Dubai is the Gulf's leading centre for trade, commerce, media, travel and tourism. Dubai has grown in 60 years from a small Arabic style fishing and trading port into a city of skyscrapers, shopping malls, parks and highways, but still retaining some of the charm of the old city at its centre. There are countless reasons to come to Dubai and most visitors have a fantastic and memorable experience.

Here are some Dubai highlights:

Shopping in Dubai
In Dubai, shopping is great and there is an abundance of shopping malls along with new and old souq's. There is a huge range of goods on offer. Everything from your designer goods to gold and aromatic spices. You can do the tour of the shopping malls, stopping off the BurJuman, The Dubai Mall, Wafi, Mall of the Emirates and lots more.

The Gold Souq in Deira offers a traditional souq-style setting with dazzling shop windows full of with gold and gems. Negotiate for the best price.

Walk through Deira's busy streets with their tiny stores selling electronic items, cameras, computer equipment and more at discounted prices. One of Dubai's most high profile events is the Dubai Shopping Festival.

Sport and leisure in Dubai
Sport and leisure activities in Dubai revolve around the hotels, many of which have sporting facilities including swimming pools, health centres and opportunities for beach sports and now enjoy skiing in the Mall of the Emirates ski slope (Ski Dubai). Hotels can also arrange tours to camel racing and horse racing events. Dubai is famous for golf with its world-class golf courses including the Creek Golf Club.

Dubai sights and attractions
Dubai has some stunning and world famous tourist attractions and places of interest.

The Burj Al Arab Hotel - Has to be seen to be believed. Stay there if you're feeling extravagant, look on the internet for special offers.

The Madina Jumeirah hotel - an Arab style palatial fantasy come true. Visit or stay there. Check the internet for rates.

The Creek, Dubai's sparkling waterfront, looks like a river but it's an inlet from the Gulf, overlooked by glittering modern buildings. The Creek is spanned by road bridges and a tunnel, the best and cheapest way to experience the Creek is to take an abra or water taxi, or you can hire a boat.

The Gold Souq - Even if you're not thinking of buying, the Dubai Gold Souq is an experience in itself, and a magnet for tourists.

The shopping malls, each one glitzier than the next, the place for window shopping, sipping a coffee and meeting up with friends. The shopping centres are where people in Dubai congregate.

The Dubai Museum is a world class attraction based around the old fort. A multimedia exhibition tells the story of Dubai from the earliest times to the present day. You must come here to get a sense of Dubai's history. Nearby Bastakia district gives a taste of how Dubai used to be.

The Heritage Village, based around a reconstructed house, aims to recapture the character of a traditional Gulf Arab village, with crafts, cooking, gift items, camel rides and more.

Excursions from Dubai
From Dubai you can go in all directions to get a taste of the wider UAE and its amazing cityscapes and landscapes.

Sharjah, a 15 minute drive from Dubai, longer at rush hour, is Dubai's next door neighbour and has a different feel and pace. It too has many shopping centres and attractions, including the Blue Souqs, or traditional Arabic markets.

The inland town of Hatta belongs to the emirate of Dubai and is a centre for excursions into the mountains.

You can go on guided tours by 4WD in the desert with experienced drivers, and stay for an overnight desert experience at a tourist camp, and get a taste of nighttime Bedouin life under the stars.

UAE capital Abu Dhabi is 90 minutes drive to the south and has many attractions, including shopping malls, the old Fort and a newly created waterfront park.