When most people think of the Middle East, the first thing that springs to mind is oil. However in the Emirate of Dubai only a very small percentage of income comes from gas and petroleum; the vast amount of the cash flows into the country from tourism and shopping.

It is easy to see why Dubai is a top tourist destination. Visitors are attracted by beaches, deserts, oases, camel racing, Bedouin markets, and the legendary duty-free shopping.

Whilst some places in the world are the preserve of the elite, the philosophy in Dubai is to treat all visitors like they are VIPs. With its many shopping malls, fabulous restaurants and night clubs the city certainly delivers on this promise.

Of course no Dubai holiday would be complete without a glamorous hotel to stay in and there is great range of hotels in Dubai to choose from. For those after the very top of the range of luxury hotels then the place to stay has to be the fabulous Burj Al Arab Hotel, the self-proclaimed world’s first seven star hotel, which stands on a man-made island in the Jumierah bay. Other luxury hotels in Dubai include the beautiful Address Downtown Burj Hotel and the Hilton Dubai Jumeirah Resort. For the more price conscious traveller, you can still stay in luxury one of Dubai’s lower budget hotels like the Dream Palace.

It would be very easy to pigeon hole Dubai as destination that only caters for shopaholics. (After all they did invent the Dubai Shopping Festival for that very purpose). However you don’t need to scratch far below the surface to find the rich culture diversity of the historic city. As well as the modern malls, there are traditional markets or souks and Dubai is also developing cultural tourism with the formation of Dubai Cultural Village. Traditional sail boats, dhows, are still used around Dubai’s coast and you can try your hand at camel racing. The Dubai Hop-On, Hop-Off Sightseeing Tour provides a great opportunity to explore the City and its outlying areas.

Whether you are attracted by hi-tech glamour of the “shopping capital of the Middle East” or by the rich cultural history, Dubai is a holiday destination that offers something to attract all travellers. Flights to Dubai are available from most of the UK’s major airports. Some of the cheapest flights to Dubai are offered by Netflights, with fares starting from as low as £233.