Dubai is a city full of contraststhat is increasingly inclined to luxury without measure.It is one of the main destinationsto see in the United Arab Emirates.It is a place like no other thatknows no middleground, you either love it or you hate it.If you want to know more about this extravagant city, stay to read these20 curiosities of Dubai.
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Curiosities Of Dubai
Luxury accommodation
Seven of the ten tallest hotels in the world are in Dubai, but the best known is undoubtedly theBurj Al Arab.With its original sail shape, it is the only7-star hotel.Access is via a private bridge and on its roof it has aheliport and the highest tennis court in the world.If you afford to pay (at least) €2,000 per night, you will be able to see itsinterior covered with 1,800 square meters of gold leaf.
The city of gold
Dubai is also known as “the city of gold” becausein the gold souk there are more than 300 storesthat deal in gold.In fact,40% of gold transactions made worldwidein 2013 took place in Dubai.In total, theequivalent of the weight of 350 elephants.
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Gold ATMs
The fever for gold is so great that if you walk through the city you will see some curiouscashiers that dispense pieces of the precious metal.The prices are updated in real time and you can choose betweenbars of 1, 5 or 10 grams of gold.There are alsocoins with engravingsof the Dubai icon, the Burj Khalifa.
The Burj Khalifa is so high that those who live at the top have more time in the sun
The Burj Khalifa is thetallest building in the world at 830 meters high.The height is such that, during Ramadan, people living on the upper floors have to wait a few minutes longer than the rest to be able to eat when night falls.Starting from the 80th floor, the sun is seen for a few more seconds, which increase as you reach the top on the 160th floor.
However, the title of the city of skyscrapers goes toHong Kong.AlthoughNew Yorkhas more fame, the Asian city has a greater number of skyscrapers.
Only 15% of the population is Emirati
Some85% of Dubai’s inhabitants are expatriates, most of whom come fromIndia, Pakistan and Bangladeshtowork in construction.Due to the great real estateboomthat is taking place in the city, there are a lot of jobs, but unfortunately inprecarious conditions.Many human rights organizations have sued companies for paying miserable wages to these workers who work from dawn to dusk.
Taxis for women only
In Dubai there aremore than 3,000 taxis which are the main means of transportation.All of them must be licensed and are painted cream.But the Dubai Taxi Corporation makes theroof pink on female-only taxis, which are also driven by women.
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Subway express
Although most people use their own vehicle or taxi,since 2009 there is a metro system.What is most surprising is how quickly it was built, in just 18 months.In addition, it is one of themost modern in the world and does not require a driver.
As with taxis, there arecars only for women and children.There is also a car designated for“Gold Class” travelers, who pay a premium to travel in more comfortable seats with more space.
Very fast cops
Dubai‘s fleet of police vehicles seems designed to attend movie chasesbut is really just looking to impress and give recognition to the city.They have theFerrari FF, Lamborghini Aventadorand even anAston Martin.
With the value of just one of these cars, you could pay for a college degree at the most expensive university in theUnited States, NYU.
The policemen play the bagpipes
The same policemen who drive Ferraris have aband of pipers.Although it is somethingtypically Scottish, the reason that led them to copy it is very simple:they liked the ideaand, since they can have everything they want, they copied it.Without a doubt, this is one of the most freaky Dubai curiosities.
You can ski in the middle of the desert
And we are not talking about skiing in the desert dunes, butinside theMall of the Emiratesthere is a ski slopeat 50 degrees less than the outside temperature.In addition, it is not just any track, they have achair lift, slides and even penguins.
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Air conditioning at bus stops
One of the curiosities of Dubai that caught our attention was that the bus stops are closed.In addition to being cool,inside you can charge your mobile and there is free WiFi.A whole detail of the city to help with the suffocating heat that is throughout the year.
Conditioned City
As if that were not enough with the bus stops, a city will be built where the heat will not exist.Anindoor city with air-conditioned corridors connecting streets and buildingsis being planned for maximum comfort for visitors.In addition, they do not fall short because it will havean area equivalent to twice Monaco.
Consumerism in its purest form
With more than 1,200 shops and restaurants,theDubai Mallis the largest shopping mall in the world.But the thing is not just a simple space with shops, but hasgalleries set as if they were a souk, a theme park for children, a spectacular indoor waterfall, an ice skating rink, an aquarium and even a medical center.
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It has the whole world of sand
Another of Dubai’s extravagances is alarge world map made up of artificial islands.Each one of them forms a country of the world andthey are sold for between 7 and 45 million dollars.Celebrities likeDavid Beckham or Rod Stewartare some of its owners.
Online shopping gets complicated
One of the most surprising curiosities of Dubai is its address system.Despite becoming a world reference city,they do not use postal codes, not even the name of the street, to make shipments.To receive packages easilyyou must have a post office box.
On the envelopes and labels there are no lines to write the address, instead there is ablank space to draw a map or write directionssuch as “after the white mosque, the second street on the left, the blue door”.
Its economy does not depend on oil
Contrary to what many of us thought,only 6% of its economy is based on oil.The areas that bring more benefits to Dubai are theconstruction without brakes and tourism that is on the risewith some 15 million annual visitors.
Construction Rush
There are so many buildings under construction in Dubai thatone in four working cranes are there.The cityis growing at such a frenetic rate that economists expect a housing crisis.For example, many of the artificial islands are yet to be sold.Even so, the builders do not stop and new skyscraper projects continue to be started.
It will have the largest theme complex in the world
One of the big projects under construction is theDubailandtheme park .It will betwice the size ofDisneyworld Orlandoand expects to receive 200,000 visitors a year.There will be shops, restaurants, attractions, water parks, courts for many sports, an ecotourism zone and several resorts to stay.
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Camels move a lot of money
One of the most extravagant curiosities of Dubai is thecamel races.The weirdest thing is thatthe riders are robots that cost anywhere from $300 to $10,000.This is doneto avoid the exploitation of childrenthat occurred in the past, when children small and flexible enough to ride on the back of camels were used.These racesarouse the passion of those who bet thousands of dirhams on their favorite animal.
You need a license to buy alcohol
Being a Muslim country,the consumption of alcohol is prohibited.But since alarge part of the population is foreign, it is allowed to buy alcoholic beverages with a license.To get it you have to be over 21 years old and earn more than 3,000 AED per month (about 700 euros).The city police is responsible for reviewing the application with the person’s documentation and approving the license, which must be renewed every year.