Abu Dhabi - Dubai: Experiencing Extravagance in the World's Most Luxurious Cities

The UAE, a tiny Arab nation nestled in Western Asia along the shores of the Persian Gulf, yet stands as one of the most developed countries globally, boasting an economy ranking within the Top 10 worldwide, owing to its abundant reserves of oil and natural gas.

At the end of October 2022, I had a business trip to the UAE. It was a leisure trip, but for me, it was a working one, as I had the task of accompanying our unit's VIP clients on a sightseeing tour in this Western Asian country. Since it was still a 'working trip,' I couldn't relax as one would on a pure vacation. However, I still managed to gather impressions of Abu Dhabi and Dubai – the two cities our group visited – although probably only at the level of 'experiencing luxury.'

Burj Khalifa in Dubai, towering at a total height of 829.8 meters – the tallest building in the world.

I flew from Saigon to Dubai on an Emirates flight, which meant upon arrival in Dubai – the 'home turf' of Emirates – I could use their dedicated line, significantly speeding up the airport exit compared to passengers of other airlines.

The UAE (United Arab Emirates) – a federation of seven emirates: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ajman, Fujairah, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain. Among them, Abu Dhabi and Dubai stand out as the most famous and affluent emirates, with Abu Dhabi serving as the federal capital. Due to limited time, our group only visited Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

The road from Dubai to Abu Dhabi spans about 150km on the E11 highway running along the coast, taking almost 2 hours by car. Along the way, there is a grandiose free rest stop, resembling a movie set.

Abu Dhabi – Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

Abu Dhabi serves as the capital of the UAE, yet it's only the second-largest city in the country, following Dubai. While Abu Dhabi may not boast as many skyscrapers as Dubai, it has its own remarkable structures.

A tourist takes a selfie next to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi.

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, envisioned by Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan – the first president of the UAE from 1971 to 2004 – was conceptualized in the late 1980s, constructed starting from late 1996, and inaugurated in 2007.

The courtyard of the Sheikh Zayed Mosque can accommodate up to 40,000 people. Women are required to cover their hair entirely and dress modestly, covering up to their ankles.

The main prayer hall features 7 large crystal chandeliers and a handwoven carpet spanning nearly 6,000 square meters.

All entrances are adorned with intricate patterns and adorned with smaller crystal chandeliers.

Walls adorned with arched alcoves, surrounded by water ponds

Abu Dhabi – Marina Mall, Ferrari World

The shopping center Marina Mall

Near Marina Mall, along Al Kasir Road lies a spot to admire the UAE Presidential Palace, showcasing Islamic architecture with its domed roofs.

The Presidential Palace and Qasr Al Watan Library, viewed from the Marina Royal Compound

The Ferrari World amusement park - located on Yas Island, east of the city, began operations in late 2010 - is the world's largest indoor amusement park, with a roof area exceeding 200,000m², adorned with a gigantic logo of the renowned Ferrari car brand measuring 65m x 48.5m.

Tickets to Ferrari World cost approximately 1 million Vietnamese dong per person, with additional fees for participating in games or other activities. Within this colossal entertainment complex, there are numerous zones catering to all age groups, including an F1 racetrack that hosted the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2010.

The 'Ferrari World' wouldn't be complete without an area showcasing these supercars.

Accommodation in Abu Dhabi, as well as in Dubai, is extremely expensive (as these are the most luxurious cities in the world), however, if you catch major promotional periods to book in advance, you can find 4-star hotel rooms for just under 2 million VND.

Dubai's Burj Khalifa - The tallest tower in the world

Burj Khalifa in Dubai stands at a towering height of 829.8 meters - the tallest building in the world.

The view from the 165th floor of Khalifa Tower, with the surrounding skyscrapers appearing like matchboxes.

The largest shopping complex in the UAE - Mall of the Emirates or Dubai Mall - is also located in the vicinity of the Burj Khalifa tower, of course, much larger than Marina Mall in Abu Dhabi, very convenient for tourists to visit and shop after exploring Burj Khalifa.

Dubai Museum of The Future - Museum of the Future

The Museum of the Future resembles a giant silver egg, standing 77 meters tall.

Explaining the significance of the structure:

Tickets to the Museum of the Future, converted to Vietnamese dong, cost about 1 million VND. Inside the museum, visitors will have many exciting experiences in a 3D space thanks to virtual reality and artificial intelligence technology, making them feel like they are in a modern cinema – completely different from traditional museum visits of the past.

The giant silver hand in the Museum of The Future's courtyard.

The entrance to the museum on the grassy hill beneath the 'silver egg'.

Dubai Frame – A giant picture frame in the midst of the city.

The giant picture frame Dubai Frame is located within Zabeel Park. If Zabeel Park is the largest park in the world, then Dubai Frame is also the largest picture frame in the world. This Gulf country is truly special, bearing the title of 'emirate' but possessing only the 'highest', 'largest' things in the world.

The world's largest picture frame, Dubai Frame.

Standing 150 meters tall and 93 meters wide, this tower opened its doors to visitors on 01/01/2018, resembling a gigantic rectangular picture frame, offering panoramic views of the luxurious, modern, and wealthy city of Dubai. On the ground floor of Dubai Frame, there is a museum showcasing artifacts related to the city's development history. Visitors are taken by elevator to the Sky Deck (top floor) to admire the cityscape from above (but when on the glass floor up there, everyone ends up taking photos straight down to the ground below).

Looking straight down from the top of Dubai Frame.

Dubai Gold Souk – The world's largest jewelry market.

Within the market, you'll find everything from 'outfits' made of gold ...

... to all kinds of gold jewelry and other accessories.

Al Sahara Desert Safari – Racing, camel riding in the desert.

Experience camel riding in the desert.

Sunset descends upon the desert.

The UAE is a country with a relatively small native population, mostly consisting of immigrant labor from around the world, so the culinary scene is very diverse. Although I didn't fancy Arab cuisine, I didn't have any difficulty finding food... Chinese food, for example.

Although it was a short trip and not entirely dedicated to sightseeing, these two Arab cities still left a strong impression on me. Given the opportunity, I will definitely come back to explore them further.

Mytour Goglobal is a blog program introducing beautiful destinations around the world, part of the Mytour Go & Share program. This is a great opportunity to promote new tourist destinations worldwide to everyone. For each qualifying article, you will receive 1,200,000 VND and a chance to become a contributor to Mytour. For detailed information about the program, visit: https://trv.lk/goglobal