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Dubai is a place now more readily associated with the building of ever higher skyscrapers, even bigger shopping malls and hotels more grand and exclusive than the last.
But for the yearly National Day festival, or Al-Eid Al Watani in Arabic, all of the construction work is pushed down the agenda as the emirates celebrates their independence from Britain.
The buzz and excitement which characterises this destination is added to by the daily firework displays and colourful street parades during the festival.
The day is a national holiday, in which local families often dine out and enjoy the festivities together.
December 2nd is the day which official marks the formation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). On this day in 1971 Britain left the Persian Gulf and Dubai, Abu Dhabi and five other emirates, so called because of their particular dynastic style of government, formed the country as it is today.
Dubai – A true modern metropolis Dubai boasts a fine range of tourist facilities including the refined Burj al Arab hotel.
Sevens rugby has grown in profile in recent years, thanks in no small part to events like the iRB World Sevens Series, which kicks off in Dubai this November at the Dubai Exiles Rugby Club.
Featuring sixteen national sides, the event showcases some of the best up-and-coming talent in world rugby, alongside some veteran players who have made the reduced version of the game their own.
For those uninitiated in the way the game is played, the tournament takes place over a weekend and the matches are timed at seven minutes per half. Groups of teams compete to win a place in one of three finals, at which point the length of the halves is extended to ten minutes.
The Sevens tournament began life in 1975 as the brainchild of the Hong Kong Rugby Union, but did not initially gain any credence with the sport’’s governing body and was a club competition until it was upgraded to an international event.
Its appearance at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester in 2002 further raised the sport’’s stature, and it continues to grow in popularity and participation numbers today.
Dubai – A true modern metropolis Dubai boasts a fine range of tourist facilities including the refined Burj al Arab hotel.
One of the world’’s most costly hotels opened on the Palm Jumeriah in Dubai this month.
With a construction bill of $1.5 billion (£800 million), Atlantis covers some 114 acres and includes over 1,500 rooms.
Its setting is a newly created island just off the coast of Dubai city, which has been conceived specifically for the hotel.
While its name might recall the numerous themed hotels some 8,000 miles away in Las Vegas, the resort’’s first priority is luxury.
Double rooms start at a relatively affordable £230 a night, but the finest suite will set you back £15,000. It does boast a gold leaf-lined dining table, however.
As with any good resort, the in-house attractions are just as impressive as the accommodation. The aquapark includes a 1.5 mile lazy river, with another seven rides and numerous swimming pools and other facilities.
Seventeen restaurants will cater to any taste of palette and their list reads like the contents page from the annual Michelin guide: there are 11 of its famous stars accompanying the names of the respected chefs with locations in the complex.
World-famous hotels are no rarity in this part of the world, but the emergence of the Atlantis has raised the bar for the rest.
Dubai – A true modern metropolis Dubai boasts a fine range of tourist facilities including the refined Burj al Arab hotel.
Paul Weller will be making his way to Dubai at the end of this year’’s UK tour for a headline performance on the opening night of the Desert Rhythm Festival.
Taking place between October 31st and November 1st, this year’’s line up also features the Caribbean group Kassav.
The Desert Rhythm Festival will be family-orientated, with a special Halloween fancy dress theme to mark the occasion.
A competition will also be held to decide the best costume.
The festival hopes to unite international audiences with exposure to a wide range of different musical styles.
However, the remaining line up has yet to be announced for the festival.
Meanwhile, Dubai’’s tourism authorities recently announced that they will be focusing on making the emirate the region’’s main destination for Eid celebrations.
Laila Suhail, chief executive of the Dubai Shopping Festival told the Gulf Times: "We will be highlighting some of the true traditions of celebrating Eid in addition to presenting a comprehensive festivities programme to attract celebrating families locally and regionally."
Dubai – A true modern metropolis Dubai boasts a fine range of tourist facilities including the refined Burj al Arab hotel.
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Dubai is a place now more readily associated with the building of ever higher skyscrapers, even bigger shopping malls and hotels more grand and exclusive than the last.
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Sevens rugby has grown in profile in recent years, thanks in no small part to events like the iRB World Sevens Series, which kicks off in Dubai this November at the Dubai Exiles Rugby Club.
One of the world’’s most costly hotels opened on the Palm Jumeriah in Dubai this month.
Paul Weller will be making his way to Dubai at the end of this year’’s UK tour for a headline performance on the opening night of the Desert Rhythm Festival.