Dubai

After the previous decade’s highs and lows, Dubai is finally maturing into a more orderly city.

The crane-ridden skyline, characteristic of the boom years, has given way to a more measured and controlled pace of development following the global recession – a timely recovery as the United Arab Emirates Federation celebrated its 40th anniversary last year. Nevertheless, this vibrant east-meets-west city retains its ability to build, surprise and tantalise.

The economic turmoil of the last few years has wrought painful changes to Dubai’s retail, rental and property markets, and led to the plug being pulled on numerous high profile building projects. In other areas, the impact has been more stark: a host of more affordable mid-market and budget hotels have sprung up in a city previously renowned for its ostentatious accommodation. A new tourist tax, introduced in early 2014, will add extra costs to all accommodation bills, so even if tourists pay for a hotel in advance, they must pay the tax locally when checking out. A more telling sign of the zeitgeist is perhaps the planned opening of a British bargain basement store Poundstretcher, which is set to open in the opulent Madina Mall, famed for its designer brands.

Were it not for the Arab Spring of 2011, which saw a revolutionary wave of pro-democracry protests across 12 countries in the region, Dubai’s fortunes may well have dwindled further. But political instability in disaffected countries has spurred companies, individuals and tourists to relocate and rebook from the trouble spots to the Middle East emirate.

Today, Dubai’s impressive infrastructure continues to be its trump card.

The highways flow more readily than the pre-downturn era, thanks predominantly to the Dubai Metro, which now boasts a second line, the Green Line, which serves as an inner-city loop. Dubai International Airport has expanded; Emirates’ vast Terminal 3, matched only in ambition by its steady stream of A380s, have helped fuel the passenger volumes, along with the rapid growth of low-cost airline flydubai, operating from Terminal 2. By 2016, it is expected to overtake London Heathrow as the world’s largest international airport.

And in stubborn defiance of the recession, Dubai continues to push the boundaries when it comes to hotels; evidence of this is the luxurious Turkish-themed Jumeirah Zabeel Saray hotel, complete with its own theatre and vast spa, and idyllic One & Only The Palm, both on the Western Crescent of Palm Jumeirah. Across the water next to Dubai Marina, the luxury Grosvenor House Dubai recently opened a second tower – the two towers are now connected by a walkway – with 106 rooms and suites and the stylish B’Attitude spa offering five hammam pools. Indeed, Dubai is attempting to boost its appeal by positioning itself as the Maldives of the Middle East for spa holidays.

Meanwhile, new areas of interest are emerging, namely the ‘New Dubai’ district, encompassing Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina, The Walk and Jumeirah Beach Residence.

So while large-scale developments are thinner on the ground than yesteryear, and Abu Dhabi is steadily rising in prominence as an alternative choice for holidaymakers seeking sun in the region, Dubai hasn’t lost all its taste for size and grandeur. With its plethora of hotels and well-developed infrastructure, it remains the premier travel destination in the Middle East.