Dubai is in the midst of a construction boom involving resorts and other projects. According to one newspaper report, a quarter of the world's cranes are concentrated there. One such resort is Ski Dubai, a big indoor ski resort, which opened last year and is approximately 22,500 m2 in size. Business has flourished and customers flock not only from Dubai, but also from surrounding countries, perhaps because of the lack of snow in the region.
Due to popular demand, a project is currently underway to create a huge dome the size of a baseball stadium right in the middle of the desert, which will produce a replica of the winter world and allow more fun to be had in the resort center of Dubai. The man-made ocean islands The Palm and The World are typical of other ongoing projects involving incredibly huge resorts. This is Dubai - land of the rich.

In Dubai, where modernization has progressed rapidly, the atmosphere differs from that in Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries. One rarely hears the sound of Koran readings or roadside prayers. However, the situation changes completely during the Ramadan fasting period (scheduled to last around a month from the last week of September this year) when Muslims are expected to put nothing in their mouths - neither water nor cigarettes - from sunrise to sundown. Naturally, restaurants are closed during the day. Meals are provided for non-Muslims only in restricted areas partitioned by curtains or screens in hotel restaurants.
However, everyone starts eating after the Koran is broadcast when the sun goes down. Tents in which anyone is welcome to eat are erected in front of homes or on street corners in luxury residential areas.
According to Islamic teachings, Ramadan is a holy month. It derives from the Islamic tenet that the wealthy should share food with the poor. We're not affected by the fasting, but you can often miss out on lunch as mosts restaurants don't open.

If you want to treat yourself to some time off here, you can take in the pleasures of the desert. The desert sands swirl like powder snow and Land Cruiser tours are also available. You can enjoy a drink or a water pipe atop a swaying camel while viewing the sunset and relish Middle Eastern cuisine at a restaurant in the desert while watching belly dances. The ability to escape the daily racket and experience a different world is also one of the attractions of Dubai.
Finally, a last word. There are many diputes in the Middle East, between Palestine and Israel, Arabs and Persians, Lebanon and Syria, and so on. You begin to see the complexity of the factors involved in these disputes by coming into contact with the people of these lands. Everyone here hopes for peace one day.