When you decide on your holiday destination you are deciding on the kind of food you will eat while you are there too. While you can get meals that remind you of home, wouldn’t you rather get a taste of the country and location you have chosen to stay in instead?

This is definitely what you should do in Dubai. There are various types of cuisine to be found in Dubai, including American, Arabic, Turkish and Lebanese. Although of course you will also find plenty of other options you could try as well. And if nothing will do but an American style burger you won’t have to go too far to taste it.

This is arguably the best part of eating out in Dubai. You can be adventurous and try some different dishes and culinary tastes that you wouldn’t have tried before. And you can also feel safe in knowing that more familiar foods are available too.

Arabic cuisine in particular is worth exploring, and since it includes both meat and fish quite widely you should be able to find something that will make your mouth water. Falafel will be found quite readily when you are in town; this consists of chicken, peas and sesame seeds all rolled together and then fried to perfection. If you want something quick and tasty when you are on the go you can’t do much better than opting for the Shawarma. This is Arabic bread rolled with either grilled chicken or lamb in the middle, complete with salad as well.

As you can see it is possible to visit either a casual stall to get a snack in Dubai, or you can go to a proper restaurant and enjoy a three course meal there. You should try both during your stay as this will open up many opportunities to try different tastes and dishes that you may otherwise miss.

There is no doubt that Dubai has plenty to offer in the way of cuisine. It’s good to know you can stick with English or American dishes if you want, but it would be a shame to miss the other delights awaiting you.

Many people travel to Dubai to experience a holiday that is unlike any other. Dubai boasts a manmade island – Palm Jumeirah – while it is also famous for such buildings as the Burj al Arab. This building looks like a sail and houses a luxury hotel for guests to enjoy during their stay.

But other people head to Dubai with one thing in mind – golf. And if the idea of playing golf appeals to you, you could do a lot worse than to try out some of the many golf clubs that exist in Dubai.

For starters the Emirates Golf Club gives you a view like no other. Imagine standing at the first hole ready to tee off, and being able to look up and see the towering buildings of Dubai not so far away. The stark contrast between the lush green grass and beautifully kept greens when compared to the tall skyscrapers in the city is quite something to see. You might end up with your camera in your hand far more often than your golf club!

The Dubai Creek Golf Club is another delight to discover. If you have ever wanted to play golf at night but thought it was impossible, you need to visit this club for sure. This is because they have floodlights so you can carry on trying to get that hole in one long into the night if you wish.

The final hole on this particular course is one of the most challenging ones you will ever play. The whole course is exciting and makes the most of its location, but there is no doubt you will be talking about your performance (or perhaps trying to live it down) for a long time afterwards.

Both clubs have great facilities to enjoy as well, so once you have completed your round you can sit down for a nice meal or a drink to congratulate or commiserate yourself on how you did. And if you took plenty of photos you will be able to relive every moment of playing golf in Dubai.

An underwater zoo certainly sounds like fun, and if you have kids to entertain when you arrive in Dubai for your holiday, you should certainly make sure it is a key part of your itinerary.

But what can you expect from the Dubai Aquarium?

For starters there are over 30,000 marine mammals, fish and other creatures to introduce yourself to. And the aquarium also has the honour of having the world’s biggest window looking into their aquarium, so you won’t be jostling for position with all the other visitors. You will be able to see more than you ever have at any other aquarium you’ve ever been to.

One of the key parts of the aquarium is the submerged tunnel. Kids of all ages love this because you can be right up close to all the sharks without being in any danger at all.

There are plenty of other areas of the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo you can see as well. The rainforest area is well liked by visitors and it has plenty of mammals and fish to spot too. In fact even though most kids love the attraction there is no doubt that their parents feel equally entertained by what they find here.

So where do you find the attraction? It is easy enough to spot if you happen to be going to the Dubai Mall. This is because the big window looks out on the mall itself, offering a truly unusual and fascinating shopping experience! The mall is on Doha Street and you’ll find different entrances on different levels depending on whether you want to try the underwater tunnel or the tunnel and the zoo. It’s well worth doing both.

And as if that wasn’t enough you can even try out a glass bottomed boat tour for an additional fee. This is another way in which you can get up close and personal with the many fish and other exhibits in the huge pool they call home.

So don’t miss the aquarium. You’ll regret it if you do, because it is one of the best sights in Dubai for the whole family.

Dubai International was the world's fastest growing airport in 2007 in terms of international passenger throughput, handling 34.34 million travelers in a record growth of 19.31 per cent, its operator said.

Passenger throughput at Dubai International Airport is expected to reach 40 million in 2008. The record growth in 2007 over the previous year is likely to propel Dubai International higher on Airports Council International's list of the world's busiest airports in terms of international passengers.

In 2006, it was ranked 10th on the list with a passenger throughput of 28.78 million, a statement from the airport's operator said.

Mr Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) and Chairman of Dubai Airports, said "Dubai International's growth is a reflection of Dubai's robust economy, and its rising popularity as an international commercia l and tourism hub."

The high growth rate in passenger throughput registered in 2007 means that for the sixth consecutive year, Dubai International has maintained an average growth rate of well over 15 per cent.

Connected to over 205 destinations across six continents through 120 airlines, Dubai International accounts for over 27 per cent of all passenger and aircraft movement in the Middle East and Africa region.

The airport will open its new Terminal and an associated facility in the middle of 2008 and another A380 specific facility in 2009, tripling its total capacity.

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South Africa, Turkey and Dubai could overtake Spain and Portugal as the most popular destinations for golf holidays, according to two exclusive surveys conducted by KPMG Golf Advisory Services. More than 70 tour operators and 50 golf course architects in Europe, the Middle East and Africa were interviewed for the surveys. When asked which countries or regions had the most potential to become significant golf tourism destinations, both the tour operators and golf course architects tipped South Africa, Turkey and Dubai for future growth. And while golf tour operators anticipated continued growth in the established markets of Spain and Portugal, they were also seen to be the most threatened by the emerging golf destinations.

Andrea Sartori, head of KPMG's specialist Golf Advisory Services Team for the EMA region, said: "The golf industry as a whole is likely to benefit from the continued growth of the broader travel and tourism industry. However, the traditional golf markets of Europe and North America can expect increasing competition from the emerging golf destinations that offer high quality golfing experiences at affordable prices."

The Caribbean and Latin America were also seen as emerging golf destinations. Ireland, Scotland and England were viewed as the most stable markets over the next 10-15 years.

Overall, 33 per cent of golf tour operators said they expected spectacular growth in the golf travel market over the next 15 years, while 56 per cent believed there would be steady growth. Eleven per cent expected the market to stagnate.

"The results confirm the changing face of the travel and tourism industry, boosted by more frequent travel, lower air fares, greater accessibility of new destinations, plus increases in family travel and sports and activity based holidays," concluded Andrea Sartori.

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Dubai's Emirates Airline is likely to place more orders in the future for the Airbus A380, the world's largest passenger plane, to meet its expansion plans.

Emirates Airline and Group is Airbus' biggest customer for the massive jet, with 55 A380 planes already on order. It is expected to start taking delivery of the plane in August 2008.

"Fifty-five, so far. There could be more later," Executive Vice Chairman Maurice Flanagan told the Associated Press on the sidelines of an aviation conference in Singapore. He declined to give details.

Flanagan said the airline is expanding its capacity by more than 20 percent a year, and that its rapid growth is likely to continue in tandem with Dubai's increased presence as an aviation hub.

"We see that going on and on in the future," Flanagan said. "It's linked to what's happening in Dubai and the power of Dubai as a global aviation hub whereby we can connect any two points in the world now with one stop only in Dubai."

Flanagan said the 55 planes currently on order would take the airline into 2030. Future orders would depend on any restrictions posed by the handling capacity of the airport in Dubai, which claims to be the world's fastest growing city.

About 29 million passengers passed through Dubai International Airport last year, an increase of 16.2 percent from the previous year.

To cope with the growth, the airport is undergoing a US$4.5 billion (€ 3.1 billion) expansion that will allow it to accommodate 70 million passengers a year by 2009, according to the airport's Web site.

Flanagan said Emirates expected to have 599 "big," or wide-bodied, aircraft in its fleet by 2019 if there were no capacity constraints at the airport. The carrier's fleet comprises only wide-bodied aircraft, and it currently has 110 of them, he said.

Flanagan also said Emirates could afford to fund its own expansion and had no plans for an initial public offering. Reports earlier this week said the airline is seeking a US$20 billion-US$30 billion listing.

"There is no intention for an (initial public offering)," he said. "We are cash-rich with about US$4 billion (€2.7 billion) in the kitty. We can certainly fund our expansion."

4th May 2007

Tourism-related projects in Dubai would touch 450 billion dirhams ($122 billion) by 2018, or more than 50 percent of the 858 billion dirhams ($231 billion) being projected for the whole of United Arab Emirate (UAE), WAM news agency reported Friday.

In a press statement Thursday, the Tourism Development Projects and Investment Market (TDIM), quoting a survey, said the total value of projects for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region would be 1.2 trillion dirhams by 2018.

The survey by Reed Exhibition was commissioned in time for the first major TDIM show to be held Dubai on January 20-22,2008.

'The move to organise TDIM in Dubai underlines Reed's commitment to conceive and stage events that support the development objectives of governments and needs of the corporate sector in the region,' said Frederic Thux, president of Reed.

'And I believe the show will play a key role in acting as a catalyst in the region's tourism development,' he added.

In a press conference at the ongoing Arabian Travel Market (ATM), Thux said TDIM 2008 would address various important issues in the tourism industry, particularly the co-operation between and among key government institutions, private project developers, and key industry players.

TDIM said UAE's tourism projects would spread over 558 million square metres of space when completed in 2018, or more than 75 percent of the 737 million square metre area being planned for the entire GCC.