The Grand Mosque was only rebuilt in 1998 and boasts the city's tallest minaret, at 70m (231ft). Located on the Bur Dubai side of the creek, near the Ruler's Court, the Grand Mosque consists of nine large domes and 45 smaller ones. This huge religious edifice can house up to 1200 worshippers

The Grand Mosque, located in the city's Bur Dubai section, is actually a recreation of the original Grand Mosque, constructed in 1900. Traditional Persian details abound, such as domes, an inspiring sky-blue mosaic, sand-hued facades, handmade stained glass, and wooden shutters.

The Hatta Village or Dubai Heritage Village is constructed around an old settlement and is a recreation of a traditional style mountain village set in an oasis. The Dubai Heritage Village helps you discover the old world charm of barasti or palm leaves and mud houses. There's a large central fort and tower which overlooks the Dubai Heritage Village. Other added attractions of Heritage Village are falaj, an oasis and vegetated seating areas where you can cool your heels.

Signs in Arabic and English will guide visitors to various sections of the Heritage Village which includes an old mosque dating back 200 years and the Al Husen Majlis, where the governor of the Heritage Village received guests and visitors. Al Husen contains the conference room, the governor's living quarters and weapons room.

The natural seawater inlet that cuts through the centre of the city is the historical part of Dubai where visitors can take an abra (small water taxi) and view the old trading port and the dhows from the water. A cruise to Al-Maktoum Bridge will pass many of the city's historic as well as modern landmarks. A stroll around the wharf offers a picturesque glimpse of Dubai's trading heritage, where dhows bound for distant places dock to unload their goods.
The Creek, a natural sea-water inlet which cuts through the centre of the city, is the historic focal point of life in Dubai. A stroll along its banks evokes the city's centuries-old trading traditions.

A trip to Dubai is not complete without visiting the Dubai Museum, located in the newly restored Al Fahidi Fort. Originally built in 1799 as a defense against foreign invasion, it was transformed into a museum in 1993 and allows visitors to delve into the rich and unique heritage of the city. Exhibitions offer visitors an insight into desert life, depiciting traditional Arab homes, mosques, fishing, pearl diving and trade. One of the highlights at the museum is an exhibit featuring artifacts from excavated graves in the Emirates from the 3rd millennium B.C.

Designed to resemble a billowing sail, the hotel soars to a height of 321 metres, dominating the Dubai coastline. At night, it offers an unforgettable sight, surrounded by choreographed colour sculptures of water and fire. This all-suite hotel reflects the finest that the world has to offer.
With your chauffeur driven Rolls Royce, discreet in-suite check in, private reception desk on every floor and a brigade of highly trained butlers who provide around-the-clock attention, you can be assured of a highly personalised service throughout your stay.

The Wild Wadi Water Park is situated in Jumeirah, an area in Dubai, United Arab Emirates next to the Burj Al Arab and the Jumeirah Beach Hotel. The water park is operated by Jumeirah International, a Dubai-based hotelier.

Wild Wadi is an outdoor water park with a heated/cooled wave pool, multiple water slides and two artificial surfing machines. In addition, the park has the largest water slide outside of North America. Another feature of the park is an 18 m (59 ft) waterfall that goes off every ten minutes. The water park also has two gift shops, three restaurants and two snack stands.

It was featured in The Amazing Race 5 and The Amazing Race Asia 1, in which teams had to slide down a 21 m (69 ft) drop.

Ski Dubai is a in-door ski resort, a mountain-themed attraction that offers you the opportunity to enjoy real snow in Dubai all year round.

There are 5 slopes, the longest run being 400 meters with a fall of over 60 meters, but there are also for beginner!. For snowboarders there is also a 90-metre long quarter pipe. and also a interactive Snow Park for kids.

If u don't have ski clothing (?!!) or equipment either, u can rent everything here.

In the ticket is included the use of quality equipment and clothing. If u need an instructor u can find it.

Sat to Tue 4pm to 10pm Wedn 4pm to midnight Thurs& Fri 10am to midnight
Dec 17 to 31 (Entire Slope) Everyday 10 to midnight
Ticket example Ski slopes for 2 hours DHS 130

This new tower, 0-14, was designed by Reiser + Umemoto RUR Architecture P.C. and developer Shahab Lutfi. The building was designed for Dubai's Business Bay and features 22 floors covered in a double skin facade. That is, outermost skin is constructed from 40c, thick perforated concrete. The one meter space between the skins creates a chimney effect, cooling the building.

Zaha Hadid's "Dancing Towers" are planned to be located in Dubai's Business Bay development area. The plan consists of three buildings which rise up from the ground bending and intertwining with each other to create fluid animation of the forms. Even the buildings have started dancing now.

Snowdome, previously referred to as Dubai Sunny Mountain Skidome, will be a gigantic indoor ski dome project, that will be part of the Attraction and Experience World of the mega tourism project, Dubailand. The AED 3.7 billion (US$ 1 billion) development will cover an area of 1.4 million square feet (130 thousand square meters) and contain a host of snow and ice based activities for children and adults.

Dubai Metro is a driverless, fully automated metro network under construction in the United Arab Emirates city of Dubai. The network will have two third rail collection system powered lines that will both run underground in the city center and on elevated viaducts elsewhere on double tracks. The first phase of the network is being built by Dubai Rapid Link (DURL) Consortium which comprises Japanese companies including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Corporation, Obayashi Corporation, Kajima Corporation and the Turkish company Yapi Merkezi. The Dubai Metro will be operated by the Dubai Road and Transport Authority. The Dubai Metro system will be the longest fully automated rail system in the world. Completion of the first section of the system is projected for 9-9-2009.

Golden Dome, with its 455 m height and its 2,2 million m² of total surface, will be one of bulkiest and highiest buildings of the world. It will shelter 500 000 m² offices, commercial spaces like 3,000 residential apartments etc.

The Cloud is a speculative design for a resort city elevated 300 metres in the air above Dubai and is just supported on slanting legs resembling rain. It is designed by Nadim Karam, a Lebanese architect. It is a horizontal presence on an elevated platform, an antithesis to the sum of skyscrapers spreading over the entire region.

Dubai Pearl was originally conceived by the Omnix Group in 2002 but has since been taken over by a consortium of investors led by the Al Fahim Group. The 3 billion USD project overlooks the Palm Jumeriah and covers 1.4 million square metres of the Dubai Media and Technology Free Zone.

This immense sporting complex of 7.5 km² will accomodate sports such as the cricket, the golf, Rugby, football, the sports of ground, track, and interior (tennis shoe, handball, volley ball).

Dubai is a city of contrasts, where East meets West and old meets new. In less than a century it has been transformed from a small fishing village to a modern vibrant city where celebrities mingle with the crowds and the Dubai skyline competes to be the world's biggest, brightest and tallest.

So whether you are staying at the Beach and want to visit the City or staying in the City and want to visit the Beach, Big Bus offers you the perfect solution.

All tours have the hop-on, hop-off facility and tickets are valid for 24 hours.Tickets cost:

Adults AED 200.00 ($55)
Children AED 100.00 (5-15 incl.) ($27)
Family AED 500.00 (2 Adults and 2 Children) ($137)
OR - you can qualify for AED 10.00 ($3) discount off each adult ticket by booking online right now!

http://www.bigbustours.com/eng/dubai/default.aspx

A Meal with Muslims - eating manners :
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If you are seated on the floor, make sure that the soles of your feet (with or without shoes/socks) do not point towards anyone. Either sit with your legs crossed, or one leg propped-up & one tucked under, or both on your side, etc. It is considered extremely rude to point the soles of your feet towards anyone in the Muslim religion & Arabic culture.If you reach for food with your left hand, your Arab hosts may feel extremely repulsed & offended!It is not permissible to eat with the left hand

Some Arabic words :
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English is widely spoken around Dubai, even in the souks. But here are some Arabic words often used.

Marhaba = Hello.
the correct response to this is: Marhabtain.
Asalamwalaikum = Hello ("I greet you with peace")
the correct response to this is: Walaikum-asalam.
Shuhkran = Thank you.
Shu? = What?
Min fadlak (to man) = please.
Min fadlik (to woman) = please.
Maas-salaamah = good bye.
Naam = yes.
La = no.
Sadiqi = my friend (male)
Shwaye Shwaye! = slow down / be patient / wait!

The numbers from 1-10 in Arabic:
One: Wahid.
Two: Ethnan.
Three: Thalatheh.
Four: Arbaah.
Five: khammsah.
Six: settah.
Seven: saba-ah.
Eight: th-maniah.
Nine: tiss-ah.
Ten: ash-rah.

Dress Code In U.A.E :
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The national dress for men is the dishdasha or khandura, an ankle length robe, usually white. Dishdashas are usually worn with a white or red-checkered headcloth (gutra) and a twisted black rope-like coil (agal) which holds the gutra in place; under the headdress is a skull cap (gafia).

In public, women wear a black abaya, a long loose black robe that covers their normal clothes, plus a head scarf, called a shayla. Some women also wear a thin black veil covering their face, while some older women wear a small mask made of fabric known as a burkha, which covers the nose, brow and cheekbones.
You could wear anything from full-sleeved to half-sleeved to mega-sleeved to sleeveless tops (but please keep your tops on) and nobody could care less. While trousers, long skirts, knee-length skirts, minis, micro-minis, micro-micros and shorts are all the done wear, restrict the bikinis to the beaches, or you could land yourself in some trouble.

Behaviour towards Arabic women :
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Women can shake an Arabic woman's hand, but men should not attempt this. The lady may offer to shake hands, do so, but leave the decision up to her as many Muslim ladies do not want to be touched by other men in even the most harmless manner. Vice-versa, some Arabic men will refuse shaking hands with a Western woman. Do not take pictures of Arabic ladies. They can get quite upset about this

Banks, exchange houses, etc. often have Ladies sections, where women can sit seperately & have their own queue. Do not sit or stand there, or you will be asked to move by a security guard. If there is no ladies queue, you will notice that the counter clerks will usually call the woman forward to be served first, and men should let her pass. ask: "how is your wife?". This may be perceived as intrusive. Rather ask "how is your family?". Women may ask about the wife with no problems.

"Wudoo" in Islam :
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When you're in Dubai, you'll see signs for the ladies/men's room, ladies/men's prayer rooms, and also for "Abulution Rooms".

The religion does not permit praying in the toilets (i.e. in a shopping mall, etc.), as this would not be "clean", so there are always separate prayer rooms for men & women, as you can't well go home or may not have the time for the mosque for all 5 prayers.

Wudoo is the Muslim ritual washing before each of the 5 daily prayers.
(In the Arabic Language: Wudoo is the action, and Wadoo the water used therefore)

Types of Abulution:

1. Partial Ablution or Wudoo - Consists of cleaning parts of body that are exposed to dirt or elements of nature.

2. Complete Ablution - Consists of performing complete Bath followed by Wudoo. It is required after intimate intercourse or menstruation period for women.

3. Tayammum (Dry Ablution) - Tayammum, in certain circumstances can be a substitute. It is done by touching on clean earth, sand or stone and then wiping the face and then both hands to the wrists, when water is not available or is not practical to make use of water.