I liked Dubai enough during my first visit (April 2006) that I found a job and moved here a few months later. I took a massive paycut to come out here, so it wasn't about the money for me. I just think that it is interesting to see a city being built the way Dubai is. Granted, this is a benefit of living here. As a tourist, then yes, it's mostly shopping, with a desert safari option thrown in.

FWIW, I think there are a lot of cities like that. As time goes on, there will be more to do (e.g., DubaiLand). And even now, there is a lot to do, you just have to know how/ where to find it (I'm still trying to figure that out and I've been here 6 months).

To come in the summer or during Ramadan would be a mistake, IMO. Right now is the best time actually, since the weather is pleasant, Global Village is open, and shopping festival has started.

Its Las Vegas without the casinos..........And even then I'm not being fair to Las Vegas, as there is some of the most incredible scenery to be seen arround, which is not really the case for Dubai.

We felt most unwelcome, found empty, and most unlively shopping malls. The place with the most buzz must have be the Carefour supermarket, how exciting is that?

For Europeans North Africa offers far more interesting dessert destinations, and the shopping is no more interesting in Dubai than back home.

Even for a stop over I will do my best to avoid Dubai in the future.

No, I don´t find Dubai overrated. It isn´t cheap anymore as 5 years ago, but I feel always save. I am often there for business and it is a nice place. But if I am more interessted in the arabic culture and way to life, I would recommend to visit OMAN.

I agree,
Most Indians may even offer you help when got in trouble. They are so friendly and expressive that you can't get rid of them.

yeah I heard that about Oman..never been there though. The other place in the gulf that gets high ratings amongst travelers is Yemen. Anyone been there?

Yemen is amazing - I lived in Sana'a for a few months in 96/97 and my work took me all around the country. Amazing culture, incredibly warm people, spectacular scenery. Not for the timid nowadays ... I've promised my wife I'd take her but we'll wait until things cool down a bit.

Perhaps as a business traveler, if conducting business, Dubai is an attractive place to be, for a leisure traveler no doubt about it, Dubai is WAY overrated.

After seeing some of the unique buildings (I've heard the term "Vegas on steroids" used) or the indoor ski slope (was neat to see for 5 minutes), but once the latter is done, for Dubai proper, what's next??

Sun? (get that many other places and for cheaper, less $$), Nice Resorts/hotels (again get that many other places and for cheaper, less $$), Malls (not cheap and big whoop, all the crap I can get at home:rolleyes:), Culture? (not in Dubai).

If anyone is interested in the Middle East as a leisure travel desitination forget Dubai, take in Jordan, Israel, Egypt.

Oman does sound like it has potential.

Gotta go see what that oil money is paying for. Golf courses? Indoor ski slopes? 6-star hotels? Takes the edge off those gas prices, huh?

Am sure there's a bit of Vegas style build-it-and-they-will-come thinking, as well as the notion that the region has room for only one pre-eminent place of that type.

I did research on it in 1998 and darned near went (out of BKK) because airfares from BKK were so cheap in the wake of the Asian financial crisis. But the timing wasn't right (don't go in summer or Ramadan). I dunno if the visa situation is easier now, but then you had to have a hotel sponsor it, and the possible budget hotels that would do it were very limited.

Oman did sound more authentic, the kind of place Indiana Jones might go.

I got ripped off by 2 cabbies and my steak dinner for 2 that included a bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir and 8 glasses of Scotch later cost me $560 USD. Then having to go through security 4 times at the airport turned me off to Dubai. Nice passport stamps but I would rather go elsewhere!

Dave

Shocking. Between 2005-08, I don't think we spent $560 on eating out in a month... and we ate out at least 4 times a week, sometimes every night. Of course we avoided the big hotels and we don't drink. How did you go through security 4 times? There is one screening right before the check-in counters and another just after passport control. Where were the other two?

I second this on all counts. San'aa, Ta'iz, Ib, Jibla, Tarim, Shibam, Bait al-Faqih... Amazing places all, and a real adventure.

I um.. third that. Yemen is my favorite place on the peninsula and one of the most fascinating places in the Middle East if not the wider world.

Dubai doesn't have any oil or natural gas to speak about. It's debt-financed.

It sure is, and boy, have those chickens come home to roost. I'm heading to Dubai tomorrow, my first visit since late 2007. I'm wondering if I should bother finding a taxi, or if I should just grab one of those free BMWs with the keys in them that are supposed to be all over the airport parking lot. :D

I've had long discussions about the future of Dubai with a lot of people, including many UAE residents, in the last couple of days. My initial impression of the place, which appears to be borne out by recent trends, was that it was a complete house of cards that was only held together by cheap debt, a pegged currency, and a housing bubble. Once the cheap debt was gone, the housing bubble evaporated too, along with the rationale for a lot of the population to come there (i.e. flipping real estate or building it). Sadly for the UAE, the currency peg (to the USD) is NOT gone, which means that the country has gotten vastly more expensive for pretty much everyone that might have gone there on vacation.

What the general consensus seems to be is that Dubai will remain in existence, but mostly as the world capital of money-laundering. That's what it is really perfectly suited to.

Couldnt agree with you more!

7 months ago i was getting 7.3 dh to the pound, now its down to 5.2! dxb has become a lot more expensive for every one traveling there..

But its still a great place to go out, enjoy have fun and party!