10 Fun Facts About Dubai


Well, it’s actually difficult to write this post since too many angles and great shoots I have to choose about this cleanest and tidiest city I’ve ever visit. My short trip to Dubai two months ago was splendid!  Even though four days is a very short time to explore a city, but I still enjoy this one of world’s most expensive cities to live. Just FYI, My daily activities in Dubai was packed with food testing schedule, so I didn’t have much time to visit their tourist attractions except their Burj Al Arab and Burj Al Khalifa, it’s exceptional when you visit Dubai hahaha…


I stayed four nights at Sheraton Hotel Mall of the Emirates which left me funny & unforgettable experience regarding their bathroom amenities. Short to say, I amazed with this four-star hotel with great hospitality but hey something wrong with their bath amenities, I didn’t find any toothbrush and paste. CMIIW, based on my staying experience, in most of the three to five hotels the bath amenities are included with toothbrush and paste, right? That funny facts irritating me since I forgot to bring my own toothpaste hahaha…so after dumb-searching-for-damn-toothpaste in all the drawers, I gave up! I asked another friend’s room and they said the same. No toothbrush and toothpaste. Yaiks! So, I ended up buying freakin expensive toothpaste in this freakin expensive city!!



Hahaha, that’s one of funny and shocking moments I experienced in Dubai. I’m gonna share more funny facts about Dubai in this post. Hopefully, this 10 facts will help you to prepare everything carefully before you travel to Dubai. Don’t worry. Don’t get shock. Just enjoy every moment since trust me once you arrive in Dubai you’ll realize that you’ll hoping to live forever in that city. So, enjoy these 10 Funny Facts about Dubai!

1. Dubai is Never Not Hot

Dubai without a doubt is HOTSPOT, literally! Their warm season is last from May to September with July and August become the hottest months.  No wonder when I visited Dubai at September, the temperature was 38°C to the highest 41°C. Holy moly! I didn’t bother about the heat, but what makes me feel awful was their humidity. In September, the humidity can drop to around 90% with no wind, no rainfall. Gosh, I it’s even hotter than the Komodo Island I visited last year aaaandd I couldn’t wear bikini or shorts on that freakin sunny city! Indeed, I wasn’t realize that Dubai will gonna be that humid so I just bringing my long jeans with some cotton blouses and when I strolling around the city with that clothes, it’s literally WRONG! I was sweating, so much sweating like I’m in the sauna room. Whooossah, no wonder in Dubai, most of the house and the hotels have a refrigerated shower. Yup, not just ordinary hot and cold water but refrigerated water. It’s freezing my body actually but it’s help me so much after sweating around the city hahaha.


Tips: Bring always your sunscreen, I suggest bring the spray one since the lotion will just gonna make you getting stickier and of course sunglasses or hats

2. No hot-pants, No tank top, No bikinis except you’re in the Beach

That’s made me feel wrongly dressed up. Before I went here, the committee told me that Dubai is so strict about the daily fashion. Shoulder to knees should be fully covered. Means no one allowed to wear shorts or hot-pants nor tank top in the public area. Well, in a way it is, but it’s not in the most intimidating way. I saw some woman wearing top-knees bodycon, mini dress or sleeveless in the mall, while the tourists also do the same way even they’re using tank top or backless dress but yeah with no hot-pants. I thought short pants are still okay. And the bikinis are only allowed at the beach area. Unlike some cities with open beach like Bali where you can wear bikinis or shirtless walking around the city.

(photo courtesy of Ivy's Life)

(I took this photo inside the Dubai Metro)

Tips: Wear open shoulder or short pants in mall or beach, but don't you dare to wear it in traditional market or souk unless you're having close relationship with the locals hahaha *kidding, just trying to wear wise and polite clothing to respect the locals.

3. Traditional Clothing During Weekend

Still on Dubai's daily fashion, though most of the locals (Emirati people) live in modern way, they still appreciate their traditional cultures and values by wearing their traditional clothing in public areas (e.g. malls) especially in the weekend when they're gathering with family and friends. I saw these unique views when visited the Dubai Mall on the weekend. Lots of locals wearing traditional dress, the man are wearing the kandura, an ankle-length white shirt woven from wool or cotton while the women wearing an abaya, a black over-garment covering most parts of the body. This culture are not only applicable for the elder one, the young people did it too. It's surprising too see that children and young girls and boys gathering using kandura and abaya. I asked one of the committee who've been living here for five years; she said that it was their way to appreciate their culture since they're young. Oh man, it's just irritating my feeling realizing the young people in Indonesia is not that kind of teenagers. Look at the Jakarta's mall on the weekend, teenagers wearing hot-pants, tank top, or others trending fashion which sometimes made them look older than their ages. Huft, forgot it btw, the other unique things are the Emirati people gather based on gender, man with man and woman with woman and nothing weird with that kind of situation. The picture below are some views I saw at the Dubai Mall during weekend.


4. Malls open until 12AM daily

It's surprising to hear that malls here open til late, literally midnight 12 AM! I was so happy since I stay in a hotel adjacent to the Mall of Emirates so after the long day of food tasting, I still could go directly to the mall and shopping til late hahaha...


photo courtesy of Ivy's Life

Tips: Ensure you're familiar with the time differentiation between Dubai and your city especially when it's more than 1 hours difference like my city, Jakarta. When I was strolling around the mall at about 10PM in Dubai, it was actually 01AM in Jakarta, so imagine you're shopping in the mid-night with sleepy head ;-)

5. Self-service in Carrefour, Dubai

CMIIW, but I experienced it by myself when I was shopping in the Carrefour at Mall of the Emirates. After the cashier calculated all of my groceries, she wasn't directly packed it. While I'm waiting for she to do that, I saw her calculated the next order. I feel awkward then I asked her "Is it finish miss?". Then she just reply with bulging eyes, 'Yes, it is, I'm waiting you to finish that!" while pointing to the groceries bag indirectly instructing me to pack my groceries by myself. And oh that was shameful experience I've ever had hahaha...I saw people staring at me that moment. After I finish, I keep watching people in the other cashiers, well yeah some of them did the packing by themselves but some did by the cashier. I didn't know which one applicable, the thing is that self-service is not applicable in Indonesia hehehe 


6. Their Friday is Our Sunday

Yes, their regular public holiday falls on Friday daily, so if my Jakarta's weekend falls on Friday and Saturday, theirs would be Wednesday and Thursday. No wonder you'll see the malls are fully packed and the restaurants will be full with waiting list on that day.

7. Luxurious Cars Everywhere

My friend's who've been living for five years at Dubai said that the Government of Dubai is very rich because of their oil production. They're even ask people and expatriates to live in Dubai and the Government will paid everything for him/her. I heard also there are no taxes for luxury goods. So, don't wonder when you see luxurious cars from Ferrari, Aston Martin, Porsche, to Bentley strolling around the road anytime anywhere.


8. Home for Everything's Biggest, Tallest, bla bla - est!

It's already on the rumor, well in a way it's not, when I visited Dubai it's all true. Dubai is a home for the TALLEST building in the world, I believe you knew already, the Burj Al Khalifa. Home for the BIGGEST hotel in the world, the 7-stars hotel, Burj Al Arab. Dubai also have the BIGGEST shopping mall in the world, The Dubai Mall where inside the mall you'll see the HIGHEST man-made waterfall ever with beautiful and artsy sculpture of flying man and the magnificent also the LARGEST indoor aquarium in the world! Gees, count how many time I mention something with -EST hahaha...

The Burj Al Khalifa
The Burj Al Arab
the Man-Made Waterfall
The Largest Indoor Aquarium 

And just FYI, based on the information I got from one of the restaurant manager I sat together in P.F Chang's, Dubai is currently working on mega project to build the BIGGEST FERRIS WHEEL in the world defeating the worldwide record of London Eye! Awesome huh! Look at the picture below (I took from the outdoor area of P.F. Chang's at Jumeirah Beach Residence) it was the newly build man-made land specially created for that project and those cranes are currently working on that ferris wheel. It is estimated to finish around 2017. So, let's wishing we'll fly to Dubai again, someday. ;-)


9. No Alcohols Served

When I had dinner at P.F. Chang's, the staff offered me a drink, then I asked for the recommended one. He said that their cocktails choices are the best. Before I said no  since I didn't drink alcohols, he immediately repeated and explained that it does not actually contain alcohols, they just write ethically 'cocktails' since everybody know that alcohols in Dubai is strictly prohibited. I actually didn't get any information why, instead of Dubai is one of UAE's city with most of the citizen is Muslim, the thing I know hotels and restaurants need such a license to sell alcohol and that license is hardly to get.



10. Dubai Might Be So Expensive

In some ways, it is. Googling from several source Dubai is now the most expensive city in the UAE and the 22nd most expensive city to live in the world. I experienced how expensive their exchange rate when buying some food and goods. For example, I bought sanitary napkins for my monthly period at the drug store in Mall of the Emirates for about AED16 or IDR61,000 for 1 pack with only 8 pieces. Holy expensive! you know in Jakarta you only paid for AED3 or IDR8,000 for 1 pack of that things even contain 10 pieces. Oh God, I feel pity to not prepare for my unexpected monthly period huhuhu...Other costs I thought overrated was the food. I had an ice cream which is similar to, let's say, Cold Stone, in Jakarta, for about AED30 or IDR117K. Though the portion was quite big, I still think it's pricey. My friends also had the same experience. They spend about IDR500K for only 4 cupcakes. Geeez! While most of the restaurants and cafes will cost about AED70-120 for their main courses and the average spending for two would be around AED250. 


The most expensive ice cream I've ever had in my life hahaha! 
(at Marble Slab Creamery, Mall of the Emirates)


You would cost about IDR132,000 for cheese cake like this! 
(at Cheese Cake Factory, Mall of Emirates)

However, when I move to the side of the city, I found some goods are cheaper than in malls. For example souvenirs like magnetic fridge or key chains. In the Dubai Mall's souvenir shops and Carrefour those things would cost about AED20 per piece, but when I bought it in a traditional market in Burjuman area, I only paid for AED5 per piece! Well, that might be applicable for most of the cities, if you want to find something cheaper, go to their traditional market not malls!

Tips: Ensure you check the price and the exchange rate every time you buy something. If possible surf on the internet to find shops or restaurants with cheaper price if you travel with limited budget. Pssst, stay tuned on my next post since I'm gonna share you affordable places for shopping! 

Well, that's Dubai in my eyes. Though this city is kinda expensive, I still amaze with how tidy and clean the city is, how wonderful what they serve for the tourists and how memorable the moment I spent there. Stay tuned for my next post since I'm gonna share you 5 Things To Do in Dubai so that if you only have limited time like me, you can still enjoy the best of Dubai. 

Till the next post! 

2 comments

  1. That's amazing! I have read many blogs about Dubai, and I must say, it is very informative to plan a trip to Dubai. The facts you have mentioned in the blog fascinate me a lot. Dubai is like paradise on earth. It has so many things that we are not even aware of. I am going to travel to Dubai in 2022, and that's the reason I am reading all of this article to plan my trip. Thank you so much for this post. Keep posting!

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  2. Hi Sadan,

    Appreciate you so much for blogwalking here. Enjoy your Dubai Trip!

    ReplyDelete