In a bid to become the world’s premiere tourist destination, Dubai has taken deliberate steps to develop every aspect of the city’s tourism sector.  Certainly, Dubai now is more than a city of numerous luxury hotels, deluxe beaches, air-conditioned shopping malls, gold souks, and a host for irresistible shopping festivals.  Surely, Dubai has more to offer to its visitors. 

A different kind of attraction in Dubai is adventure tourism.  As the city had intensively developed its infrastructure for adventure tourism, adventure sports lovers would not find Dubai lacking in its offer of adventure activities.  Supported by the government’s enthusiasm, a well-suited climate, and up to date facilities, organizing any adventure sport activity is no great hurdle.

The various adventure sport activities in Dubai consists of desert safaris, dune bashing, sand storming, wadi bashing, sand skiing, mountain biking, go carting,  water surfing, snorkeling, scuba diving, swimming, sailing, crab hunting, and sky jumping.  Two of its most popular land-based adventure sport activities are desert safaris and the associated activities with it such as dune bashing, camel safari, sand skiing, and wadi bashing.

The Wild Wadi Park is Dubai’s premiere water theme park located in Jumeirah.  It lies along the Jumeirah Beach Road, where it sits between the Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah Beach Hotel.  The park is operated by the Dubai-based hotelier, Jumeirah International, and can be accessed within 20 minutes from the city center.  Designed like an Arabian Wadi, or an oasis, the wild Wadi Park utilizes underlying themes from the Arabian folklores of Juha and Sinbad. 

It covers an area of 12 acres, where in it comprises of 30 adrenaline-pumping, state-of-the-art rides and attractions.  Some of its featured facilities include a heated-cooled wave pool, two surfing simulators, various water slides, the tallest and longest water slide outside of North America, and an 18 meter waterfall that sets off every 10 minutes.  It also features two gift shops, three restaurants, and two food stands.  The park strives to ensure the safety of its guests by setting ninety lifeguards on duty.

With Dubai’s numerous fine beaches that offers a wide range of  recreational and entertainment facilities, together with Dubai’s year-round sunshine and superb soft sandy beaches, Dubai has become a much-preferred winter destination for  many Western tourists.  Winter is the best season to enjoy Dubai’s beaches as the weather is much pleasant and the temperature is much bearable than the scorching hot Dubai summers.

Much of the city’s prominent beaches are found along Jumeirah Road, particularly on the whole stretch of Jumeirah beach.  The most famous beach in the city is a long stretch of soft sand on the Arabian Gulf, lined with private hotels and resorts.  One of the city’s well-known resort hotels that provide access to Jumeirah’s soft sand is the Jumeirah beach hotel.  This wave-shaped beach hotel is as much as an iconic symbol as the Burj Al Arab.  Yet, in spite of its grandiose appearance, the Jumeirah Beach Hotel is a down-to-earth hotel much loved by young European families in search of leisure and fun under the Dubai winter sun.  Aside from the private beach, it also features several recreational facilities, such as a children’s club with a family adventure playground and the Wild Wadi water park, all of which are geared towards the enjoyment of all its guests.  Its other leisure amenities include health and sports facilities, fitness and spa centers, swimming pools, and restaurants.

Dubai is truly a tourist’s paradise.  No where else in the world can one find a desert oasis filled with every possible attraction for any discerning visitor.  It may be a leisure trip by the beach, a family outing in a water park, an exhilarating race by the track, a shopping spree in the mall, an enriching visit to the city’s historical sites, or even skiing down a snowy slope--Dubai has it all.

Al Ahmadiya School

Established in 1912, the Al Ahmadiya School is the first semi-formal school instituted in Dubai.  Sponsored by pearl philanthropist Sheikh Abdul Rahman bin Hafidath, the school provided instructions for the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (Hadith), Quranic explanations (Tafseer’), Islamic law, and a few basic subjects.  With the growing demand for formal schools through the years, the school finally closed in 1965 and has been restored as a museum of public education.