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Downtown Dubai

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DUBAI, UAE - February 18: Burj Khalifa the tallest building in the world. Dubai Downtown cityscape. Dubai evening skyline, busy roads, sunset on February 18, 2017 in Dubai.; Shutterstock ID 626215625; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Keith; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Dubai Neighbourhoods Update

Shutterstock / Umar Shariff

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Overview

Dubai's vibrant urban centrepiece is anchored by the 828m-high Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest structure, and also brims with other distinctive and futuristic architecture, especially along Sheikh Zayed Rd and in the Dubai Design District – it's no surprise that famed British architect Norman Foster recently opened an office here.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Dubai

    Burj Khalifa

    Downtown Dubai

    The Burj Khalifa is a stunning feat of architecture and engineering, with two observation decks on the 124th and 148th floors and a restaurant-bar on the…

  • Alserkal Avenue

    Alserkal Avenue

    Downtown Dubai

    Edgy contemporary art from the Middle East and beyond has found a home in Dubai thanks to the vision of Abdelmonem Bin Eisa Alserkal. The local developer…

  • United Arab Emirates, Dubai, Mall, Aquarium

    Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo

    Downtown Dubai

    Dubai Mall’s most mesmerising sight is this gargantuan aquarium where thousands of beasties flit and dart amid artificial coral. Sharks and rays are top…

  • Greater flamingo's (Phoenicopterus rosens) with in the background the skyline of Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Shutterstock ID 526380268; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Keith; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Authentic Dubai Article

    Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary

    Downtown Dubai

    Incongruously framed by highways, this surprising sanctuary on Dubai Creek is an important stopover for migratory waterbirds on the east Africa–west Asian…

  • Dubai Design District

    Dubai Design District

    Downtown Dubai

    Creative folks have a new HQ in Dubai. The fresh-off-the-drawing board Dubai Design District (d3) has drawn both regional and international talent and…

  • United Arab Emirates, Dubai, Downtown Dubai, Burj Dubai, Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa Lake, The Dubai Fountain

    Dubai Fountain

    Downtown Dubai

    This dancing fountain is spectacularly set in the middle of a giant lake against the backdrop of the glittering Burj Khalifa. Water undulates as…

  • KidZania

    KidZania

    Downtown Dubai

    For guilt-free shopping without your kids, drop them off in this indoor miniature city – complete with a school, a fire station, a hospital and a bank –…

  • sdr

    Gate Village

    Downtown Dubai

    Two wooden bridges link the massive Dubai International Finance Centre to Gate Village, a modernist cluster of 10 midrise stone-clad towers built around…

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