 |
Dubai |
 |
|
A city on fast forward
Welcome to Dubai, city of merchants and cultural crossroads – the second largest of the seven Emirates making up the United Arab Emirates.
Established in 1971, the UAE borders the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the west, Oman to the east and both the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, boasting a coastline of over 1000 km.
Wedged between Europe and Asia, buttressed by Africa, Dubai's encouraging tax regimes, state-of-the-art telecommunications and sympathetic business environment have produced a city that is building energetically on the advantages which its location, centuries-old trading savvy and oil wealth have given it.
Over the past 30 years, Dubai has developed not only into an important business hub, but also a tourist hotspot, with hundreds of thousands of visitors flocking to its pristine beaches, warm weather, impressive shopping malls and fascinating historical sites.
The rate of construction and growth has been remarkable and in recent years, Dubai has easily been one of the fastest growing cities in the world.
Today, Dubai boasts the world’s largest shopping mall – The Dubai Mall, the world’s tallest tower – Burj Khalifa, both just a few minutes walk from Al Manzil Hotel. The city is also renowned for its man-made islands like the Palm and The World and is one of the most popular holiday destinations because of its 360 days of sunshine a year.
Apart from the inviting beaches, among the many tourist attractions are: the Dubai Museum (housed in one of the city’s oldest buildings, the Al Fahidi fort, offering a fascinating insight into the history of the area), the Bastakiya region (the historic quarter of Dubai, characterised by narrow lanes and tall wind-towers) and Jumeirah Mosque (an impressive example of modern Islamic architecture which, unlike many of the other mosques in the area, is open to visitors on certain days of the week).
And just on the doorstep of the hotel, is the newly opened Dubai Mall (with 1200 outlets, a shoppers’ paradise) and Souk al Bahar (a stylish leisure and retail destination set within the context of a traditional Arabian souk, or market, featuring winding corridors, high archways and tranquil areas overlooking Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building).
In the centre of all of this, is the Al Manzil Hotel – representing the old world charm that people recognise as something truly Arabic – and with every modern convenience that you would expect from one of the most well-known business hotels in the city. Welcome to Dubai. Welcome to the Al Manzil Hotel.
Connected to the World
Dubai is well connected, with 109 airlines connecting to over 125 cities around the world.
For tourist/visitor Visa Requirements for entering Dubai, the most authoritative site is the official Dubai Tourism site:
http://www.dubaitourism.ae/www/Visa/Visa.asp
The other Government site is:
http://dnrd.gov.ae
Other useful tourist information sites are:
http://www.dubai.com/
http://www.dubaitourism.ae/
http://www.dubai-tourism.net/
www.uaeinteract.com
www.guide2dubai.com
|
|
