Originally Posted by
365RoadWarrior
I have been to Dubai, but it has been 25 years. I know what you mean. I will mostly be working, but want to situate myself for enjoying my slack time. Sights, touristic or otherwise, don't interest me. I am interested in life: how and where people do whatever they do. The courtyards around the little restaurants in the back of buildings where workers eat, places where (the few) kids play, where people gather to gossip...
Doha, a similar place, revealed these things slowly. I hope I can find some less-structured life in Dubai.
Africa, my home, doesnt have many sights (excluding a few big cities and Disney Africa -safaris and such), but there is a lot of life happening.
If you want real life, then definitely HR Dubai in Deira. A two minute walk and you're into the back streets where real life is happening. I'm with you on its being more interesting than 'sights', and I like wandering around there... (although the ubiquity of beers and bars in Africa is sadly lacking...)