| Go> Layover: Dubai |
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Page 1 of 2 In less than a decade, Dubai has exploded to become the capital of the 21st-century Arab world Abu Dhabi native and television producer Jamal Al Sharif, 34, tosses a corner of his white head scarf over his shoulder and takes a long breath. “Only a few years ago, Dubai was just beach and desert,” he says. It’s a befuddling statement if you take even a fleeting glance around this United Arab Emirates pop-up megalopolis. From the air, the place looks like Oz in the desert, its peculiar pinnacles rising out of a pink, sandy haze. On the ground, it’s a Rodeo Drive–Las Vegas mash-up (sans casinos): bright lights, huge hotels, constant traffic jams filled with late-model Porsche Cayennes and Range Rovers, and 24-hour action. “The money never sleeps,” says Al Sharif. 
Jamal Al Sharif
After graduating from the San Diego School of Law in 2001, Al Sharif saw the changes coming and returned to the UAE to become the director of Dubai Studio City, the government-created management company in charge of all movie, TV, and music production in the emirate. “Most cities took 100 years to build their infrastructure. We did it in seven,” Al Sharif notes. “As we say in Dubai: ‘If you want to relax, go to New York!’” 1. The heart of the city is an ancient cobra-shaped natural inland waterway called Dubai Creek. Thirty cents gets you a ride in an abra (water taxi) to the Deira side for a stroll along the Corniche promenade on the Arabian Gulf, or to the Bur Dubai side and its handsome public gardens. The bazaars here still sell exotica like rare perfume oils from Africa and Kancheepuram silks from India. 
2.
Shopping is seemingly Dubai’s national pastime, and none of the
malls is flashier than the many gold souks (bazaars). There’s no
place better to pick up a little something for the missus. The
newest—and most luxurious—is Bur Dubai’s Gold Land, a glinting
maze of mini-shops with the occasional deal on, say, a
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Squadra Chronograph. For vintage pieces and
other Arabian artifacts—gorgeous antique silver coffee pots, for
instance—try the lesser-known Sharjah Souk, 40 minutes northwest of
town. 3. Camel racing is to the UAE what the Kentucky Derby is to the genteel South: custom, pageantry, and sport all wrapped up in one. Hire a cab to take you to Nad Al Sheba racetrack (011-971-4-327-0077), a ten-minute jaunt from Dubai’s high-rent Jumeirah district, where you can watch the dromedaries rev up to 20 miles per hour (really!) around a dusty track—impressive, even if they do bear an uncanny resemblance to galloping tarantulas. To beat the oppressive heat, racing starts at 8 A.M. and ends by 2 P.M. 4. The sophisticated men’s grooming center 1847 is hidden beneath the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel ($25; 011-971-4-330-1847). Make an appointment for the luxurious 1847 Signature shave. You’ll recline in an Italian-leather barber chair, and your barber will go to work on your face with hot towels, masks, balms, a badger brush, and a deftly handled, well-stropped straight-edge razor used twice—first with, and then against, the grain. After this grooming indulgence, you won’t need to shave for days. 5. The emirate may be banking on its synthetic pleasures, but there are alternatives to the bling-filled fantasyland. Book a desert safari with Arabian Adventures (arabian-adventures.com), whose guide will drive you to a quiet spot to spy on herds of Arabian oryx before serving cocktails as the moon rises over the dunes. If you prefer your tranquility with a dose of action, request a falconry demonstration or a driver to take you “dune bashing,” ripping through high-speed maneuvers in the sand. |
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