This free beach is located next to the iconic 7-star hotel Burj Al Arab and Wild Wadi Waterpark. This beach is also known as Sunset beach, as you can take beautiful pictures of the Burj Al Arab here as the sun sets. Nearby to the North East is also a popular location for kite surfers, Kite Beach, which you can view from here. The beach itself offers no notable facilities, so don’t forget to bring your stuff.

Al Mamzar Beach Park

A popular and very large beach is at the Al Mamzar Beach Park. It’s actually a park with five beautiful white beaches with palm trees. For a small fee you can enter this park and go to it’s beaches. And every monday the park is ladies only. The beaches have good facilities like changing rooms, showers and lifeguards. The are plenty of palm trees to provide shadow, but you can also rent a parasol. Besides the beach there is also a pool, dozens of places to barbecue, restaurants and you can even rent a beach house here. For the water sport lovers among us there are facilities where you can for example rent a jet ski. The park is the complete package for both picnickers and beachgoers.

Jumeirah Beach Park

Jumeirah Beach Park is quite a large park with a long beautiful white sandy beach. The beach stands out for it’s many palm trees providing shade for the people, making it a perfect place to go sunbathing. It’s no surprise this beach is quite popular among expats. The park also has nice facilities like places to barbecue and lifeguards. To enter this park a small entrance fee is required. Sunday and wednesday is ladies day at the park, which means only ladies are allowed in, so the women can relax in the sun without a care in the world. Do note that in 2016 the park is temporarily closed and under construction.

Al Sufouh Beach

Al Sufouh Beach is also known as Black Palace Beach, is a pristine white beach between the Palm Jumeirah and Burj Al Arab. Despite it’s top location with a view over multiple popular landmarks it’s still a relatively unknown beach. Access to the beach is also free of charge. The beach offers no facilities so you have to bring your own.

Kite Beach

Kite Beach is also known as Free Fun Beach. As the name suggests this is a beach where lots of sport activities take place. People come here en mass to go kitesurfing, with the grand skyline of Dubai as background. There are also kitesurfing operators here for anyone who feels lucky. The regular joe like us can also just go tanning here and enjoy watching the kitesurfers at their best. The beach has facilities like showers, but also plenty of volleyball courts. Access to this beach is free.

JBR Beach

JBR Beach is short for Jumeirah Beach Residences Beach. This free public beach has a great location in the Dubai Marina, right next to Palm Jumeirah. As it’s in the marina you can find lots of activities here like the banana boat. The background of the beach is an amazing and unique view of large hotels, such as the Hilton hotel and Sheraton, making it one of the more distinct beaches of Dubai. At the beach front you’ll find plenty of restaurants to settle down in. It’s also right next to a popular spot for skydivers. The beach has facilities like showers and changing rooms, but they cost a small fee.

Holidays and festivities

The United Arab Emirates is an Islamic country and has several national holidays related to the Islam. Many public holidays depend on moon sightings, so it can be hard to give specific dates for each holiday as the dates aren’t always set in stone and can be prone to being moved around.

Some of the holidays are subject to moon sighting, but 2024 they are expected to be as followed:
1 January – New Year’s Day
11 March – The start of Ramadan – A period reflection, charity, modesty and fasting for Muslims.
8 April to 12 April – Eid Al Fitr – The end of Ramadan, which will involve feasting, praying and good deeds.
15 June – Day of Arafah (Haj) – This holy day is when the prophet held his last sermon and the second day of the Hajj pilgrimage.
16 June to 18 June – Eid al-Adha – The end of the pilgrimage. On this day Abraham showed his devotion to God which was followed by a miracle.
7 July – Al Hijra – The Islamic New Year.
15 September – The birthday of the prophet.
1 December – Commemoration Day or Martyrs’ Day – On this day fallen soldiers will be remembered in the UAE.
2 to 3 December – National Holiday of the UEA. This day marks the independence of the country.
31 December – New Year’s Eve (not an official public holiday).

Special note about Ramadan:
Ramadan is a special month for Muslims. During the Ramadan period Muslims will fast during the day. So restaurants are more likely to be closed during the day and open in the evening. You do not have to fast yourself, although it is respectful not to eat in front of people who try fast. The working days are also often a bit shorter and the streets busier, while the shops tend to stay open longer in the evening. After the sun goes down people tend to celebrate it with a good meal. Smoking during Ramadan has to be done in private. Modest clothing is expected during Ramadan, which roughly means also covering your shoulders, chest and knees. Of course you can still wear a bikini at pools and beaches.

The traditional greeting people use during Ramadan is “Ramadan Kareem”, or Generous Ramadan.

Police, fire brigade and ambulance

When traveling abroad it’s always smart to know the telephone numbers of the local emergency services. In case of emergency you can call the police at 999. In case of a medical emergency you can call the ambulance at 998. If you need help from the fire brigade you can call 997.

When you are in doubt the standard emergency number is 999. Calling this number is free. You will get a telephone operator on the other side of the line asking you about the details of the emergency. If you need police, but there is no emergency, then you can call 901.

Opening hours

In Dubai stores have long opening times as people prefer to shop in the evening. Usually shops are open around 9 or 10 a.m. and close around 9 or 10 p.m. Although outside of Dubai it’s common to close shop for a break between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. as that’s the warmest part of the day. Popular grocery shops are often open 24/7.

Shops are closed on friday morning for the friday prayer. The Islamic weekend falls on friday and saturday, but most shops stay open during the weekend. After all, Dubai is shopping heaven.

Weather and climate

Dubai is a warm country with a tropical desert climate. Especially juli and august are hot as the temperatures can be between 30 and 40 degrees celsius (86 to 104ºF). The temperatures in april and november are at a comfortable 25 degrees (77ºF) on average.

The winter months from december to february tend to be the coldest as it’s 20 degrees (68ºF) on average. So throughout the entire year the temperature is quite reasonably warm.

The sea tends to be warmer than 20 degrees celsius (68ºF) in the winter from december to february, but it warms up in april to a comfortable 25 degrees (77ºF). And on average over 30 (86ºF) degrees in the summer from june to oktober. The sea stays warm up until november when the water is 27 degrees (80ºF) on average. So the sea is throughout the year at relatively comfortable temperature.

In Dubai most rain tends to fall in february, but it’s sunny almost the entire year round.

Passport and visa

As this is an international website and VISA requirements may be subject to change it is recommended to look on the website of the United Arab Emirates embassy or consulate to see if you need a tourist VISA before you visit Dubai.

If you are from one of the following European countries you can get a free 90 day tourist VISA stamp in your passport after you arrive in Dubai. Which means you do not have to make arrangements for a VISA before your flight.

“Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland”

If you are from one of the following countries you get a free 30 day tourist VISA stamp in your passport after you arrive in Dubai. Which also means you do not have to make arrangements for a VISA before your flight.

“Andorra, Australia, Brunei, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Monaco, New Zealand, San Marino, Singapore, South Korea, United Kingdom, United States of America, Vatican City.”

People from other countries, except for Saudi Arabia and other neighbouring countries, will have to apply for a VISA before they leave. This can be done online at emirates.com and will require a sponsor like a hotel or travel agency from Dubai.

It’s worth noting all passports need to be valid for another 6 months after arrival. Children also need their own passport.

Language spoken

English is widely spoken in Dubai, due to the high number of expats living in the city, the lush tourist industry and as it is taught in schools. So tourists will have no problem getting around with English. But the official language of Dubai is Arabic.

Other minority languages you might come across due to foreign expats are hindi, punjabi and more.

Tipping culture in Dubai

In Dubai a service charge is calculated into the price in hotels and restaurants, which goes to all employees in that establishment. So a small tip for a specific person is appreciated, but not necessary per se. If you appreciate the services in a restaurant you could opt to tip the waiter 10% of the bill.

Rounding up the bill for taxi services and delivery people is expected and a nice gesture. Dubai is known for people going the extra mile to provide extra services for you, so 5 dirham to show your appreciation is always good.

Paying in and the currency of Dubai

The Dirham is the official currency of Dubai. In shops the Dirham is often referred to as AED, Dhs and Dh. One Dirham consists of 100 Fils.

The exchange rate of the United Arab Emirates Dirham and the American Dollar are fixed to each other. If you own dollars the exchange rate does not fluctuate. On 25 June 2016 the current fixed exchange is 1 USD = 3.67315 AED and 1 AED = 0.272246 USD. If you try to exchange other currency, like the euro, then the exchange rate does fluctuate, as you have to take the euro to dollar exchange rate into account.

You can exchange money at banks, airports, hotels and exchange offices in the city. They can each calculate their own exchange rate. Exchange centers found in the city of Dubai tend to offer more competitive rates than the alternatives. There are also ATM’s across the city where you can just withdraw money.

Credit cards are well accepted throughout Dubai. So you can easily pay with your Mastercard and Visa card.

The prices of goods in Dubai tend to be comparable to those in the west. Some services, like taxis, tend to be cheaper. And in a lot of small market places you can also negotiate the prices of goods, although this is less common in shopping malls.

Culture and values

Dubai is quite multicultural. Culturally it is the most western region in the gulf. As such Dubai has become a very popular tourist destination. And as the native people get outnumbered by expats they are very used to people from different cultures.

Dubai is an Islamic city. The native Muslims respect the religion and customs of others. This goes both ways as non-Muslims are also expected to be respectful towards Muslim customs. The difference between cultures is often a matter of nuances. So we made a short list of nuances between western and dubaian culture relevant for travelers.

When you go to a church in Italy you are expected to cover your shoulders and knees, as a sign of modesty. In Dubai modest clothing is also expected, even in many shopping malls. Wearing bikini’s and swimwear is restricted to beaches and pools.

In Dubai you should not take pictures of random people, but respect their privacy. The same goes for taking pictures of buildings of strategic importance.

In the west we have laws against public intoxication. In Dubai drinking alcohol should not be done in public, but be reserved to private places like your hotel.

If you travel with medicine, especially painkillers, you should look into the legality of those medicine in Dubai. As drug laws in Dubai can be quite strict.

When you are traveling with your partner it is recommended to refer to each other as husband and wife, because in Dubai couples are expected to get married before they get together. Dubai hotels know non-Muslims have different customs regarding relationships so being just partners is usually no big deal, but it’s better to prevent the subject from coming up.

Following these tips you’ll be ready for a great vacation.

Indoor skydiving (iFly Dubai)

Skydiving is one of the ultimate rushes. And with indoor skydiving you can experience the closest thing to flying as superman and defying gravity as you can safely get. Thanks to the use of a wind tunnel you can keep falling for extended periods of time. It’s done in a safe and controlled environment, with a nearby instructor, so it’s family friendly and can be done by almost everyone. It’s certainly a recommended thing to do at least once in your life.

Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo

The Dubai Aquarium is the biggest aquarium in the world and part of the Dubai Underwater Zoo, with tens of thousands of animals of seventy different species. You can find this gigantic attraction at the Dubai Mall.

You can walk through a 48 meter glass tunnel through the aquarium to have yourself immersed with the aquatic world all around you. But it’s also possible to go shark diving into the aquarium, between sharks, stingrays and schools of fish and experience the animals up close. For the less adventurous among us it’s also possible to go snorkeling in the aquarium inside a steel cage, so there is something for everyone.

You can see a large part of the aquarium from the Dubai Mall, but if you wish to go inside the immersive glass tunnel or if you desire to go diving inside the aquarium then you need tickets for the Dubai Underwater Zoo. The Dubai Underwater Zoo is an immersive attraction filled with cool animals like the 5 meter King Croc, Giant Octopus and more.

Desert Safari

In Dubai a desert safari is off-road racing over the dunes in a 4×4 car. For a thrill seeker it is as fun as it sounds. You can go exploring the desert, while drifting over the sandy dunes with an experienced driver ensuring you stay safe and speedy during the wild ride. And during your journey you’ll get the opportunity to take some beautiful pictures. Most desert safari’s also end with a nice barbecue or a traditional buffet in the desert to recover from all the excitement.

Seaplane flight over Dubai

Dubai is known for its extravagant luxury experiences. Taking a seaplane tour over the city of Dubai certainly is one of them. As you take the skies you will get to enjoy an unrivaled panoramic view of the cities futuristic skyline and it’s seaside skyscrapers. Soak in the beautiful coast line, the man-made Islands and one of the tallest buildings in the world, the Burj Khalifa, from an unmatched aerial view that you normally only get to see on television. From the air you can see how the city comes alive as the traditional boats sail below you from one of the biggest ports in the world. It’s a pretty wondrous experience.

In general flights with a seaplane last longer than helicopter flights, but they are also a bit more expensive. So it’s certainly something we consider a luxury experience, albeit a beautiful and unforgettable one. At Meet The Cities we still have fond memories of our trip. It’s something you will carry with you for the rest of your life.

Dubai Dolphinarium

Dolphins are one of our favorite and most intelligent friends from the ocean. Visiting dolphin shows is a great way to spend your time with your whole family. At the Dubai Dolphinarium you will be treated on a show with bottlenose dolphins and seals. They will touch the audience with their acrobatics and playfulness. The show is filled with plenty of action and is guaranteed to create some positive memories.

At the Dolphinarium it’s also possible to separately arrange photo moments and even child friendly meet and greet swimming experiences with the dolphins, where they tow their guest around.

Abra water taxi

Right through the heart of Dubai passes the Dubai Creek, also known as Khor Dubai. This river separates the Deira district, where several popular markets are located, and the Bur Dubai district, which is a historic center. Luckily there is a very fun, fast and cheap way to cross this creek, namely by water taxis called Abras. Abras are small traditional boats that can ferry you across for a fee. For many locals this is a daily trip, but for tourists it’s a cool experience in Dubai culture. Some Abras also offer a water tour over the length of the creek. When you are in Dubai you should take a water taxi for the experience. Especially for it’s low price this activity in Dubai is highly recommended.

Skydiving

Over the skyline of the world city Dubai must be one of the most sensational places in the world to skydive. Dubai as a coastal city, with many unique sights, like the tallest building in the world, the beautiful Palm Islands is a breathtaking scene to behold. It’s no surprise this is a very popular destination for skydivers. And the popularity of the location has attracted much skydiving expertise to Dubai. The unique skyline Dubai offers has ensured skydiving is a very popular attraction in Dubai. You can find the skydive center next to the Palm Island, Palm Jumeirah. If you jump together with an instructor you can spend all your energy on enjoying this once in a lifetime experience. If you wish to enjoy a beautiful view, the freedom of flying, a good thrill and beautiful memories to take home you will find all that and more here.

Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary

The Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary is a small paradise for birds and other native animals in Dubai. Ras Al Khor can be found at the end of the Dubai Creek. The wildlife park has been mostly fenced off so animals can thrive there in peace within the urban area of Dubai. Animal friends and bird spotters are welcome to check out one of the three birding hides from which you can look into the park. For tourists the park is mostly known for the feeding of it’s native birds, such as flamingoes. And the best part is that it’s absolutely free. A hidden gem of Dubai.

Horse riding

Taking a peaceful stroll through the desert of Dubai on your own horse is a pretty relaxing experience. Clearing your mind and enjoying the scenery as you stroll over the dunes is something everyone can relate to. Novices are also able to join up as horse riding instructions are given to beginners. If you enjoy animals then horse riding under the watch of a professional instructor can be a pretty fun activity in Dubai. Although it’s often underrated by many people a tranquil morning or evening walk over the dunes of Dubai is certainly quite a pleasant experience.

Diving among exotic fish

In the landmark hotel Atlantis The Palm you will find one of the biggest aquariums around, the Ambassador Lagoon, filled with exotic fish species. This aquarium is not only one of the biggest eye catchers of the hotel, but you can also book a dive into it. There are different diving plans available for people of different skill levels. Novices can swim among the exotic and colorful fish in one of the largest open air aquariums in the world. While scuba certified divers can book to swim among more than dozen different predatory sharks and even hand feed them. Of course under the guidance of a professional instructor. Diving among these exotic animals is joy for the adventurous swimmers among us.

Global village

One of the largest open air amusement parks in the world is Global Village. The park is open five months a year, as it tends to be closed during the warm summer. The characteristics of Global Village resemble that of a huge city fair, with bumper cars, boats, shows, a rollercoaster and a ferris wheel and rides suitable for the entire family. It’s also a haven for shoppers as cultures from across the world are represented in their own pavilions containing entertainment, shops and stalls from that respective culture. There are also many restaurants from a diverse array of exotic cultures from the middle east and asia. The park is certainly a recommended visit for families of all ages staying in Dubai.

Dubai International Airport

Dubai International Airport is located in the Al Garhoud district and is the primary and largest airport of Dubai. It has about 475 thousand aircraft movements and over 78 million passengers per year. The airport has a capacity of up to an impressive 90 million passengers per year. Measured by passenger traffic it is the 3th busiest airport in the world.

The airport has three terminals. Terminal number 3 is the largest terminal in the world at the moment and has also several airport hotels. Terminal 1 includes concourse D and terminal 3 includes concourses A, B and C. Terminal 1 and terminal 3 are connected, so passengers could travel between them without going through the immigration services. These two terminals hosts mainly international passengers from outside the Gulf-region and sub-continent. Near terminal 3 is also the Al Majlis VIP Pavilion which, as the name suggests, offers high class services, – lounges and – facilities. Terminal 2 hosts mainly budget passengers from the Gulf-region and sub-continent, like Afghanistan, India, Iran, Pakistan and Saudi-Arabia. The terminal is located at another location of the airport. And the Executive flights terminal for the high end travellers is in a separated area near terminal 2. For passengers who want to move between the terminals are shuttle services like a taxi or public transport available. All terminals have lots of shopping facilities, several restaurants and cafes and some children play areas. The airport has over 26.000 m2 (280.000 sq. ft.) retail space in the three terminals together.

Dubai International Airport is the homebase of airline company Emirates and low-cost carrier FlyDubai. And for the Australian airline company Quantas it is its second hub.

From Dubai International Airport there are several options to get to your destination:

By bus
On the opposite of the terminals 1, 2 and 3 there are bus stands from RTA (Roads and Transports Authority). Emirates also offers a bus service between the airport and further destinations like Al Ain and Abu Dhabi.

By metro
There are two metro lines from Dubai Metro at the airport. In front of terminal 1 and terminal 3 is the metro station of the red line. Behind the Dubai Airport Free Zone and terminal 2 is the metro station of the green line. The red metro line and green metro line cross each other at stations Union and Khalid Bin Al Waleed where you can change lines.

By renting a car
During your stay in Dubai is renting a car the most convenient way to discover all areas of the city. With a car you have the freedom of movement, because you don’t depend on timetables, bus stops and stations, while you travel from door to door. And because the airport is connected to the D89, which is one of the longest roads in Dubai, it is also very easy to drive to your destination in Dubai. At Dubai International Airport are several car rental companies in each of the arrival terminals, which are often the well-known brands like Alamo, Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Sixt. To know which cars and car rental companies are available at the terminal where you arrive, you can make use of a car rental comparison site. The advantage of making a comparison and booking in advance is that you don’t have to compare all the desks at the airport with each other after a long flight. You can directly pick-up the keys of your already booked car. And when you book well in advance there are often more cars to choose from, than when you have to do it with the leftovers after your arrival.

By taxi
At each terminal you can follow the taxi signs which will guide you to the taxi stands in front of the arrivals section of the terminal. The taxis are cream coloured and the taxis with a pink trim have a female driver.

Ice skating at the Dubai Ice Rink

Within the gigantic Dubai Mall you will find the olympic sized ice skating rink, that is also used by professional sporters. Here everyone from beginners to experts can book some time for fun leisure riding on their ice skates. There are also professional coaches, who give both group and private lessons, that can help you learn how to master the ice. There are also special events at the ice rink, like disco parties on ice, foam parties and skating with snow fall. Perfect for an afternoon of fun with the kids.