Skyscrapers, souks and desert on the Gulf
Dubai grew from a trading and pearling port on the Creek into a city of superlatives, crowned by the Burj Khalifa, more than 800 metres tall. Downtown has the Dubai Mall and its fountains, and the Palm Jumeirah and Dubai Marina line the coast with hotels and beaches. The older city survives around the Creek, where abra water taxis cross between the gold and spice souks and the restored Al Fahidi quarter. Evening desert safaris head into the dunes beyond the city.