Dubai Abra

Once centered on bustling Dubai Creek, from where elderly dhows (boats) still sail to Iran, Dubai now sprawls south toward the United Arab Emirates’ capital, Abu Dhabi. While oil revenues fueled its early development, now trade and tourism power this city-state’s phenomenal growth rate.

From sleepy trading port to global gateway in 25 years, the Middle East metropolis of Dubai has sprung up out of the desert sands.

Travelers come for sun, sand, shopping, as well as a touch of the exotic, and Dubai delivers. While it might not have the ancient sites of Cairo or Damascus, Dubai gets on with making history as one of the fastest growing cities in the world.