Hot air balloon Dubai wide desert

Hot air balloon Dubai wide desert

Hot air balloon Dubai sunrise flight

The burner's first roar cuts through the pre-dawn hush like a warm exhale, and for a moment the desert is all flame and shadow. Then the envelope billows into a living curve of color, tugging gently at the wicker basket as if eager to slip the bonds of the sleeping earth. You climb in with strangers who, in the dim light, already feel like fellow travelers in an old story. Someone whispers that the stars look close enough to touch. Someone else clutches a camera and forgets to raise it. And then, with a softness that surprises you, the ground simply begins to fall away.


Hot air balloon Dubai wide desert.

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The phrase sounds almost like a spell, and in a way it is one. It conjures the improbable meeting of old and new-an ancient landscape and a modern city that dares the horizon. As the balloon glides upward, the first line of dawn draws a pale seam across the edge of the world. Hot air balloon Dubai sunrise flight Sand dunes unfurl in every direction, like a sea stilled mid-swell. They are not monotone; they shift from charcoal to peach to rose gold in the span of minutes, each grain catching light differently, each ridge thrown into relief as if the desert were being etched in real time.


From above, the marks of life in this arid expanse reveal themselves slowly and then all at once: the braided tracks of a fox crossing the night-chilled sand, a scatter of hardy shrubs clinging to the windward slope of a dune, the faint punctuation of a ghaf tree surviving on memory and thrift. If you are lucky, you might trace the elegant lines of a herd of Arabian oryx or catch the skittish leap of a gazelle. They move like brushstrokes, proof that the desert is not empty but quietly, insistently alive.


Another breath from the burner, another rise. The basket creaks in a language of rope and rattan, each sound strangely reassuring. Hot air balloon Dubai soft landing There is no engine's growl or rotors' chop, only the intermittent sigh of flame and the wind's cool hand at your cheek. The calm is the kind that invites honesty. People point without speaking, then share the kind of observations that sound simple but are, for once, exactly enough. Look at that. It's so quiet. I didn't know the sky could feel this big.


To the west, if the air is very clear, the skyline of Dubai appears as a calligraphy of glass and steel-towers piercing the dawn, a cluster of audacity rising from the sands. It is an astonishing contrast: the city's vertical ambition and the desert's horizontal infinity. You hold both in your gaze and feel the way they sharpen each other, the way one tells you something essential about the other. Here is a place that measures its history not only in skyscrapers and superlatives, but also in the knowledge of wind and stars that once guided Bedouin camps from one season to the next.


Ballooning over the desert feels like stepping into that older chapter. There is a humility to this mode of flight. You are not carving a path through the air so much as listening to it, finding the currents that will take you where they want to go. The pilot reads the sky the way a sailor reads a tide, coaxing altitude changes with bursts of heat, drifting to a layer where the wind is a degree or two kinder, a measure more north or south. It is navigation as conversation rather than command.


Sunrise arrives not all at once but by degrees. The light doesn't so much flip on as seep into everything, uncovering detail after detail. Dunes that were smooth silhouettes turn textured and precise; shadows gather under their leeward lips like ink. The world below becomes a map of time, the wind's recent stories written in ripples and scallops. Far in the distance, the Hajar Mountains bruise the horizon-jagged, immovable, a reminder that even this sea of sand has edges.


There is something cleansing about the perspective up here. It is not only the view but the sense of scale, the recalibration of your place in the scheme of things. Problems you carried into the basket-emails, obligations, the vague ache of a news cycle-thin out like morning mist. Hot air balloon Dubai scenic flight . The desert's grammar is different. It speaks in long sentences of stone and sky, and its punctuation is silence. You find that in silence, clarity has room to expand.


As the sun lifts, the colors climb to their daylit registers. Heat begins to rise from the earth, blurring the lower air, and the desert shifts again, its details softening into a shimmer. The balloon conserves its gentle arc, riding the currents with the ease of a held breath. Below, you might catch the distant stagger of camel tracks or the geometric surprise of a conservation fence. It is human presence reduced to footnotes in a text that refuses to be hurried.


And yet the human story persists. You think about the hands that wove this basket, the engineers who stitched mathematics into the fabric of the envelope, the pilots who learned the language of thermals and wind shear. You think about hospitality in the desert-how survival here has always depended on welcome. Perhaps later there will be sweet tea in small glasses, dates that taste of sunlight stored, stories traded in the cool of a tent. The city and the sands share this impulse: to gather, to show, to astonish.


Descent, when it comes, is as unhurried as ascent. The pilot eyes a flat stretch of earth, tests the wind's mood, and prepares everyone for the landing-knees bent, hands braced, a small jolt that feels less like arriving than waking. The envelope sighs as it spills its warm breath back into the morning. Ground crews appear as if conjured, their movements practiced and spare. In minutes, the bright fabric is folded, the basket is light again, and the sky has closed the space you briefly occupied.


You climb out taller than when you stepped in. Not literally, of course, but in some inward way, as if the spine of your attention has straightened. The world from above has a way of reorganizing the world below. You have seen the desert's vast grammar and the city's bright script and how they make sense together. You have felt what it's like to let the wind write your path.


Hot air balloon Dubai wide desert-say it again, and it means more now. It is not just a collection of words or a search term. It is the memory of heat against your cheeks in the cold before sunrise, the blush of dunes waking, the patient turn of the earth beneath a basket suspended by breath and flame. It is the knowledge that some places are best understood when you meet them at their scale: slowly, quietly, with your hands resting on the rim and your eyes taking in more than you can possibly hold.

 

Arabian oryx
Male in Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve
Conservation status
Vulnerable
Vulnerable  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
CITES Appendix I[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Subfamily: Hippotraginae
Genus: Oryx
Species:
O. leucoryx
Binomial name
Oryx leucoryx
(Pallas, 1777)

The Arabian oryx or white oryx (Oryx leucoryx) is a medium-sized antelope with a distinct shoulder bump, long, straight horns, and a tufted tail.[2] It is a bovid, and the smallest member of the genus Oryx, native to desert and steppe areas of the Arabian Peninsula. The Arabian oryx was extinct in the wild by the early 1970s, but was saved in zoos and private reserves, and was reintroduced into the wild starting in 1980.

In 1986, the Arabian oryx was classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List, and in 2011, it was the first animal to revert to vulnerable status after previously being listed as extinct in the wild. It is listed in CITES Appendix I. In 2016, populations were estimated at 1,220 individuals in the wild, including 850 mature individuals, and 6,000–7,000 in captivity worldwide.[1]

Etymology

[edit]

The taxonomic name Oryx leucoryx is from the Greek orux (gazelle or antelope) and leukos (white). The Arabian oryx is also called the white oryx in English, dishon in Hebrew,[3] and is known as maha, wudhaihi, baqar al-wahsh, and boosolah in Arabic.[4]

Taxonomy

[edit]

The name "oryx" was introduced by Peter Simon Pallas in 1767 for the common eland as Antilope oryx. He also scientifically described the Arabian oryx as Oryx leucoryx, giving its range as "Arabia, and perhaps Libya". In 1816, Henri Marie Ducrotay de Blainville subdivided the antelope group, adopted Oryx as a genus name, and changed the species name Antilope oryx to Oryx gazella. In 1826, Martin Lichtenstein confused matters by transferring the name Oryx leucoryx to the scimitar oryx, now Oryx dammah. The Zoological Society of London obtained the first living individual in Europe in 1857. Not realizing this might be the Oryx leucoryx of previous authors, John Edward Gray proposed calling it Oryx beatrix after Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom. Oldfield Thomas renamed the scimitar oryx as Oryx algazal in 1903 and gave the Arabian oryx its original name.[4]

Description

[edit]
In Yotvata Hai-Bar Nature Reserve in Israel

The Arabian oryx' coat is an almost luminous white, the undersides and legs are brown, and black stripes occur where the head meets the neck, on the forehead, on the nose, and going from the horn down across the eye to the mouth. Both sexes have long, straight or slightly curved, ringed horns which are 0.61–1.49 m (2–4.9 ft). It stands between 0.79 and 1.25 m (2.6 and 4.1 ft) tall at the shoulder and typically weighs between 220 to 460 lb (100 to 209 kg).[5][2]

Distribution and habitat

[edit]

Historically, the Arabian oryx probably ranged throughout most of the Middle East. In the early 1800s, they could still be found in the Sinai, Palestine, the Transjordan, much of Iraq, and most of the Arabian Peninsula. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, their range was pushed back towards Saudi Arabia, and by 1914, only a few survived outside that country. A few were reported in Jordan into the 1930s, but by the mid-1930s, the only remaining populations were in the Nafud Desert in northwestern Saudi Arabia and the Rub' al Khali in the south.[2]

In the 1930s, Arabian princes and oil company clerks started hunting Arabian oryxes with automobiles and rifles. Hunts grew in size, and some were reported to employ as many as 300 vehicles. By the middle of the 20th century, the northern population was effectively extinct.[2] The last Arabian oryx in the wild before reintroduction was reported in 1972.[6]

Arabian oryxes prefer to range in gravel deserts or hard sand, where their speed and endurance will protect them from most predators and hunters on foot. In the sand deserts in Saudi Arabia, they used to be found in the hard sand areas of the flats between the softer dunes and ridges.[2]

Arabian oryxes have been reintroduced to Oman, Saudi Arabia, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Syria, and Jordan. A small population was introduced on Hawar Island, Bahrain, and large semi-managed populations at several sites in Qatar and the UAE. The total reintroduced population is now estimated to be around 1,000. This puts the Arabian oryx well over the threshold of 250 mature individuals needed to qualify for endangered status. However, the majority of the population is concentrated in Saudi Arabia.[1]

Behaviour and ecology

[edit]

The Arabian oryx rests during the heat of the day. A herd in Oman can range over 3,000 km2 (1,200 sq mi). Packs are of mixed sex and usually comprise between 2 and 15 induvials, though herds of up to 100 have been reported. Arabian oryxes are generally not aggressive toward one another, which allows herds to exist peacefully for some time.[7]

Feeding

[edit]

The diets of the Arabian oryx consist mainly of grasses, but it eats a large variety of vegetation, including buds, herbs, fruit, tubers and roots. Herds follow infrequent rains to eat the new plants that grow afterwards. They can go for several weeks without water.[7] In Oman, it primarily eats grasses of the genus Stipagrostis, flowers from Stipagrostis plants appeared highest in crude protein and water, while leaves seemed a better food source with other vegetation.[8]

Behavior

[edit]

When the Arabian oryx is not wandering its habitat or eating, it digs shallow depressions in the soft ground under shrubs or trees for resting. They can detect rainfall from a distance and follow in the direction of fresh plant growth. The number of individuals in a herd can vary greatly (up to 100 have been reported occasionally), but the average is 10 or fewer individuals.[9] Bachelor herds do not occur, and single territorial males are rare. Herds establish a straightforward hierarchy that involves all females and males above the age of about seven months.[10] Arabian oryxes tend to maintain visual contact with other herd members, with subordinate males taking positions between the main body of the herd and the outlying females. If separated, males will search areas where the herd last visited, settling into a solitary existence until the herd's return. Where water and grazing conditions permit, male Arabian oryxes establish territories. Bachelor males are solitary.[11] A dominance hierarchy is created within the herd by posturing displays, which avoid the danger of serious injury their long, sharp horns could potentially inflict. Males and females use their horns to defend the sparse territorial resources against interlopers.[12]

Adaptations for desert environments

[edit]

The Arabian oryx changes its physiology and behaviour at different times of the year to increase survival during times when food and water are in limited supply. During the summer, when droughts are common in the desert environments where it lives, the Arabian oryx will drastically reduce its minimal fasting metabolic rate by lying completely inactive beneath shade trees during the day and ranging over smaller areas at night to forage.[13] By letting its body temperature rise during the heat of the day, it uses less evaporative cooling and retains more body water, and at night, the cool night air lowers its temperature back to the normal range.[14] The oryx's arterial blood temperature is partly powered by a network of small arterial vessels with a large surface area called the rete mirabile, which branches from the two carotid arteries to the brain and allows for heat exchange between warm arterial blood and the cooler blood in the sinus cavities.[14] Because of these changes in behaviour and physiology, it was shown that Arabian oryx can reduce their urine volume, faecal water loss, and resting metabolic rate by at least 50%.[15]

The Arabian wolf is the Arabian oryx's only predator. In captivity and safe conditions in the wild, it has a maximum life span of up to 20 years.[11] In periods of drought, though, their life expectancy may be significantly reduced by malnutrition and dehydration. Other causes of death include fights between males, snakebites, disease, and drowning during floods.[16]

Importance to humans

[edit]
South Arabian fragment of a stela, depicts a reclining ibex and three Arabian oryx heads. The ibex was one of the most sacred animals in South Arabia, while the oryx antelope was associated with the god Attar, 5th century BC.

The Arabian oryx is the national animal of Jordan, Oman, the United Arab Emirates,[17] Bahrain, and Qatar.[18]

The Arabian oryx is also the namesake of several businesses on the Arabian peninsula, notably Al Maha Airways and Al Maha Petroleum.

In the King James Version of the Bible, the word re'em is translated as 'unicorn'. In Modern Hebrew, the name re'em lavan, meaning white oryx, is used in error for the scimitar-horned oryxes living in the sanctuary Yotvata Hai Bar near Eilat.[19] The scimitar oryx is called re'em Sahara. The Arabian name ri'ïm is the equivalent of the Hebrew name re'em, also meaning white oryx, suggesting a borrowing from the Early Modern Era.

A Qatari oryx named "Orry" was chosen as the official games mascot for the 2006 Asian Games in Doha,[20] and is shown on tailfins of planes belonging to Middle Eastern airline Qatar Airways.

Unicorn myth

[edit]

The myth of the one-horned unicorn may be based on oryxes that have lost one horn. Aristotle and Pliny the Elder held that the oryx was the unicorn's "prototype".[21] From certain angles, the oryx may seem to have one horn rather than two,[22][23] and given that its horns are made from hollow bone that cannot be regrown, if an Arabian oryx were to lose one of its horns, for the rest of its life, it would have only one.[21]

Another source for the concept may have originated from the translation of the Hebrew word re'em into Greek as μονόκερως, monokeros, in the Septuagint.[24] In Psalm 22:21, the word karen, meaning horn, is written in singular. The Roman Catholic Vulgata and the Douay-Rheims Bible translated re'em as rhinoceros; other translations are names for a wild bull, wild oxen, buffalo, or gaur, but in some languages, a word for unicorn is maintained. The Arabic translation alrim is the correct choice etymologically, meaning 'white oryx'.[25]

Conservation

[edit]
Arabian oryx in Al Ain Zoo

The Phoenix Zoo and the Fauna and Flora Preservation Society of London (now Fauna and Flora International), with financial help from the World Wildlife Fund, are credited with saving the Arabian oryx from extinction. In 1962, these groups started the first captive-breeding herd in any zoo, at the Phoenix Zoo, sometimes referred to as "Operation Oryx".[26][27] Starting with nine animals, the Phoenix Zoo has had over 240 successful births. From Phoenix, Arabian oryxes were sent to other zoos and parks to start new herds.

In 1968, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi, out of concern for the land's wildlife, particularly ungulates such as the Arabian oryx, founded the Al Ain Zoo to conserve them.[28]

Arabian oryxes were hunted to extinction in the wild by 1972. By 1980, the number of Arabian oryxes in captivity had increased to the point that Arabian oryx reintroduction was started. The first release, to Oman, was attempted with Arabian oryxes from the San Diego Wild Animal Park.[6] Although numbers in Oman have declined, there are now wild populations in Saudi Arabia and Israel,[29][30] as well. One of the largest populations is found in Mahazat as-Sayd Protected Area, a large, fenced reserve in Saudi Arabia, covering more than 2,000 km2 (770 sq mi).[1]

On June 28, 2007, Oman's Arabian Oryx Sanctuary was the first site ever to be removed from the UNESCO World Heritage List. UNESCO's reason for this was the Omani government's decision to open 90% of the site to oil prospecting. The Arabian oryx population on the site has been reduced from 450 in 1996 to only 65 in 2007. At that time, there were fewer than four breeding pairs left on the site.[31][needs update]

In June 2011, the Arabian oryx was relisted as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List. The IUCN estimated there were more than 1,200 Arabian oryx in the wild as of 4 December 2020 2016, with 6,000–7,000 held in captivity worldwide in zoos, preserves, and private collections. Some of these are in large, fenced enclosures (free-roaming), including those in Syria (Al Talila), Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE.[1] This is the first time the IUCN has reclassified a species as vulnerable after it had been listed as extinct in the wild.[32] The Arabian oryx is also listed in CITES Appendix I.[1]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group (2017). "Oryx leucoryx". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017 e.T15569A50191626. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T15569A50191626.en. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e Talbot, L. M. (1960). A Look at Threatened Species. The Fauna Preservation Society. pp. 84–91.
  3. ^ Slifkin, Nathan, The Torah encyclopedia of the Animal kingdom, vol.1, OU Press, New York, 2015, pp.272-275
  4. ^ a b "Conservation Programme for Arabian Oryx: Taxonomy & description". National Wildlife Research Center. 2007. Archived from the original on 2011-09-04. Retrieved 2009-11-15.
  5. ^ "Oryx". Animals & Plants. San Diego Zoo. Retrieved 2023-03-26.
  6. ^ a b Stanley-Price, Mark (July–August 1982). "The Yalooni Transfer". Saudi Aramco World. Archived from the original on 2011-06-10. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  7. ^ a b Massicot, P. (2007). "Arabian Oryx". Animal Info. Archived from the original on 25 January 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-11.
  8. ^ Spalton, J. A. (1999). "The food supply of Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx) in the desert of Oman". Journal of Zoology. 248 (4): 433–441. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1999.tb01043.x.
  9. ^ Leu, H. (2001) "Oryx leucoryx" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web.
  10. ^ How to go wild. New Scientist (1989-10-28). Retrieved on 2013-01-01.
  11. ^ a b "Arabian Oryx". The Phoenix Zoo. Archived from the original on 15 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-27.
  12. ^ BBC (2012-04-27). Science & Nature – Wildfacts – Arabian oryx. Retrieved on 2013-01-01.
  13. ^ Williams, J. B.; Ostrowski, S.; Bedin, E.; Ismail, K. (2001). "Seasonal variation in energy expenditure, water flux and food consumption of Arabian oryx Oryx leucoryx". Journal of Experimental Biology. 204 (13): 2301–2311. Bibcode:2001JExpB.204.2301W. doi:10.1242/jeb.204.13.2301. PMID 11507113.
  14. ^ a b "Animals at the extremes: The desert environment". June 10, 2019. Archived from the original on 2017-01-05. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  15. ^ Ostrowski, S.; Williams, J. B.; Mésochina, P.; Sauerwein, H. (2005). "Physiological acclimation of a desert antelope, Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx), to long-term food and water restriction". Journal of Comparative Physiology B. 176 (3): 191–201. doi:10.1007/s00360-005-0040-0. PMID 16283332. S2CID 14680361.
  16. ^ "The Oryx Facts". The Arabian Oryx Project. Archived from the original on 12 January 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-27.
  17. ^ "The UAE National Symbols..." TEACH United Arab Emirates. 2 (2). Jess Jumeira School. Nov–Dec 2014.
  18. ^ Orr, Tamra (30 June 2008). Qatar. Marshall Cavendish. p. 13. ISBN 978-0-7614-2566-3. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
  19. ^ "Hai-Bar Yotvata Nature Reserve | | Sights". www.lonelyplanet.com. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  20. ^ "Mascot of Asian Games 2006". Travour.com. Archived from the original on 16 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-07.
  21. ^ a b Rice, M. (1994). The Archaeology of the Arabian Gulf, c. 5000–323 BC. Routledge. p. 63. ISBN 0-415-03268-7.
  22. ^ "Arabian Oryx". Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Archived from the original on 2007-10-10. Retrieved 2008-01-25.
  23. ^ Tongren, S. (1981). What's for Lunch: Animal Feeding at the Zoo. GMG Publications. ISBN 978-0-939456-00-0.
  24. ^ Gerritsen, Wim (June 2005). "Bestaat de Eenhoorn;of Hoe de wetenschap de bijbel de baas werd". De Groene Amsterdammer.
  25. ^ "Smith & Van Dyke Arabic Bible translation - Deuteronomium 33:17". Bible Hub.
  26. ^ The Arabian Oryx Project – Timeline. oryxoman.com
  27. ^ Phoenix Zoo Species Survival Plan Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine. Phoenixzoo.org (2006-01-03). Retrieved on 2013-01-01.
  28. ^ "History". Al Ain Zoo. 15 October 2017. Retrieved 2019-03-18.
  29. ^ Saltz, D. (1998). "A long-term systematic approach to planning reintroductions: the Persian fallow deer and the Arabian oryx in Israel". Animal Conservation. 1 (4): 245. Bibcode:1998AnCon...1..245S. doi:10.1111/j.1469-1795.1998.tb00035.x. S2CID 85943063.
  30. ^ Gilad, O.; Grant, W.E. & Saltz, D. (2008). "Simulated dynamics of Arabian Oryx (Oryx leucoryx) in the Israeli Negev: Effects of migration corridors and post-reintroduction changes in natality on population viability". Ecological Modelling. 210 (1–2): 169. Bibcode:2008EcMod.210..169G. doi:10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2007.07.015.
  31. ^ "Oman's Arabian Oryx Sanctuary: first site ever to be deleted from UNESCO's World Heritage List". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 18 January 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-16.
  32. ^ Platt, John (17 June 2011). "Arabian Oryx Makes History as First Species to Be Upgraded from "Extinct in the Wild" to "Vulnerable"". scientificamerican.com. Retrieved 20 June 2011.

Further reading

[edit]
  • Silverberg, Robert (1967). The Auk, the Dodo, and the Oryx: Vanished and Vanishing Creatures. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company. LCCN 67002554. L.C. Card AC 67-10476.
[edit]
  • Images and movies of the Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx) at Arkive
  • Living Desert article
  • Arabian Oryx at Al Wabra Wildlife Preserve
  • Oryx leucoryx on Animal Diversity Web
  • Oryx leucoryx on Mammal Species of the World

 

 

The Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood, also called Al Bastakiya, is Dubai's historic district and major tourist destination.

Tourism in Dubai is a major part of the economy of Dubai. Dubai was the third most visited city in the world in 2023 with 17 million international visitors according to Euromonitor International.[1][2] Dubai hosts more than 800 hotels with more than 150,000 rooms.[3][4]

History

[edit]

The discovery of oil in 1966 kick-started the development of present Dubai, however Sheikh Hamad bin Maktoum (ruler from 1958 till 1990) realised one day Dubai would run out of oil and started building an economy that would outlast it.[5] A quote commonly attributed to Sheikh Rashid reflected his concern that Dubai's oil, which was discovered in 1966 and which began production in 1969, would run out within a few generations. Sheikh Rashid stated "My grandfather rode a camel, my father rode a camel, I drive a Mercedes, my son drives a Land Rover, his son will drive a Land Rover, but his son will ride a camel".[6] Sheikh Rashid realized early he needed to diversify the emirate of Dubai's economy by building on the city's trading history and therefore he set out to establish Dubai as the region's trade and service hub. By 1979, he was successful in establishing the Jebel Ali Port, which became the logical shipping centre for the entire United Arab Emirates and the world's largest man-made port. He also upgraded Dubai International Airport and built the Dubai World Trade Centre, which was then the tallest building in the Middle East. By the end of the 1970s, the stage was set for the diversification of Dubai's economy away from oil and into other areas such as tourism.[7]

In 1989 the Dubai Commerce and Tourism Promotion Board was established, to promote Dubai as a luxury destination for the up-tier market and influential business sectors. In January 1997, it was replaced with the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM).[8]

In May 2013, the government of Dubai launched the Dubai Tourism Strategy 2020, with the key objective to attract 20 million visitors a year by 2020 and making Dubai a first choice destination for international leisure travellers as well as business travellers.[9] In 2018, the strategy was expanded by setting new goals of attracting 21-23 million visitors in 2022 and 23-25 million visitors by 2025.[10] The key objectives from 2013 and 2018 were not met due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The need to maintain its tourism industry has hampered Dubai's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[11] Along with COVID-19 Dubai's tourism sector has also been hurt by a greater international awareness of the status of human rights in the emirate and in particular the treatment of Princess Latifa bint Mohammed Al Maktoum.[12]

In November 2022, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid announced a national tourism strategy until 2031. The goal of the strategy is to attract Dh 100 billion in additional tourism investments (so that the tourism sector's contribution will be Dh450bn of Dubai's GDP in 2031) and receive 40 million hotel guests in 2031. The strategy includes 25 initiatives and policies to support the development of the tourism sector in the country.[13]

In April 2025, the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism introduced a new programme offering media training to students for promotion of tourism in the UAE. Applicants are provided with flights, luxury apartment and three months of income, along with certification from Dubai College of Tourism for posting about traveling experiences in Dubai on social media. According to Middle East Eye, this program aims to whitewash its human rights violations and war crime accusations in Sudan.[14]

Visitors and visitor spending

[edit]

Since 1982, Dubai continued to be one of the fastest growing destinations for tourists. In 2002, visitors were mainly from other Gulf Cooperation Council members which accounted for 34% of tourists, South Asia accounted for 25%, other Arab states 16%, Europe 15%, and Africa 9%. In 2003, revenue from tourism exceeded $1 billion and surpassed oil revenues to directly and indirectly account for over 17% and 28% of GDP respectively.[15]

From January to June 2019 8.36 million international tourists visited Dubai. Most of the visitors were from India (997,000) followed by Saudi Arabia (755,000) and the United Kingdom (586,000).[16]

Mastercard's Global Destination Cities Index 2019 found that tourists spend more in Dubai than in any other country. In 2018, the country topped the list for the fourth year in a row with a total spend of $30.82 billion, a 3.8% increase over 2017 ($29.70 billion). The average spend per day was $553.[17]

In 2019, Dubai attracted a total of 16.73 million tourists, which was an increase of 5.09% on the previous year. However, in 2020, the number of visitors dropped to 5.51 million due to the coronavirus pandemic.[18]

 

Accommodation

[edit]
Burj Al Arab hotel

In the last three years, Dubai saw an increase in 4 and 5 star hotels and number of rooms, but a decrease in standard hotel apartments. The total number of rooms increased by 9,098 from 2015 to 2017, an increase of 9.25%. Prior to the Expo 2020 hotels in Dubai were reducing room rates to stimulate demand as supply accelerated. Based on data of August 2019, Dubai hoteliers reported a 7.6% rise in supply against 7.4% increase in demand.[31] Average room rates stood at AED 486 in June 2019 while in the same month of 2018 average room rates were at 544 AED.[32] In July 2019, Dubai's Jumeirah Group LLC fired 500 people due to a decline in tourism. In the second quarter of 2019, hospitality sector has had the worst quarter since 2009.[33]

Hotel inventory numbers 2014-2023[19]
  2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Total 5 star hotels   91 96 103 113 128 134 143 151 157
Total 5 star hotel rooms   31,551 33,122 35,853 38,543 43,133 44,067 47,035 49,585 51,809
Total 4 star hotels   106 112 122 146 158 161 181 189 194
Total 4 star hotel rooms   21,208 22,990 25,289 29,908 33,120 34,905 40,377 42,505 43,283
Total 1-3 star hotels   264 267 260 260 258 225 243 270 274
Total 1-3 star hotel rooms   19,714 21,767 21,591 22,634 24,491 21,732 25,384 28,512 28,789
Total hotel apartments (deluxe/superior)   66 66 65 68 68 74 80 82 85
Total deluxe/superior rooms   9,641 9,519 9,786 10,522 10,520 11,845 12,606 13,113 13,842
Total hotel apartments (standard)   150 140 131 129 129 117 108 112 111
Total standard rooms   16,219 15,447 14,930 14,360 14,856 14,398 12,548 12,781 12,568
Total establishments 657 677 681 681 716 741 711 755 804 821
Total available rooms 92,333 98,333 102,845 107,431 115,967 126,120 126,947 137,950 146,496 150,291
Average occupancy 79% 77% 78% 78% 76% 75% 54% 67% 73% 77%
 

Visitor Statistics

[edit]
Rank Country 6/2023 2022
1 India 1,223,000 1,842,000
5 Russia 616,000 758,000
4 United Kingdom 555,000 1,043,000
3 Saudi Arabia 538,000 1,216,000
2 Oman 511,000 1,311,000
6 United States 362,000 590,000
7 Germany 329,000 422,000
17 China 260,000 177,000
10 Iran 196,000 328,000
13 Israel 196,000 239,000
8 France 180,000 364,000
11 Egypt 168,000 288,000
12 Kuwait 152,000 260,000
9 Pakistan 152,000 356,000
14 Kazakhstan 145,000 234,000
15 Italy 130,000 212,000
19 Philippines 125,000 158,000
16 Australia 121,000 184,000
18 Canada 110,000 158,000
19 Japan 110,000 148,000

Attractions

[edit]
Al Fahidi Fort

Aspects of Dubai's old culture, while occasionally overshadowed by the boom in economic development, can be found by visiting places around the creek, which splits Dubai into two halves, Bur Dubai and Deira. The buildings lining the Bur Dubai side of the Creek provide the main flavor of the old city. Heritage Village is one of the few remaining parts of historical Dubai, containing preserved buildings. The adjoining Diving Village offers exhibits on pearl diving and fishing. The Diving Village forms part of an ambitious plan to turn the entire "Shindagha" area into a cultural city, recreating life in Dubai as it was in days gone by.

Boats on Dubai water line night view

Other attractions include the Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House; the Dubai Museum in the restored Al Fahidi Fort, which was erected around 1799; and the Heritage Village of Hatta, situated 115 kilometers southeast of Dubai City in the heart of the rocky Hatta Mountains. The history of the village can be traced back 2000 – 3000 years. It consists of 30 buildings, each differing in size, interior layout and building materials used. Great care was taken to use the same materials as those used when originally built during the renovation such as mud, hay, sandalwood and palm fronds. The Sharia Mosque is an old mosque built in the early 19th century using the same building materials and consists of a large prayer hall, a court and courtyard, minaret and other utility rooms.[34] Other museums include the Al Ahmadiya School.

Shopping

[edit]
Dubai Fountain at the Dubai Mall

Dubai has been nicknamed the "shopping capital of the Middle East."[35][36] The city draws large numbers of shopping tourists from countries within the region and from as far as Eastern Europe, Africa and the Indian Subcontinent. Dubai is known for its souk districts. Souk is the Arabic word for market or place where any kind of goods are brought or exchanged. Traditionally, dhows from the Far East, China, Sri Lanka, and India would discharge their cargo and the goods would be bargained over in the souks adjacent to the docks.[37]

Modern shopping malls and boutiques are also found in the city. Dubai Duty Free at Dubai International Airport offers merchandise catering to the multinational passengers using Dubai International Airport. Outside of Duty Free areas and major sales, Dubai has a reputation for being one of the most expensive shopping destinations in the world.[38]

While boutiques, some electronics shops, department stores and supermarkets may operate on a fixed-price basis, most other outlets consider friendly negotiation as a way of life.

Dubai's numerous shopping centres cater for every consumer's need. Cars, clothing, jewellery, electronics, furnishing, sporting equipment and any other goods will all be likely to be under the same roof.[39]

The Dubai Shopping Festival is a month-long festival held during the month of January each year. During the festival the entire emirate becomes one massive shopping mall. Additionally, the festival brings together music shows, art exhibitions, and folk dances.[40]

The Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) is the summer version of Dubai Shopping Festival held during June, July and August. Dubai Government launched Dubai Summer Surprises in 1998 in order to promote Dubai as a family holiday destination. DSS offers fun, entertainment, food deals and great offers on shopping.

Cultural sensitivity

[edit]

Tourists are required to obey some Muslim religious restrictions in public even if they are not Muslim themselves, such as refraining from eating or drinking in public places in the daytime during Ramadan.[41]

Dubai has a modest dress code as part of its criminal law.[42] Sleeveless tops and short dresses are not encouraged at Dubai Mall.[43][44] Clothes are advised to be in appropriate lengths.[42]

Homosexuality is criminalized in Dubai, including for tourists. However, there is a vibrant underground gay scene in Dubai and authorities do not actively search for homosexuals to enforce the law.[45]

Transportation

[edit]
Dubai International Airport is the world's busiest airport by international passenger traffic.

Most capitals and other major cities have direct flights to Dubai. More than 120 airlines operate to and from Dubai International Airport to more than 260 destinations. Dubai International Airport is the world's busiest airport by international passenger traffic.[46] Dubai is also the home base of the airline Emirates, which operates scheduled services to more than 100 destinations.

In June 2009 Emirates designated a special handling area at departures and arrivals for passengers with special needs, allowing wheelchair passengers to receive a more personalized service.[47][better source needed]

The establishment of the first cruise terminal in Dubai in 2001 and the opening of the enhanced New Dubai Cruise Terminal in February 2010 with higher handling capacity has drawn the attention of cruise line operators. Cruises to Dubai sail from: Singapore, Sydney, Athens, Dover, Venice, Cape Town, Civitavecchia, Piraeus, Alexandria, Istanbul, New York City, Southampton, Barcelona, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Los Angeles, Mumbai, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Monte Carlo, Mombasa, Victoria, and Cairns among others.[48][better source needed]

The United Arab Emirates has a network of roads that connect major towns and villages, including a multi-lane highway between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with access to and from the bordering countries of Saudi Arabia and Oman. Highways and main roads in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates are designated by an Emirate Route Number. Speed limits are displayed on road signs and are usually 60–80 km/h (37–50 mph) around town and 100–120 km/h (62–75 mph) elsewhere.[49][better source needed]

Dubai ranked third in the best taxi services behind Tokyo and Singapore.[50][better source needed]

Illicit drugs

[edit]

Travelers entering Dubai are warned for harsh penalties regarding illicit drug use or smuggling. Authorities in Dubai use highly sensitive equipment to conduct thorough searches to find trace amount of illegal substances.[51] A senior Dubai judge was quoted on February 11, 2008, by the Dubai City News saying, "These laws help discourage anyone from carrying or using drugs. Even if the quantity of illegal drugs found on someone is 0.05 grams, they will be found guilty. The penalty is a minimum of four years. The message is clear — drugs will not be tolerated."[51]

Health

[edit]

No special immunizations are required, but tourists are encouraged to purchase appropriate medical insurance before travelling. Government immunization programs have led to recognition by a travel magazine.[47] As a latest addition to the established modern health care system, Dubai offers online health care contacts of virtually all medical doctors in Dubai.[52]

Sports tourism

[edit]

Dubai hosts the following international championships:

  • Dubai World Cup – the richest horse race in the world
  • Dubai Classic - the golf championship
  • Barclays Dubai Tennis for both men and women
  • UIM World Powerboat racing
  • Rugby Sevens
  • Dubai International Rally
  • Dubai Snooker Classic
  • The UAE Desert Challenge
  • The Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon

See also

[edit]
  • Developments in Dubai
  • List of development projects in Dubai
  • List of tourist attractions in the United Arab Emirates
  • Palm Islands

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  2. ^ Due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

References

[edit]
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[edit]
  • Visit Dubai Official Instagram
  • Dubai travel guide from Wikivoyage

 

About 23 Marina Tower - Dubai - United Arab Emirates

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https://cappadociahotballoon.com/about-us/

Yes most Hot Air Balloon tours include hotel pickup and drop off for guest convenience.

A Hot Air Balloon experience in Dubai is a sunrise flight over the Arabian desert offering scenic views and a peaceful adventure.

It is recommended to wear comfortable clothes closed shoes and light layers for a Hot Air Balloon ride.