4 Dubai Experiences Your Clients Can't Miss

As a first timer in Dubai, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect on my inaugural visit to the Arabian capital, but it has far exceeded my expectations. Yesterday, I covered three of my favourite five-star hotels – and while you might not (ever) want to leave their luxury walls, when you do there’s plenty to see and do. Over the weekend, myself and a group of UK travel agents and operators had the chance to experience some of the amazing activities your clients can indulge in – from the must-do touristic sites to the arts districts, from massive shopping centres to authentic Arabian cultural visits.

Alserkal Avenue

On Saturday, we had the opportunity to visit Alserkal Avenue, the arts district of Dubai where – in 2007 – Emirati businessman and patron Abdelmonem Bin Eisa Alserkal founded an organisation set on transforming a former industrial site into one of the region’s most vibrant cultural districts. Now, it’s home to more than 100 creative organisations and welcomes two million visitors every year. The organisation’s work is designed around three key pillars: the Arts Foundation, the Advisory strategic consultancy and its Cultural Districts. Here, restauranteurs use the space to bring new dining concepts, creatives work in co-working spaces and artists – local and international – have the opportunity to display their works in one of the many galleries that host rotating exhibitions.

The organisation has delivered more than 5,000 public programmes, collaborated with over 500 institutions worldwide and expanded the city’s cultural infrastructure through sustained investment in creative spaces, cultural initiatives and public art.

We visited MONTROI perfumery shop, sitting down in a one-hour workshop to learn about the roots of international perfume development and its key role in Arabian culture. The personal smells of Dubai residents are revered, respected and shape the way they view and interact with society here. Traditionally, women of the house shop in local markets and mix intricate ingredients to create something that is unique to their household, worn by both women and men – key ingredients include cardamom, cinnamon, lavender, cedar wood, orange and vanilla (although not all at the same time!). In recent years, international markets have shifted away from commercial and inauthentic smells and there’s now a huge shift towards sustainable and natural ingredients. MONTROI is helping to fill that market gap – creating sustainable perfumes, leather bags, incense sticks, candles and more. The brand celebrates nomadism and craftsmanship across the modern Silk Route, working with a community of 200 artisans in Oman, Marrakech, Ubrique, Carthage, Jaipur and Grasse. The company has also recently designed an aroma for each of the 15 one&only hotels around the world- creating perfumes that uniquely reflect each destination, and can be smelled across their lobby floors, spas and bedrooms.

The Mall of Dubai

From the holistic to the commercial, the Mall of Dubai is a feat of engineering and profitablility that spans over one million square meters. When we visited in the evening on Saturday, it was teeming with people from all backgrounds and – if you’re not an avid shopper – can be a little overwhelming! It sprawls like a labyrinth, and it’s easy to forget which country you’re in as you pass by the glittering shops. In one moment, you might thing you’re in Manhattan – with Bloomingdales and the Cheesecake Factory; in the next you could be in Paris wandering the aisles of Galeries Lafayette. There are men in Turkish fezzes offering Ottoman sweets and fresh baklava, Arabian shops with intricately designed carpets, children’s toys in Hamleys and Pinocchio World by Bartolucci, and of course every luxury brand you could possibly name. There are over 1,200 stores inside and over 200 food and beverage options, from casual cafes to fine dining. But that’s not even the best part.

               Outside of the actual shopping of Dubai Mall, there’s a lot more to see – making it a destination in itself. First, there’s the aquarium: The Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo. It’s a massive 10-million-liter tank located on the ground floor that hosts thousands of aquatic animals and is one of the world's largest collections of sand tiger sharks.

The fun only starts there. There’s Play DXB – one of the world's largest virtual reality theme parks, there’s Chinatown filled with Asian restaurants, an ice rink, a go-cart track and Dubai Dino: a completely free museum-grade exhibit on the ground floor that features the authentic, 155-million-year-old fossil skeleton of a Diplodocus Longus dinosaur, measuring 24 meters long and 7 meters high.

At the Top Burj Khalifa

A visit to Dubai wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest structure, with a total height of 829.8 metres (just over half a mile). It’s the tallest building in the world since its complete inauguration in 2011, and it glistens over every angle of the Dubai skyline that I’ve seen. Inside the Burj, there’s the Armani Hotel, private luxury apartments, high-floor offices and corporate suites, high-end restaurants like At.mosphere and swimming pools, fitness facilities and sky lobbies. There’s even a mosque on the 158th floor. On Saturday night, we had the pleasure of going up to the top of the Burj Khalifa at sunset with their At The Top offering that gives guests panoramic views of the city. While prime time hours (like sunset) and fast-track options cost more, here’s the current pricing with currency estimates:

·        Silver (Levels 124 & 125): AED 189 (€44) for regular entry

·        Gold / SKY (Level 148): AED 399 (€94), which includes access to the world's highest observation deck and priority entry.

·        Platinum (Levels 152–154): AED 769 (€181) for VIP access to the highest lounge with drinks and luxury seating

The views are phenomenal up at the top of the Burj Khalifa, and there’s plenty of photo opportunities across the observation decks. The lift to the top is seamless, and for the height we were travelling (Level 148), there was only a slight ear pop in the darkened elevator that plays calming music alongside visual effects. For those a little wary of heights, once you feel the solidity of the ground under your feet and the towering glass walls you realise there’s nothing to be afraid of!

SMCCU

There are plenty of museums in Dubai tailored for every type of interest. The Museum of the Future explores potential global futures, technology and spirituality in immersive exhibitions, while in the Dubai Frame, you can explore the city’s history and enjoy a vast view from its sky deck. For those looking for an on-the-ground experience, I’d highly recommend the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding (SMCCU). Located in the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood, the cultural tour takes you inside the heart of Arabian culture in Dubai. Ahmed Al Jafflah, Senior Cultural Presenter, walked us through the history of the old town and how people lived before Dubai became a thriving metropolitan. He told us about the meaning behind their clothing: their long, loose robe is called a thawb or kandura, along with a cloth headscarf secured by a dark cord originally used for tying camel’s legs together loosely so they can’t run off.  

               The Islamic roots behind many of the traditional practices were alluded to, but Al Jafflah kept the conversation centred around Arabian heritage rather than religion. Houses were built from clay, wood and coral, each have their own well and a central atrium from where the bedrooms lead off. There are two front doors to enter the home – one for men and one for women. It’s customary in Dubai to serve tea to guests the moment they arrive inside their homes, and it’s served by younger boys who are not allowed to talk to the guests. They were often deaf so they could not overhear the delicate conversations “when men were talking about war”. Up until the early 1930s, the main trade of Dubai was pearls – boats would sail three miles off the coast and stay there for months. Men would attach rocks to their feet to sink down into the water, stay there for 2-3 minutes and tug on a rope to be pulled back up. While they dove in the morning, they shucked in the evening and by that time the oyster had gone bad. Times were tough back then and men were only given one glass of water a day under the Arabian sun. With the Great Depression and a Japanese inventor creating perfected mass-produced pearls, the industry for Gulf pearls collapsed around 1931.

Al Jafflah spoke to the way UAE society has developed since the days when he was a child – having always been a multicultural melting pot, he said: “We don’t look at people like they are foreigners; we look at them as friends.”

               The SMCCU hosts educational programs, lunches and dinners open to the public with private bookings, educational and school tours available alongside seasonal events. Find out more at https://cultures.ae/.

Writer's Note

Today, I attended the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai and learned a lot about current hotel occupancy rates, and visitor numbers compared to last year. I'll be reporting on this tomorrow.

I may very well have been the only Irish person in attendance despite my best efforts to find someone else – reflecting the impact of the Irish Government’s ‘Non-Essential Travel’ warning on the UAE. The UK lifted their travel restrictions back in June, and there was plenty of Britons there today. I know it’s all well and good for me to be reporting on a destination, but you can’t sell it right now and I understand that. I spoke to key leaders in the Dubai Tourism Board today too and they doubled-down on their commitment to the Irish Market, ready and waiting for us when it’s time. In the meantime, I hope you’ll find my coverage helpful and I’m here to answer (or get answers for you) from any of the products I have and will be mentioning.