Hospitality has been our tradition for centuries. Today, Dubai extends this welcome to holiday makers as well as business visitors, offering facilities of the highest international standards combined with the charm and adventure of Arabia - an exceptional blend of modern city and timeless desert.

With a perfect winter climate, top class hotels, superb facilities for a variety of sports and leisure activities and excellent shopping, Dubai has something to offer everyone. Moreover, the emirate is friendly, safe and virtually crime-free.

Sunshine, shopping, seaside, sports and safety - five of the key ingredients that have earned Dubai a growing reputation as one of the world's most attractive and rapidly developing leisure destinations.

Long established as the trading and commercial hub of the Middle East, the emirate combines the excitement of a bustling commercial centre with the wide open spaces of a luxurious resort.

Located at the cross-roads of Asia, Europe and Africa, Dubai is well positioned to attract tourists looking for somewhere new and different, a destination combining the traditions of the east with the comforts of the west.

Expatriates and foreign visitors - both male and female - enjoy a relaxed and pleasant lifestyle in Dubai. There is virtually no crime, the city is clean, apartments and villas are modern and spacious and the climate is pleasant for most of the year. There are many clubs and societies in Dubai. Freedom of worship is allowed to all religions, and Christian churches have existed in Dubai for many years. Foreign newspapers, magazines, films and videos are readily available. Alcohol may be consumed at home provide a permit is obtained, or in hotels, and on licensed club premises. Women can drive and move about unaccompanied.