Surprising Dubai

Before I came to Dubai I’d  imagined it to be all glitz and fast cars (of which there an inordinate amount admittedly) and shopping malls.  But there are inklings of the way Dubai was 50 years ago.  The Dubai you see today has been created in that time mainly by the vision and drive of its ruler Sheikh Mohammed.
Surprisingly Dubai has no oil reserves so the local economy is very much based on trade and tourism.
Parts of Dubai are surprisingly green and so long as plants are watered they grow like mad despite the sand, due to  the high number of sunshine hours.  Areas  such as Arabian Ranches where we stayed are bordering on lush.  And yes they really do have penguins at the aquarium.
Dubai is great.  It’s the best place imaginable for people watching as every nationality in the world is represented here and they all visit the malls.  All you need do is stop for a coffee and you’re entertained for hours. There’s a lot more to Dubai than shopping and I’d definitely come back.  It was brilliant.    A big thanks to Sue for her hospitality and Hameed for a great day at Hatta.