With a whole day ready to explore, Forthy went to find out more....
Jumeirah Mosque
Starting at one of the largest sacred structures in Dubai, the Jumeirah Mosque is a dominant city landmark and definitely worth a visit. Built in the medieval Fatimid tradition, this stone structure is a tribute to modern Islamic architecture.
While non-Muslims aren't allowed to enter without an organized tour, it is said that strolling through the mosque at sunset you will be washed in shadows by this elegant formation.
Persian Gulf Coastline
Dubai is situated on the Persian Gulf coast and is roughly at sea level (16 m above). Its a hot and, at times, humid climate (drier during extreme heat) and with August being the peak of Summer, the temperature reached over 100 °F each day Forthy was there.
The highest recorded temperature in Dubai is 117.1 °F - maybe just a little too hot for the beach!
Sheikh Zayed Road
The longest road in the UAE, E 11, is known as "Sheikh Zayed Road" (شارع الشيخ زايد) and it streches from the city of Abu Dhabi and ends in Ras Al Khaimah, running roughly parallel to UAE's coastline along the Persian Gulf.
The first stretch of the highway between Trade Centre Roundabout and Interchange 2 is home to most of Dubai's skyscrapers, including the Emirates Towers and the Burj Dubai.
While driving conditions are erratic and unpredictable (See this article here) this highway is a necessary road to journey as it also connects other new developments such as the Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina and Dubai Waterfront.
The road will soon have most of the Red Line of Dubai Metro running alongside it too.
Emirates Towers
The Emirates Towers complex is located on the Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, and is a symbol of Dubai City. The two towers, which rise to 355 metres (1,163 ft) and 309 metres (1,014 ft), respectively, stand as the 12th and 29th-tallest buildings in the world.
A curiosity of the design is that the towers have a similar number of floors; the taller office tower actually contains 54 floors, while the hotel tower contains 56 floors. This is because the individual floor heights of the office tower are greater than that of the hotel.
It amazing to comprehend that these towers are set in over 42 acres of gardens in the middle of the desert, with lakes, waterfalls and public seating areas.
Ski Dubai
Even more difficult to comprehend, in fact what will blow you away is finding a ski resort in the middle of the desert!
Only in Dubai!
Ski Dubai is claimed to be one of the largest indoor ski resorts the world, with 22,500-square metres of indoor ski area.
It is a part of the Mall of the Emirates, which is one of the largest shopping malls in the world and has 5 runs that vary in difficulty, height and gradient - the longest run being 400 meters with a fall of over 60 meters.
I declined to sharpen up my skiing skills on the world’s first indoor black run, choosing to be a spectator instead.
Dubai is a land of excess, and perhaps the greatest example it the Burj Dubai - a supertall skyscraper under construction in the Downtown Burj district which will soon become the tallest man-made structure ever built!
The Burj Dubai will reach over 800m (over 2,600 ft!) which is 250m greater than the CN Tower in Canada!
Construction began on 21 September 2004, and the tower is expected to be completed and ready for occupancy by September 2009.
With a total budget for the Burj Dubai project of about $4.1 billion, the price of office space at Burj Dubai is said to have reached $4,000 per sq ft and that the Armani Residences, also in Burj Dubai, were selling for $3,500 per sq ft. Expensive is an understatement!
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