It’s December but when I draw the curtains of my hotel room window, I’m confronted by a hot sunny day. Dubai Creek lies below me and, since it’s my first time visiting, I spend some time studying the landscape. At a distance I see the edge of The World islands, the man-made archipelago constructed in the shape of a world map. 

I think to myself: “Look at you, you’re looking at the Persian Gulf from your hotel room on the 14th floor. I could never afford this with a journalist’s salary.” But a media familiarisation trip gives me unprecedented access into a new world. 

While smooth pavements, cycling paths and a state-of-the-art metro are available, we’re given the special treatment and are driven by taxi to most places. Like an excited schoolboy, on each ride I ask to sit in the front – I like asking questions and drivers usually provide the most honest answers. 

I’m curious to learn how long each of them has been in Dubai and how they have seen the place change. Most of them have been here for just a few years, yet, by Dubai standards, a few years is a long time.

“This area was just sand a few years ago,’’ one driver tells me as we meander through the architectural wonderland of skyscrapers that would dwarf Paceville’s Mercury Tower. 

As you would expect from a metropolis, the streets are bustling and, while the supercars, glitzy shop fronts and designer clothes would suggest a culture of self-indulgence, the atmosphere is much the opposite. The predominant feeling in the air is that of order and it’s fascinating. 

Inside Bur Dubai, my fascination grows deeper. The old town is characterised by small shops selling trinkets and daily needs items, abras that take you from one side of the creek to the other and low-lying buildings. Some parts of the area have even been rebuilt to look like old buildings. 

It serves as a reminder of how far Dubai has come, how a little fishing village in the Middle East evolved into a metropolis sending space crafts to Mars in just over 50 years. Sitting on the seventh-largest oil reserve in the world certainly helped this tiny country to punch above its weight – what I’m interested in is how that black gold was turned into the Dubai we know today. 

A million passengers on the Malta flight

Dubai shares its story with Emirates airlines, which have evolved at a similar rate. The airline caters for 90 million passengers, each flight carrying an average of 450 passengers, which is quite a leap from the 250 seats they started with. Since launching their Malta-Dubai route in 1997, Emirates has carried a million passengers on this one route alone. 

My flight to Dubai was, simply put, seamless. I got to enjoy, for the first time ever, a chauffeur picking me up from home. A little snack at the airport lounge was just right to warm me up for the flight ahead. On the plane itself, finding a film to watch on the onboard media system is probably the most stressful part of the journey. The meals and snacks throughout the flight, prepared by the friendly and helpful cabin crew, made the seven-hour journey fly by. Pun intended. 

The airline’s headquarters is located a stone’s throw away from the airport. The place is busy but tranquil. On the top floor we meet the chief commercial officer, Adnan Kazim. 

“I joined the company back in April 1992. I feel proud to be part of the success story,” he says.

“When you touch down in a new airport, it has a lot of emotion as well, the effort that went into it behind the scenes. The success of Emirates is linked to the Dubai leadership and vision which made the whole thing possible. It allowed people to think out of the box. 

“The leadership of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid gave it that freedom to move and act and work in an independent way without being influenced or restricted by outside influence, driven purely by commercial thinking.

“When you think about the consumer you always think about raising the bar for them. The feeling you get on board is different to other airlines. You always feel like you’re at home.”

Expo 2020

Tourism is an important pillar in Dubai’s economy and the UAE’s reliance on it by far exceeds that of oil. The year 2020 was meant to be a big year for Dubai tourism as the country was preparing itself to host the World Expo but, due to the pandemic, the event was postponed. 

A year later and Dubai finally opened the doors to Expo 2020, keeping the same name for branding reasons. 

With 192 countries exhibiting the best their country has to offer, the expo centres around three themes: opportunity, mobility and sustainability. 

At the Maltese pavilion located in the ‘Opportunity’ district of the expo, Antoinette Catania, deputy commissioner for Malta at Expo 2020, says: “We’re proud to see the Maltese flag among those of all other countries, which are collaborating together. We’re on the world map and we can promote our country, be it business or tourism.”

The pavilion is in the form of a walkthrough, with audiovisuals covering history, culture, business, crafts and even a Maltese luzzu on which visitors can take a picture.

“We picked the theme connecting ‘cultures and generating opportunities’ because it lines up with our history. Malta has always created opportunities, so we’re looking towards the future by respecting our past, tying in business and the economy.”

The place covers an area of almost four square kilometres, the largest project Dubai has ever undertaken, and is filled to the brim with innovations and wonders. The building made use of sustainable and recycled materials and, when the expo is over, most pavilions will be re-purposed for other activities. 

From the top, the expo is seen in the shape of a flower, with a vascular system of roads that easily guide you from one venue to the next and, despite the crowds, the shade created by the trees and canopies make it enjoyable to walk around. 

If walking is not for you, there are plenty of alternative means of transportation, from electric buses to bicycles. And if you want to order food, you may even bump into a robot which will deliver it to you. 

The expo feels like a small city, created with people in mind. From the moment you step through the gates, you are transported into the future or,   perhaps, what the present should look like. 

Beyond Expo

On the last day of the trip, we’re joined by a tour guide who shows us some of Dubai’s most popular spots. 

Asad, a well-travelled man, speaks fondly of Dubai. He’s a third-generation expat who was brought up in Dubai. He has lived in other countries and is married to a European but chose to settle his family in Dubai. The day is spent visiting one high building after another and the views from the top are out of this world. Being the biggest and the tallest is a recurring theme in architecture here and if you suffer from vertigo, it’s not the place for you. 

“Everything always comes back to the grand vision and leadership of the sheik”

Fortunately, I have no problem with heights, yet, I still quiver slightly as we’re shot up by one of the fastest elevators in the world to the top floors of the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa.  

Between each stop, we learn more from our guide – everything always comes back to the grand vision and leadership of the sheikh. 

He explains to us that, in Dubai, dreams can come true; it’s a playground for grown-ups. 

Crime in the UAE remains very low with a zero-tolerance policy towards it – step out of line once and you’re in deep trouble. And on with the tour. 

In the evening, at the hotel bar with my colleagues, I order two double whiskeys. The trip is coming to an end, so we reflect on the past days. We’re fortunate to have been shown the best side of Dubai, still, I can’t help but wonder what my experience would be like as a solo traveller.

I ask for the bill. My two whiskeys cost me €70.

Karl Andrew Micallef’s trip was sponsored by Emirates.