Though you may think of New York, Paris, London, or Milan when you imagine the world’s most prominent centers for fashion, Dubai is actually an up-and-coming fashion hub in the world. The epicenter of fashion in the Middle East, Dubai is quickly making a name for itself as a go-to spot for innovative fashion.
Every year there is a major fashion show in Dubai. The city even has an area specifically dedicated to fashion. Local designers are making worldwide names for themselves in Dubai and have been featured in fashion shows in Paris and New York City. Though the fashions in Dubai are sometimes more conservative than the fashions of the West, they are still lauded for their creativity and craft. Get yourself familiar with designers in Dubai, because you’ll most likely be seeing more and more of them in the future.
Growing Growing Growing
Dubai is on a rapid growth spree with no signs of letting up any time soon. Construction seems to be in a permanent state of work as the city enlarges its infrastructure every day. With all that construction occurring comes the need for a lot of tools. Dubai is home to more construction cranes than any place on Earth. In fact, Dubai holds 25% of the world’s construction cranes. Now that’s a lot of cranes!
Next on the list of cities with the most construction cranes is Sydney, Australia. You might be wondering what American city has the most construction cranes. Believe it or not, it’s Seattle, Washington! That’s right, Seattle is the U.S. city with the highest number of construction cranes—not New York City or Los Angeles, which is what you might’ve been thinking. With construction continuing to be on an upward trend in Dubai, it looks like they’ll stay number one on the construction crane front for quite some time.
Golden World
It may not be shocking that a city with an ATM that dispenses gold contains the largest gold market in the world. Everywhere you look, you’ll see objects encased in gold. From telephones to wallpaper, gold is an abundant and present commodity in Dubai.
Due to its popularity, more than a few locals in Dubai have become extremely skilled metalworkers, specifically with gold. You can bring any everyday object to a gold craftsman and have it plated in the precious metal. However, just because gold is abundant doesn’t mean it comes at a cheap price. You’ll have to pay quite a chunk of change if you want your cellphone plated in gold. At this point, I’m sure it’s no surprise to read that Dubai is one of the most expensive cities in the Middle East.
Once a Major Source of Pearls
During the 19th and early 20th centuries, Dubai was major in pearl farming. Later petroleum became a major source of income and now, the main source of industry in Dubai is tourism.
During the First World War, the pearl industry collapsed in Dubai. The Great Depression, as well as the invention of the cultured pearl in Japan, played a large role in the collapse of the pearl industry in Dubai. However, they soon moved on to other sources of income and continue to grow in amazing ways each year.
Premarital Sex is Illegal in Dubai
Having intimate relations before marriage in Dubai is a serious offense. Engaging in this activity before legal marriage can end up in jail sentences or deportation. Further, public displays of affection are seriously discouraged and frowned upon in the Muslim city of Dubai. If you travel there, it is strongly suggested that you refrain from any sort of PDA from holding hands, to kissing.
In the past, there have been numerous instances of ex-pats being put in jail after the discovery of premarital sex. Unfortunately, in these instances, things are pretty primitive and the man’s word is given much more credence than the woman’s. Distressingly, several foreign women have been thrown in jail after making an attempt to report that they were assaulted by local authorities.