We have already given you facts about our home cities Madrid and London and today is the turn of Dubai. We are immensely proud to also call this place home and we hope you’ll be amazed at some of these facts.
In addition to being a leading global city, Dubai is one of the seven emirates that make up the country known as the United Arab Emirates. Established in December 1971, the seven emirates of UAE are Abu Dhabi (which serves as the capital), Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Quwain. Each emirate is governed by an absolute monarch; together, the rulers make up the Federal Supreme Council. One of the seven monarchs is selected as the President of the United Arab Emirates.
Situated on the southeast coast of the Persian Gulf, Dubai is the most populous city of the United Arab Emirates. It is a cosmopolitan oasis of modern architecture and luxury. Dubai is, in fact, a gleaming microcosm peacefully shared by various cultures from all corners of the world. It’s an alchemy of futuristic vision and profound traditions. Besides being the cultural hub of the Persian Gulf, Dubai has a bag full of interesting facts. Here are some interesting facts about Dubai worth knowing:
1: Amazing Growth
In 1991, Dubai had only one Skyscraper! Today it has over 400, thats more than one new skyscraper every month for almost 30 years!
2: The World’s Tallest Building
Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the tallest building in the world with a height of 828 m (830 m to tip) and 163 floors. Burj Khalifa is also home to the world’s highest restaurant, highest mosque, highest nightclub, and highest observatory deck. In fact, after Cloud Top 488 opened a deck at 1,601 ft on the Canton Tower in China, Burj Khalifa opened the 148th-floor SKY level at 1,821 ft which once again give it the claim of having the world’s highest observation deck. Visits to At the Top Sky booked in advance cost 500 AED or approximately $136 U.S. dollars.
3: The World’s Only Seven Star Hotel
Seven of the ten world’s tallest hotels are located in Dubai. The third tallest but most iconic is the Burg Al Arab, a luxury hotel designed to mimic the sail of a ship. A British travel writer called it “The world’s only 7-star Hotel.” The Burj Al Arab stands on an artificial island 920 ft. from Jumeirah beach, connected to the city by a private curving bridge. It has a helipad near the roof at 689 ft. above ground.
4: Where are all the Cranes!?
At one point, Dubai was developing so fast that one out of every four cranes on earth was located there.
5: The World’s Largest Natural Flower Garden
Dubai Miracle Garden is the world’s most extensive natural flower garden. Spread over 72,000 square meters and has more than 45 million flowers. It is a significant tourist attraction in Dubai
6: No Addresses
Getting a delivery was a hassle in Dubai as until recently, it did not have an address system. Instead of a line for writing address, there was a space to draw a map or leave instructions like – “My house is second from the Apple store.”
7: It’s too hot to wait for the bus
Air-conditioning is not only limited to buildings in Dubai. Due to hot weather conditions, even bus stops in Dubai are air-conditioned.
8: Car Boom!
There were only 13 registered cars in Dubai in 1968. Today, there is around 2000000!
9: A Great Place for Shopping
Another record-breaking place, the Dubai Mall, also known as the world’s largest shopping mall in the world. This shopping mall has more than 1200 shops, 4 floors, and a total retail area of 502,000 square meters (5,400,000 sq ft).
10: A True Metropolis
UAE nationals, called Emiratis, make up only 10-15 percent of the Dubai population. The other 85 percent are expatriates, of whom approximately 85 percent are Asian, chiefly Indian (51%), Pakistani (16%), Bangladeshis (9%) and Filipinos (3%.)