Dubai : Modern Luxury, Arab Tradition

Flying back from Europe in 1986, I read a piece on Dubai camel racing in the British Air in-flight magazine. That’s when the craving began. Half a dozen years later, I went to see for myself, and what I saw convinced me I should not wait so long for a return trip.

Primped and primed by massive offshore oil revenues (by one estimate, $3 billion-worth flows in a day), the most successful commercial trading center and the glamorous leisure capital of the Middle East, Dubai is at the crossroads of Asia, Europe and Africa. For more than two decades, Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, has been growing into an oasis of global commerce, and now it’s ripe with worldly pleasures. Seven hours from London, six hours from Frankfurt, eight hours from Hong Kong and four hours from Nairobi, it’s a hop, skip and jump to a newly created recreational center of fun, games and luxury.

Located on the whispering shore of the Persian Gulf, along the eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, the emirate of Dubai is encompassed by sea, desert and the Hajar Mountains.

Just across the gulf from Iran, bordered on the west and south by Saudi Arabia and on the east by the Sultanate of Oman, Dubai is a state, as well as a beautiful, independent and vivacious city of striking Western and Arabian contrasts. At 1,500 square miles, it’s a little bigger than the state of Rhode Island with a bank account as big as the moon.

In this exotic land, largely unfamiliar to most Americans, I observed the ways in which traditional Arab Muslim life blends with the more than 30 nationalities making up the city’s 250,000 inhabitants. Churches and mosques coexist in neighborly fashion. The government is controlled by Sheik Maktoum bin Rashid al Maktoum, of the ruling royal family, and there are no beggars on the tidy streets. Nor is there any crime. The pristine beaches are uncrowded, and people live life at a less harried pace than the West.

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Cosmopolitan, sophisticated and more tolerant than most other Arab countries, this English-speaking city sparkles with prosperity and optimism as the dark cloud of the Gulf War recedes and regional stability allows the local society to focus on economic growth. Flying into the world-famous, duty-free airport, I noticed a horizon dominated by a Manhattan-type skyscraper, the World Trade Center, the tallest building in the Gulf and a symbol of Dubai’s long-range mission.

Bisecting the city is the so-called Creek, a misnomer by the American-English definition. It’s a huge waterway developed to facilitate local shipping, clogged with small wooden cargo vessels called dhows. Off in the distance are expansive docks with tankers and container ships.

Dubai, the leading international trading center of the Gulf, is one of the seven emirates within the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi, the federal capital, is less than two hours from Dubai; Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Qaiwain, Ras al-Khaimah and Fujairah are the other six. Building a backup economy to avert dependence on oil, which some predict could run out as soon as 30 years from now, although no official word on this is available, Dubai is beefing up its tourism, turning lemons into lemonade with its solar-power climate while courting new commerce for future generations.

The lifestyle of the Emirates is much more relaxed than that of Saudi Arabia. Dubai is so Westernized, in fact, that it is lightly admonished by some more formal and traditional Middle East countries. Many of the Arab businessmen in Dubai have been educated in the United States, and they have embraced many Western cultural ideals. Still, they reinforce their heritage and pride by wearing Arab dishdashas-- white gowns--and headdresses called kaffiyeh, and by following the strict religious practices of Islam.

With roads, hospitals, banks and communications, and a stable currency (the dirham), Dubai is often described as the Hong Kong of the Middle East. It is also the adult playground and sports capital of the gulf, as it is host to major tournaments in golf (Dubai Desert Classic), tennis (Dubai Duty Free Tennis Open), rugby (World Sevens Tournament), snooker, football, cricket, volleyball and chess.

Water sports on the calm gulf include speedboat races, sailing, yacht racing, snorkeling and big-league fishing for the abundant barracuda, tuna, kingfish and sailfish. On land, the Dubai Horse Show (the Dubai Jockey Challenge, this year in March) features legendary Arabian thoroughbreds with competitors from the other gulf states and Europe.

Excursions into the desert take in Arabian barbecues at a Bedouin camp, with prerequisite belly dancers, a “photo opportunity” while riding camels, desert safaris and excursions in rugged four-wheel-drive vehicles driven over wadis--the dried-up riverbeds near the Hajar Mountains. Helicopter sightseeing rides take off from the Aviation Club, an interesting place to drink and dine, too. Trips to other emirates, as well as archeological sites, are arranged by 20 or so tour companies and via hotels.

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Within the city, I roamed parks, such as lovely little Safa Park, where Arab families picnic on Fridays, and historical sections of town, where I saw ancient wind towers, tiny old houses with carved teak doors, the exquisite Jumeirah Mosque and the market area, which is divided into a gold souk and a spice souk, not far from the post office. Packed tightly are small “bargaining” shops with aromatic spices, herbal medicines, oils, perfumes, local clothing, fabrics, brassware and tons of 18- to 22-carat gold jewelry.

At the Camel Race Track, in the shifting white sands on the outskirts of the city, 5- and 6-year-old boys (Velcroed onto their seats so they don’t fall off) jockey 50 or so galloping camels per race. With camels bred and priced like thoroughbred horses, selling at up to $2 million, the zesty national sport is taken very seriously. In the fancy viewing stands, one sees only Arab men dressed in white, wearing dark sunglasses, being served cool drinks by starched and bow-tied waiters. Visitors, male and female, are directed to separate sections. Gamblers note: This is not a betting track.

Defying the arid environment, Dubai opened the first 18-hole golf course in the Middle East, the Emirates Golf Club, in 1988. The course is an engineering miracle designed by American golf course architect Karl Litten and owned by the government, headed by the royal family. The clubhouse is unique--a series of connected Bedouin-styled tents.

Throughout the city, the Arabian atmosphere is intensified by the frequent sounds of prayers broadcast via loudspeakers from the tops of mosques. On the marketplace streets, in the old part of town, some women wear the mask of black leather, covering only the nose and mouth, and a black veil with a long traditional black dress. In this same part of town, a visit to the modest Dubai Museum, housing a 150-year-old fort, shows a few examples of historical clothing along with ancient weaponry. And if you’re lucky enough, as I was, to run across a four-day-long wedding festival, you’ve captured a stunning Arabian memory.

GUIDEBOOK

Hello, Dubai

Getting there: Lufthansa and Swissair fly from LAX to Dubai with a change of planes in Frankfurt (Lufthansa) and in Zurich (Swissair), although a variety of other airlines offer connecting flights. Round-trip fares range from about $2,980 to $3,230.

Where to stay: Chicago Beach, P.O. Box 11416, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; rates range from about $120 to $150 per room, per night; from the U.S., tel. 011-971-4-480000, fax 011-971-4-482273.

Dubai Inter-Continental, P.O. Box 476, Dubai; $190 to $218; tel. 011-971-4-227171, fax 011-971-4-284777.

Sheraton Dubai, P.O.Box 4250, Dubai; rates $200 to $235; tel. 011-971-4-281111, fax 011-971-4-213468.

For further information: Dubai Commerce and Tourism Promotion Board, 8 Penn Center, 19th floor, Philadelphia, Pa. 19103; tel. (215) 751-9750.