Dubai is a melting pot of the East and the West and the strategic location of the emirate feeds into that. A major portion of the population of Dubai is constituted of expatriates. There are a number of factors that make Dubai a social hub of the world:
• The emergence of Dubai as a tourist and holiday destination. The growth of real estate and entertainment industry are responsible for the same.
• Employment and business opportunities galore in the emirate and the tax-free status are sure shot crowd pullers.
• There are free zones in Dubai that attract companies from all over the world into opening branch offices in Dubai.
• Regular shopping, cultural and sports events draw tourists and businessmen from around the globe, making Dubai a lucrative place to be, for all and sundry.
In a nutshell, Dubai is a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-religious reality. Consequently, the social life along with entertainment and leisure activities in Dubai are reflective of the same.
Let's start with dining options. Dubai has a plethora of hotels, restaurants, bars and clubs all over the city. The eating joints offer regional cuisine from almost all parts of the world and to top it all, there is something to suit every pocket. When it comes to drinking, there are strict laws regarding license and code of conduct in place.
Dubai is renowned to be a shoppers' dream come true. There are supermarkets and shopping malls where popular and not so popular names vie for the customer's attention. The local markets at Bastakiya, gold souq and spices souq are something everyone visiting Dubai should check out as well.
The latest from the world of cinema is abuzz in theatres in Dubai. The only pointer there is that anti-Islamic and nude content is taken out before screening. And for the expatriate interest, there are groups and clubs suiting almost every interest in addition to the frequent national and international cultural fests in the city.
Dubai is surely reflective of "globalized" reality of our world today, and is going to be the destination of the future indeed.