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On our approach to Dubai Airport we remember reading what an expat working in Dubai had once remarked: "Don't even think about walking anywhere here - you won't last more than five minutes in the brutal heat".
Midnight and the airport is abuzz with thousands of passengers flying in and out. This is one of the most modern airports in the world yet there's standing room only, passengers asleep on the floor, the food halls are doing brisk business and the duty free checkouts are barely coping with the frenzy of enthusiastic shoppers getting there last fix before take-off.
Exiting the terminal after 22 hours in air-conditioned comfort the rush of hot air hits us like a blast furnace, but then, this is one of the hottest places on Earth.
Giving the taxi driver our credit card he paused briefly, stroked his chin, and then replied, "Sorry we don't accept credit cards".
Welcome to Dubai - an international city, beloved by the rich and famous, where taxis will not take a credit card.
In any contest for the title of Arabia's most developed city, Dubai would surely be a finalist. Dubbed "the crown jewel of the Emirates", Dubai is seriously chasing tourism to replace its declining petro- dollars. Oil reserves are running low and its massive fortune generated from oil is no longer Dubai's main source of revenue. This is evident with a skyline that changes almost by the hour, where for the past decade Dubai has undergone a massive building boom.
Home for 42 per cent of the world's cranes the race is on to complete Sheik Rashid's big dreams and bright vision to put Dubai on the map. Already the skyline is dominated by the most impressive display of glass-walled skyscrapers anywhere in the world.
And then there's Palm Islands, the three largest artificial islands on earth and The World, a cluster of 300 man-made isles shaped like a map of the world. Add The Burj Dubai to the mix and you have the tallest tower on earth when it's completed next year.
For a city hardly known to the Western world a decade ago, Dubai today packs a punch, it's a city that never sits still, a city of constant change and evolution and a city where no dream is too big. Historically Dubai was an ancient trading port until the early 1800s when pearl diving, boat building and fishing were the traditional occupations. Pearls lasted the distance and were the mainstay of Dubai's economy until oil was discovered in 1967.
At the serious end of the scale The Creek is one of the world's oldest seaports and the city's central lifeline. Built around a natural seawater inlet that winds its way through the city, it's here that old meets new and where the real Dubai is best appreciated. Traditional wooden dhows mix it with water taxis and super yachts and glittering office towers where millions of dollars are being traded.
A few kilometres to the north is Jumeirah Beach and where a long queue of five-star hotels and resorts are lined up, the most iconic, the emblematic, sail-shaped Burj Al Arab. Few hotels in the world have made such an impression so quickly. Designed in the shape of a huge billowing dhow, Burj Al Arab is the world's tallest, most expensive hotel.
Monopolising Dubai's coastline, guests are swept away by the opulence and extravagance. Italian marble, gigantic crystal chandeliers, exotic carpets and a fleet of Rolls Royces and gold, gold and more gold.
Alongside the Burj is Madinat Jumeirah, another stunning beach resort. Try to visualise the architect's brief - design two boutique hotels, add some summer houses, incorporate a souk (market), create an authentic Arab and Moroccan theme and then link them with a canal and traditional dhows.
Nearby is Al Fahid Fort, Dubai's oldest building. Once an observation tower built in the last century from shell and coral bound with plaster, it's now a museum with an impressive display of ancient weapons, costumes, jewellery andArabian artefacts that date back over 1000 years. With temperatures reaching 48C, 50 million sq ft (and counting) of air-conditioned retail space is the ultimate pastime.
Malls and malls of shopping, each larger and more opulent than the last one. A ski slope in a mall? Mall Emirates is a fantasyland, 500 retail stores and an indoor snow enclosure with a 600m ski slope. This could be Chamonix, snow-covered trees, chairlifts and a five-star hotel.
Dubai has big dreams. What can you say about a country whose unlimited wealth and vision has no boundaries. Is it five-star or bust? Only time will tell.
* Dennis and Rosamund Knill were assisted by Emirates, Government of Dubai and Southern Cross Travel Insurance.
- Detours, HoS
