A Quick Visit to Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Online, November 13, 2009 (Newswire.com) - So I arrived in Dubai during the winter when it was cooler, around 20-25 C. I haven't been there for hot summer yet. People usually say that summer is a time to stay inside, with temperatures reaching 50C! However, there is basically air conditioning everywhere. One thing that surprised me the most about the climate was the sandstorms, Be careful when the wind picks up and sand blows around the streets and the sky.
One of the first things you'll notice about the city is that it's a boomtown with cranes and construction dotting the cityscape. The tallest building in the world, Burj Dubaï, is almost done and the Dubai Mall with its 1200+ stores, fish tanks, ice rinks, Mall of Emirates with skiing shows the boomtown aspect too. I think the extreme desert in the Middle East is mysterious and unlike anything you can experience in Europe or US.
To me there are 2 Dubai's. Firstly, there's the "Old Dubai" with its souks and market that show the traditional city. Secondly, there's the flashy and newer Dubai with malls, luxury hotels, restaurants, including the enormous Atlantis Hotel.
Both are authentic and truly Dubai, just very different. UAE is a new country, and most development has been made since the discovery of oil in 50s and the unification of the Emirates in the early 70s.
Abu Dhabi has a huge development plan and will build The Louvre Museum (Affiliated to the Paris one), a Guggenheim, and a theater... They want to differentiate themselves by becoming the cultural capital of the region. The Emirates Palace Hotel is worth seeing and non-Muslims can visit the grand mosque which holds tours most days at 10 (not on Fridays, however). The Souk in Shangri-La has lots of great restaurants and bars, with views of water, mosque (& construction, of course!).