Deira, Bur Dubai, Satwa
Bur Dubai, Deira, Satwa, in the congested turmoil of traffic, busy souks, unappealing seventies buildings, the rehabilitated Persian quarter, the Creek quays; cosmopolitan neighborhoods with multiple restaurants. There are museums, beautiful old houses, dhows of Sindbad's descendants, rivers of yellow gold, street art in Satwa and a superb hotel Eden.
In order to better understand the structure of this district, which is divided into three parts, here is a small lexicon to help you find your way around:
Deira. Means "round shape". This is the part of Dubai that is next to the airport and separated from Bur Dubai by the Creek. It is one of the oldest parts of the city and its northeastern part borders the emirate of Sharjah. This is the area of the gold, spice and textile souks where the business districts were historically located.
Bur Dubai. It includes the neighborhoods of Mina and Rashid Port (cruise ship port) and the historic neighborhoods of Shindagha, Fahidi (formerly Bastakiya), and Al Seef.
Satwa. Wedged between Bur Dubai, Jumeirah and bordering Sheikh Zayed and Downtown, Satwa is the " babel" district with vernacular languages, a place full of life, far from the "bling bling ". You can also stroll around to discover the street art that invites itself on the 2nd of December street. Satwa is flanked by the Etihad Museum and ends on Sheikh Zayed Road.
Jumeirah's coastline
The Jumeirah coastline is the seaside part of Dubai and includes the Jumeirah neighborhoods (1, 2 and 3) and the Umm Suqueim neighborhoods (1, 2, 3), ending at the Burj al Arab and the Madinat Jumeirah souk. It is a residential area particularly popular with Emiratis and Western expatriates. It stretches for 16 kilometers and offers many developed beaches.
More precisely, this district starts at the Etihad Museum in the direction of Jebel Ali. Two parallel streets also stretch along this coastline: Jumeirah Road in the second line of the sea and Wasl Road closer to Sheikh Zayed Road. In the middle, between Wasl and Sheikh Zayed, we discover City Walk, a pedestrian area, very popular with Emiratis after dark. Back on Jumeirah Road, towards Burj al Arab.
After passing some prestigious hotel complexes, we will pass over the canal and its emblematic bridges such as the Tolerance Bridge. Then it is a succession of mosques and many individual villas belonging to locals or rented by expatriates. Finally, we discover the Burj Al Arab and the Al Sufouh area which includes mainly luxurious hotels on the seafront: Jumeirah Al Naseem, the Mina A'Salam and the Al Qasr are part of the Madinat Jumeirah complex and the hotel group which also owns the emblematic Burj Al Arab hotel. They can be spotted from far away, forming the silhouette of a fully reconstructed ancient Arab city, with its ochre-brown wind towers and palm trees. The Souk Madinat is a particularly successful mall, recreating the structure and atmosphere of the old souks. Enriched with promenades, restaurant terraces, an amphitheater and a theater, it is an enchanting place at nightfall, when the artifice is erased by the darkness and the aestheticism is sublimated by the lighting.
The Palm, Dubai Marina, JBR
Dubai Marina, the JBR district, as well as the emblematic Palm Jumeirah, with the well-known profile of Atlantis at its center: this district is known for its luxury hotels, beaches and boat rides in the Marina. A district to visit especially in the evening.
Coming from the Jumeirah coast, past the Madinat Jumeirah souk and along King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Street, Knowledge Village is on the left, home to institutions of higher learning and international universities. Following on from this are Internet City and Media City, free trade zones where numerous foreign companies (some of them specialized in media and communications) have set up their offices. On the other side is the bridge leading to Palm Jumeirah. This is part of Dubai's incredible artificial island project. It's packed with restaurants and bars, where you can admire a nightly spectacle of luminous fountains against the backdrop of Atlantis.
Leaving the Palm on the right, you stay on King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Street. On the right, you can see the entrance to the prestigious One&Only Royal Mirage hotel and the imposing façade of the Westin. On the other side, you pass a few more modern buildings before reaching the immense Marina towers. This district is a collection of commercial and residential buildings, built around an artificial canal where seawater was diverted to create a tourist port with two entry points to the north and south. The promenade wanders along the quays along the canal, admiring the luxury yachts moored in the port. It's breathtaking at night when the towers wake up, a magnificent light show!
Between the coast and the Marina, a residential area called Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR) has been created, comprising some forty towers, all similar and united in a single block. A long artery runs alongside the JBR district. This street is a popular place for strolling, dining al fresco, admiring the luxury cars on the cobbled thoroughfare, shopping at the Beach Mall or jogging. The Marina and JBR are linked by a tramway, making it easy to get from the metro to the beach.
Beyond the Marina, the new island of Bluewaters is home to the world's largest Ferris wheel: Ain Dubai. Then there's just a short stretch of sand before you pass the gigantic Ibn Battuta mall on the left and reach the Jebel Ali industrial and commercial zone on the right. The Sheikh Zayed then heads for Abu Dhabi across the desert.
Dubai Downtown and Sheikh Zayed
The Dubai of trendy design magazines, a sort of post-modern wasteland planted with dizzying towers! There is the famous Burj Khalifa, the DIFC of traders, huge malls, all crossed by the famous Sheikh Zayed Road. It is an urban mix in the New York style, between contemporary art galleries, business centers, VIP lounges and brand name stores.
Main artery of the city, the Sheikh Zayed Road is not only a highway linking Dubai to Abu Dhabi. Due to the urban density of its off-ramps and its ultra-modern architecture, it has become an important economic, commercial, residential and tourist district. Divided into sections by interchanges, Sheikh Zayed Road begins at the World Trade Center, the first and oldest building constructed in 1979, when the area was still a vast expanse of sand. It is easy to recognize this white concrete tower, which is already outdated, as it is one of the only ones not made of glass and steel.
From the World Trade Center to the interchange No. 1, you will pass several skyscrapers; the "prismatic" towers of Emirates Towers and the museum of the future, the Dusit in the shape of joined hands on the left. Between Emirates Towers and the Dusit Hotel, we can see, a little behind, the DIFC (Dubai International Financial Centre) with its massive arch (The Gate), a fast growing offshore financial center, headquarters of Nasdaq-Dubai. Located on the left, Burj Khalifa stands at nearly 828 meters, setting the world record for the tallest tower! The spire is flanked by the Dubai Mall which includes 1,200 stores and a giant aquarium, the whole forming with the lake, the musical fountains, the Opera House and the Souk Al Bahar what is called Downtown. Continuing on SZR (Sheikh Zayed Road), one discovers the canal that winds along Business Bay, numerous hotel complexes and emblematic buildings such as the sculptural tower 0-14, the Opus by Zaha Hadid, the U-Bora tower.
Al Qhoz and Barsha
Al Qhoz and Barsha stretch along the east side of Sheikh Zayed Road, with the industrial district on one side and a large residential area in the making on the other. Less frequented by visiting tourists, this is a district worth discovering, with its ethnic restaurants and modern hotels, accessible to all budgets. Al Qhoz's vast industrial zone consists mainly of metal warehouses, cement and manufacturing plants, car dealerships and garages. A pavement-free, dormitory zone, it doesn't look very touristy at first glance. Yet Al Qhoz has many hidden treasures, such as contemporary art galleries, trendy cafés and boutiques housed in former warehouses. This industrial zone is booming and undergoing a rapid metamorphosis!
Moving along the main thoroughfare, the famous Mall of the Emirates (MOE) can be seen on the left, with its Carrefour sign and, above all, its indoor ski slope encased in a huge, flattened metal tube, which is easy to spot.
