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.

Bastakia Quarter

A picturesque heritage site in the Bur locality, the Bastakia Quarter is an old district built in the late 19th century by Persian merchants drawn to Dubai with the city’s relaxed trade tariffs.  The quarter derived its name from Bastak, a town found in southern Iran.

It has been declared a conservation area, with its many narrow alleys pedestrianised.  Some of the homes found in the district are still privately owned, but many are open to the public.  Some of these houses were converted into the following: Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding, Basta Art Café which is a popular courtyard café, Majlis Gallery which feature artworks of international and local artists, Ostra which is a gallery that specializes in contemporary art and sculpture, and XVA which is a small guest house that features an art gallery.

Children's City

Found at Creekside Park, The Children’s City is Dubai’s first interactive science and cultural center that aims to educate children aged two to fifteen years in a fun, informal, and informative way.  Housed within its 3-storey structure are different themed zones such as the human body, physical science, nature and the environment, space exploration, and international culture and communication.  Over 50 exhibits have been created for such themes, utilizing high-tech computer displays, audio and visual effects, 3D animation, and slide projections.  All exhibits are conducted in English and Arabic. 

Dubai Zoo

Ideally located in the lush green locality of Jumeirah, the Dubai Zoo is one of the city’s prominent attractions for families.  Standing on a 2-hectare plot and boasting of modern facilities, the zoo houses nearly 200 species of mammals, reptiles, birds, and fish which are primarily indigenous to Arabia.  Some of the different species featured in the zoo include regional birds of prey, large cats, primates, snakes, and wild hoofed grazing mammals.  Some of its significant achievements as an institution include the breeding of chimpanzees, Arabian wild cats, and Socotra Cormorants while in captivity, and caring for the last remaining species of the Arabian Wolf, which are no longer found in the wild.  The zoo is scheduled for relocation and renovations to allow the animals to live in areas similar to their natural habitats.

Hatta Heritage Village

Situated in the heart of the Hatta Mountains, 115 kilometers southeast of Dubai, the Hatta Heritage Village sets an excellent example of Dubai and the UAE’s finest cultural heritage and historical past.  The founding of the village dates as far back to 2000 to 3000 years ago.  Found within the vicinity are two towers, referred to as the “two stones”, which overlooks the village and served as defense fortresses against hostile invaders.  Whereas within the village are 30 buildings which differ in sizes, interior layout, and building materials used.  Before it was opened to the public in February 2001, the village was restored and renovated, taking great care to use the same traditional building materials that were used to put up these historical buildings.  Materials such as mud, palm fronds, sandalwood, and hay were used extensively to provide authenticity as much as possible.

Heritage and Diving Village

Another cultural attraction, the Heritage and Diving Village provides Dubai visitors a glimpse of the emirate’s heritage and way of life as in days gone by.  Located by the mouth of the Dubai Creek, the traditional heritage village was created to provide a fitting venue for potters and weavers to exhibit their crafts.  The Diving Village is part of a grand scheme to transform the entire locality of Shindagha into a microcosm of Dubai’s cultural heritage.

International City

Found along the Dubai-Hatta road, between Interchange 5 and 6 of Emirates Road, in the Al Warsan region, the International City is a country themed residential development, business establishments, and tourist attractions.  It is comprised of six key areas, namely the Dubai Design Centre, Central District, The Dragon Mart, Lakes District, Residential District, and the Forbidden City.  Most attractive of these areas to tourists are the Dragon mart, which is a large trade mall designed in the form of a dragon, and the Forbidden City, which is a replica of the biggest and best-preserved ancient Chinese buildings and features authentic residences, markets, museum, and performance courts. 

Palm Islands

The Palm Islands are the largest artificial islands in the world.  Hailed as a marine and engineering feat, each of the Palm Islands is shaped as a date palm with a crescent on top.  The Palm Islands are also one of the few man-made structures visible from the outer space.  These attributes only adds to the Palm islands’ prominence and attractiveness to tourists in addition to the various leisure and recreational venues featured on the islands.

The Palm islands are made up of the Palm Jumeirah, The Palm Jebel Ali, and the Palm Deira.  The smallest of the three, the Palm Jumeirah is primarily dedicated as a retreat and residential area.  It features themed boutiques, luxury hotels, shoreline apartments, villas, and magnificent beaches.  The second largest is the Palm Jebel Ali, which is hailed as the island of entertainment because of the various tourist attractions found there.  It features a water theme park, a sea village, marinas, and water homes.  The Palm Deira is the largest of the three islands. Found on the islands are residential properties, shopping malls, marinas, clubs, and sports facilities.

Souk Area

Souks are traditional Arab markets, and the locality of Deira is home to a number of these markets.

Gold Souk

Found in Sikkat Al Khail Street, the Gold Souk features rows and rows of stores selling premium merchandise made of Arabian gold.  Along its narrow streets are shops that carry ornaments made out of 22 to 24 carat gold.  Along its slightly larger lanes are shops that carry gold jewelry, such as necklaces, earrings, bangles, rings, and brooches.  The jewelries found in the Gold Souk are usually made of 24 carats and none are less than 18 carats.  The Deira Gold Souk has one of the world’s lowest gold prices.

Spice Souk

Adjacent to the Gold Souk on Al Ras Street is the Spice Souk.  Filling its narrow streets are the exotic fragrances of Arabian spices and seasonings, such as cinnamons, cardamoms, coriander seeds, cloves, and dried fruits.  These picturesque and aromatically captivating alleys are quite popular with tourists.

Perfume Souk

The Perfume Souk on Sikkat Al Khail Street in Deira looks a little less traditional than most of the souks found in the city.  Nonetheless, the shops sell a wide variety of perfumes, both of local and international brands.  Be forewarned though, some merchandise are imitations of the original, and are often packaged in the same manner as the genuine product.  Local Arabic perfumes are generally more pungent and contain more oil than European ones.  Some shops can create personalized fragrances.

Electronics Souk

Every sort of electronic merchandise can be found in this souk—from the most mundane items such as calculators to the most sophisticated gaming systems are sold here.  Office and multimedia products, such as CD’s, iPods, and digital cameras are also found here.  Haggling is the most exciting part of the experience when shopping in the Deira Electronics Souk.

Covered Souk

Situated on Al Sabkha Road, the Covered Souk features a wide range of merchandise.  However, clothes and textile are predominantly found here.

Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding

Found in the Bastakia Quarter, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding (SMCCU) was created to remove cultural barriers, as well as to raise the awareness of foreign visitors and residents of the city’s traditions, customs, and Islam.  In order to achieve this, SMCCU arranges a variety of tours and social activities, such as tours to the Jumeirah Mosque, cultural breakfasts and lunches, walking tours around the Bastakia Quarter, and Arabic courses.

Wild Wadi Water Park

Located beside the Jumeirah Beach Hotel and Burj Al Arab along the Jumeirah Beach Road, the Wild Wadi Water Park is Dubai’s foremost water theme park.  Frequented by many families, the park covers an area of 12 acres and features 30 exciting state-of –the-art rides and attractions, which are most interconnected so as to allow the riders to move from one ride to another without having to leave the water.  Some of its most popular rides are Master Blasters where riders sit on inflatable rings and are blasted upwards with high-power water jets, Flowriders which creates waves suitable for surfing, knee-boarding, or body-boarding, Breaker’s Bay which is the largest wave pool in the region, Juha’s Journey which is primarily a lazy river ride, Juha’s Dhow which is a unique interactive play structure that allows for various types of water-based games, Wadi Wash which is a synchronized sound and light show, and the Jumeirah Sceirah which is the tallest free-fall speed slide outside the United States.