Dubai is the largest city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates. It’s the second-largest one by size after the capital, Abu Dhabi.
Dubai is known as “the entertainment capital of the Middle East.” For this reason, it attracts a number of tourists and people who enjoy an extravagant lifestyle from around the world, especially those who are drawn to the expensive bars and clubs. These services are located in areas appealing to tourists, as opposed to residential areas.
At the same time, the culture is also firmly rooted in Islamic traditions. Tourists are required to respect them and behave appropriately, since the minority group of Dubai people are quite protective of their traditions and culture.
History of Dubai
Dubai was taken over by a branch of the Bani Yas tribe in 1830; it was led by the Maktoum family who continue to rule the emirate to this day. In 1894, Sheik Maktoum Bin Hasher Al-Maktoum, Dubai’s ruler, exempted foreign traders from having to pay taxes, which started the emirate on the road to modern development.
Local merchants were selling products like fish, pearls, spices and dates. Traders from Persia and India came to Dubai because of the rulers’s liberal attitudes, and started settling in the town. It soon became the leading commercial centre for the area.
Dubai’s People
The official language is Arabic, and the Gulf dialect is the one that is mainly used. Persian, English, Hindi, and Urdu are also spoken in Dubai.
According to the census conducted in 2013, only 10-15 percent of the 1.7 million people living in Dubai is made up of United Arab Emirate nationals. The rest of the population is made up of expatriates, most of whom are Indian (51 percent), Pakistani (16 percent) Bangladeshis (9 percent), Filipinos (3 percent) or Somalis. The largest group of Western expatriates in the city are British and number about 100,00 people.
Working in Dubai
The official language in Dubai is Arabic, but most people at work speak English. Since there are a number of nationalities in Dubai, English is a common language spoken by most people. Most of the signs you would encounter in everyday life (road signs, shop signs, restaurant menus, etc.) are written in Arabic and English.
Religious Beliefs
Islam is the official state religion in Dubai. The government subsidizes the vast majority of mosques and is the employer for all Imams. Only five percent of mosques are private, and a number of these have large private endowments. Dubai also has a large number of Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist and Baha’i communities living in the city.
Dubai Cuisine
Dubai is a very cosmopolitan city where you can sample a variety of foods from around the world. If you want to sample traditional United Arab Emirate foods, restaurants offer them as well. Traditional dishes contain a combination of meat, fish and rice as the main ingredients. Sheep and goats are the main source of meat, although restaurants do serve camel to tourists for visitors and tourists.
Al Harees is a dish made with wheat and meat, and is traditionally served at weddings, during Ramadan and Eid festivals. The ingredients are boiled with a pinch of salt for hours to make a smooth paste. Spices may be added as well. Al Harees is served on flat plates.
Al Machboos made from meat, rice, onion and dried lemon. Spices and salt are added. All ingredients (except rice) are added to boiling water until they are tender. The meat is separated and rice is added and cooked. Meat is replaced in cooking pot and cooked for another two hours.
Dubai’s Economy
Dubai’s economy gets approximately seven percent of its revenues from the oil and gas industry. It produces approximately 50,000-70,000 barrels of oil per day, and its share of the United Arab Emirate’s gas revenues is estimated at about two percent.
The economy is a service and tourism-based one. Large-scale real estate development projects have led to construction of some of the tallest skyscrapers and largest projects in the world, including the Burj Kafka, the Emirates Towers, and the Burj Al Arab, the world’s only seven star hotel.
Traveling to Dubai
The people of Dubai are known for their warm hospitality and are quite generous when offering refreshments to their guests. Use of alcohol is not forbidden in Dubai, as long as it is confined to an area such as a hotel, nightclub or bar. Residents can drink in their own homes if they have been issued an alcohol license by the municipality. It is illegal to drink in either a public place or in the streets.
Dubai hosts two major shopping events annually. The Dubai Shopping Festival is held from December to February, and the Dubai Summer Surprises is held from June to August.
There are also a number of sporting events, including the Dubai Desert Classic Golf Tournament, the ATP and WTA Tennis Championships and the Dubai World Cup (the richest horse race in the world).
Before you set out for Dubai either as a tourist or for business, make your experience even more meaningful by learning how to speak Arabic. You will get even more from spending time in the emirate by being able to speak the language. At London Arabic Tuition, we can help by giving you a completely customized course of study that will fit exactly what you need. Contact us now.
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