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Its been dubbed the city of superlatives, it calls itself the land of “captivating contrasts”.
Skyscrapers rise out of every corner (although these are two of the eldest), and construction is underway in every nook and cranny – more so even than here in Doha.
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But in its rush towards modernity, Dubai also struggles to hold on to its roots – whether it be evidenced by arabesque styling and traditional architecture in a contemporary resort (that’s Madinat Jumeirah above).
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Or an 18th-century-fort-turned-20th-century-museum …
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…and a reconstructed village of windtower buildings in the Bastakiya quarter, meant to give a flavour of what life was once like in the emirate as a somewhat sleepy port town.
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Like the rides on the grounds of the Dubai Shopping Festival, which get more eyeballs than participants, it could all be simply meant to draw in more tourists, more bucks for the bang.
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But in all the bustle and flow, you’ll still find pockets of authenticity – even if its just the food.