Taking a picture of Dubai’s skyline without construction cranes in the shot, is not an easy task.

The Arabian city in the dessert may have already wowed the world with its towering buildings, man made islands, luxury hotels, giant shopping malls, but it’s project has not finished yet. While some other parts of the Middle East are caught up in war and conflict, here is a place that’s oozing with confidence and looking to the future.  I’ve visited Dubai on numerous occasions since 2009 and every time I come there are new things to see. The date of my first trip is important because the Emirate had been hit by the financial crisis and some raised doubts about its future (on the plane I read reports of expats who had moved out here for a tax free life in the sun, but were apparently abandoning their cars in the airport car park because there was no work left for them to do).

I soon realised that Dubai was still here and doing very nicely thank you very much (and the airport car park story was discredited because there weren’t even enough spaces for the number of cars said to have been left). And on every trip I’ve made to the city since, it seems busier and shows no signs of slowing down.

There are still people in the UK who will write Dubai off as one big shopping mall, but I often find these people have not even visited the country. Yes, there are some mammoth retail emporiums (and more are being built), however you don’t need to set foot in these for your holiday to be enjoyable if you don’t want to. There are plenty of other things to do.

The beach scene has evolved considerably in recent years and if you just want to lie in the sun or swim in the ocean for a week, Dubai could be the place for you. Guidebooks don’t make enough of the fact that there are some great public sandy beaches, so you don’t need to be staying in one of the luxury (so expensive) hotels to be able to enjoy the seaside.

I’ve always stayed with a friend who lives and works in Dubai, but still enjoy nipping into these fabulous resort hotels during the day for a drink or a bite to eat (the food, from countries the world over is excellent). And some venues wouldn’t even notice if you decided to take a dip in their outdoor pools along the coast.

 

 
Dubai Marina has also come on leaps and bounds in recent years. There is now at least seven kilometres (probably more since the signs were printed) of landscaped walkways around the water’s edge. I enjoy stopping for a coffee at the charming cafes while soaking in the serene scene of luxury yachts bobbing about on the blue waters.

 
Many other beach resorts in the wider region (including Tunisia and Egypt) are currently off limits and so Dubai is the obvious option that some will choose for winter sun. Yes, staying in the United Arab Emirates doesn’t come cheap, but if you shop around and aren’t overly picky about which hotel you want to stay at, there are some good deals to be had.

Its a place that feels safe to walk around, the streets are clean and people are generally friendly. When it’s cold and pouring down with rain back home, who could complain about heading to the wonderful paradise that is Dubai?