Dubai as a Study Destination

Dubai is a land of opportunities for the study abroad student. Located between the east and the west, the city is a blend of both, ultra modern skyscrapers and conveniences, and motifs of its rich Arab-Islamic culture.

Study abroad students will benefit studying in Dubai as it is a technologically advanced city with its focus on innovation, a conducive environment for experiential learning, creative thinking and independent action. Architecture, business administration, design, tourism, engineering and international relations are just a few of the subjects you can study in Dubai.  It also offers the opportunity to widen cultural horizons through direct interaction with over 160 nationalities.  

Brief History:

• An ancient mangrove swamp that dates back more than 7,000 years sat covered in sand for over 5,000 years on the shores of the Persian Gulf. That swamp is part of the most populated city on the Arabian Peninsula, Dubai.
• Dubai was a trading center between the East and the West for centuries and little was known about it until the world of Islam found it in the 10th century. 
• The earliest recorded information about Dubai was written in the Book of Geography in 1095 and a Venetian pearl merchant mentioned it after a visit in 1580. 
• The sea around Dubai was rich in pearls.
• Actual documents about the city of Dubai were not recorded until 1799. 
• Dubai’s location made it an important port of call for foreign traders. 
• The British influenced the development of Dubai in the 19th century and the area continued to grow even though a smallpox epidemic and a devastating fire destroy most of the homes in the area in 1894. Dubai became an important port and continued to attract tradesman from India, who eventually settled in the town. 
• In 1966 oil was discovered in Dubai, so the city and the region went through an incredible metamorphosis.
• When the British left the Persian Gulf in 1971, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and five other emirates decided to unite and form what is now called the United Arab Emirates. The discovery of oil attracted workers for Pakistan and India, so the population grew by over 300% from 1968 to 1975. 
• Today Dubai is immersed in unique real estate development projects, has the world’s tallest freestanding hotel and is the biggest tourist attractions in the Middle East.
  

Quick Facts:

Country name: Dubai Geography: Dubai, with an area of 3,885 square kilometers. It is the second largest member of UAE. Dubai is situated on the banks of the Dubai Creek, a natural inlet from the Gulf, which divides the city into the Deira district to its north, and Bur Dubai on its south. The city ranks as the most important port and commercial center in UAE. Religion: Islam is the official religion of the UAE and there are a large number of mosques throughout the city. Other religions are also respected. Language: Arabic, Persian, English, Urdu and Hindi. The official language is Arabic. English is widely understood and ranks alongside Arabic as the language of commerce. Local Time: The UAE is four hours ahead of GMT. Currency: The monetary unit is the dirham (Dh) that is divided into 100 fils. Official Currency:  Emirates dirham (AED)

Capital:

Dubai is the second largest Emirate State, one of seven states that compose the Federation of the United Arab Emirates, but Abu Dhabi is the capital and the largest state of the United Arab Emirates. Dubai's government operates within the framework of a constitutional monarchy, and it has been ruled by the Al Maktoum family since 1833. The current ruler, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is also the Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and member of the Supreme Council of the Union (SCU). Dubai has a vast collection of buildings and structures of various architectural styles. The city of Dubai is truly a cosmopolitan society with a diverse and vibrant culture. The influence of Islamic and Arab culture on its architecture, music, attire, cuisine and lifestyle are very prominent.

Time zone:

Dubai, United Arab Emirates is 1:30 hours behind India.
Timezone Region- Asia/Dubai
Standard timezone offset- UTC/GMT 4.00
Daylight saving timezone offset- UTC/GMT 4.00
Coordinates- 25.25° North and 55.28° East
Time Difference. - 1/2 hrs behind IST

Climate:

Dubai has a very hot arid climate. Summers in Dubai are extremely hot, windy and dry, with an average high around 40 °C (104 °F) and overnight lows around 30 °C (86 °F). Most days are sunny throughout the year. Winters are warm with an average high of 23 °C (73 °F) and overnight lows of 14 °C (57 °F). Precipitation, however, has been increasing in the last few decades with accumulated rain reaching 150 mm (5.91 in) per year.
Dubai has only two seasons, summer and the winter. Summer starts around mid April. The temperature is around 30-32C till end April. Then it gradually starts increasing. So during June to October the temperature will vary from 35 – 40C. This is the extremely hot season of the year. Also, there are days where the temperature could go up to 45C.
“Winter” starts around the beginning of November. Dubai weather changes from extremely hot humid to nice and cool days in November. Temperature could drop from 33C to 20C during this month. December-January is the peak of winter. Temperature could drop to 15C during the daytime.

Clothing:

Lightweight summer clothing is suitable for most of the year, but sweaters or jackets may be needed for the winter months, especially in the evenings. Dubai has a very relaxed dress code. However, care should be taken not to give offence by wearing clothing, which may be considered revealing.

Religious Communities:

The emir of Dubai has given lands to different communities for construction of temples, churches, gurudwaras, cemeteries and the like. Lands were sanctioned for the construction of the first Greek Orthodox Church in Dubai. Christian churches are permitted to openly advertise certain church functions, such as memorial services, in the press. Visitors to Dubai can find temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and Lord Krishna in the Meena Bazaar area.

Food/Cuisine:

Like the culture of the place, Cuisine in Dubai is also a cosmopolitan country. Arabian food is main in the Cuisine of Dubai, however, a major position is also occupied by Iranian, Lebanese and Moroccan foods. There are some real good vegetarian outlets in Dubai, but most serve Indian cuisines only. Around  60 good vegetarians restaurants are there in the Dubai that definitely cater to the foods needs of vegetarians. Moreover, Dubai has a large number of cafes that do serve great vegetarian food. High-class organic vegetarian food is also available in Magnolia.

Main Attractions:

Burj Khalifa:
Standing 160 storeys high, this skyscraper is Dubai’s most recent pride.

The Dubai Mall:
Dubai Mall has 1,200 shops. The stores range from high-end niche designers, to more affordable wide-scope retails.

Burj Al Arab:
It is the only 7-stars hotel in the world, located on the beach. Enjoy your short visit at one of its 10 restaurants and bars. Enjoy the aquarium and the relaxing background music.

Atlantis:
Located on Dubai’s man-made island, this hotel is a symbol of luxury. While heading towards it, you’ll enjoy the Palm Island’s scenery. There are  playful dolphins at the Dolphin Bay.

Souk Madinat Jumeirah:
Walk around this exquisite, traditional-like gallery filled with symbols that reflect UAE’s heritage. Ranging from authentic traditional outfits, to simple touristic merchandise, this Souk is a great place shop at.

Dubai to India flights :

Following is a list of flight routes from Dubai to India (and airlines flying on those routes), on which there are regular scheduled commercial flights:

Dubai to Ahmedabad	Air-India Express, Emirates, Qatar Airways (1-stop)
Dubai to Amritsar	Air-India Express
Dubai to Bangalore	Emirates , Kingfisher Airlines
Dubai to Chandigarh	Jet Airways (1-stop)
Dubai to Chennai	Air-India Express, Emirates, Jet Airways
Dubai to Coimbatore	Jet Airways (1-stop), Kingfisher Airlines (1-stop)
Dubai to Kozhikode	Air India Express, Emirates
Dubai to Pune	Air-India Express
Dubai to Cochin	Air-India Express, Emirates
Dubai to Kolkata	Emirates
Dubai to Delhi	Air India Express, Emirates, Jazeera Airways, Jet Airways, Kingfisher
Dubai to Hyderabad	Air India Express, Emirates, Jet Airways
Dubai to Mumbai	Air India Express, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Jet Airways, Kingfisher
Dubai to Jaipur	Air-India Express
Dubai to Lucknow	Air-India Express
Dubai to Thiruvananthapuram	Air India Express, Emirates
Dubai to Mangalore	Air-India Express
Dubai to Tiruchirapalli	Air-India Express

 

 
 Click on the links below for further information on Higher Education in Dubai:

Education System of Dubai	Study in Dubai
Higher Education in Dubai	Universities of Dubai
Postgraduate Study	MBA in Dubai
Application Procedure	Eligibility for Dubai Universities
Accommodation in Dubai	Visa Application
Restaurants	Do's and Dont's in Dubai
Embassy Contacts

Check out this video to have more information on Dubai