A short flight, desert attractions and an atmosphere of peace and brotherhood?
Leave it all - Dubai is mostly the new paradise for shopping enthusiasts and Uber White.
Just do not forget the mask
Photography:
AP
Bigger than life, exaggerated, rich, prestigious, huge, screaming, hallucinatory, spectacular and expensive - (almost) everything you were told about Dubai is true.
We flew there on the second Israir flight, the day after the historic inaugural flight, and found a green country with a fresh aroma of peace, comfortable weather, extreme wealth - but most of all, a paradise for shopping enthusiasts.
Dubai is not ashamed of any European capital city when it comes to ironing out credit cards.
The currency in the UAE is the dirham, which is close to the shekel value (one dirham is worth about 90 cents to us) - which makes all the calculations quite easy.
Already at the airport you will be short of representatives who will try to get you to convert the dollars, but it is highly recommended to convert the money in the mall, where you will get a better and fairer offer.
The gap can reach tens of dirhams per $ 100, which is quite a bit.
Note that the banknotes can be confusing: on one side of the banknote appears the face value in Arabic literature, and there are many (perhaps too many) similarities between the 5 and 50 banknotes.
Dubai VAT rate stands at five percent, but fresh agreement with Israel has not yet formulated a policy on the subject, so that no refunds are given at this point. If you have a foreign passport - you have a better chance of the issue.
The first target and necessary, even for those who were deliberately waste This exotic mall, also known as the "largest mall in the world", is spread over a total area of more than half a million square meters and operates more than 1,500 stores, next to the world's largest aquarium and ice skating rink. .
In some hotels special shuttles are provided.
As befits its binding name, it has everything.
In order to enjoy it, or to cover at least a quarter of its surface, it is highly recommended that you take a few good hours.
Heavy addicts will not have a hard time wandering in it even a whole day.
"Because everything is big, you never remember where you were, and you constantly walk around feeling that there are many more stores that you did not get to see," says Moran from Tel Aviv.
Personally, I visited "Dubai Mall" twice, five hours at a time, and without the load of bags piled up on my hands, I would have stayed there longer.
The mall operates all the major chains in the world, with an area of luxury brands and local brands.
The prices in the international chains are quite similar to the prices in the country, and often lower.
Some chains offer discounts and sales depending on the period.
Bazaar and H&M, for example, these days have a 1 + 1 sale, which repeats itself, and sometimes 1 + 2 (buy two items and the third as a gift).
The British chain Man Top, which recently announced its bankruptcy due to the Corona crisis, offers its branch in the mall a lot of bargains at very tempting prices (for example, Calvin Klein sweatshirt, a variety of his T-shirts and brand pants - all included in sale on two items in 70 Shekels).
In local chains that offer all the major international brands, including Nike, Adidas, Armani Jeans, New Balance and The North Face, the prices are favorable, with a lot of specials, and also with a light bargaining option, which can save you up to five percent of the nominal price.
• • •
The luxury brands complex in the mall catches all the attention.
It is spread over thousands of meters, and each store in it has two or three floors.
To some extent, this mall is the most eye-popping display of the gaps that exist in Dubai between the rich - and think of the wealth in its most Hollywood images - and everyone else, mostly foreign workers who are in statements just to help the wealthy.
It turns out that most of the sellers in the stores, and in general the service providers in the country, are Asians, Indians, Afghans and more - all speak good English.
In the luxury complex you will find every "corrupt" brand imaginable: Chanel, Barbary, Versace, Fendi, Saint-Laurent and the never-ending Louis Vuitton store.
For the benefit of the people of Dubai, the names of the fashion brands are also translated into Arabic.
Kind of respect for the locals.
The luxury shops are crowded with tourists, but also full of local shoppers, who enjoy walking around here in traditional galabiyas, and do not seem too bothered by calculating prices on the way to the checkout.
Especially the women, who flaunt the bags and shoes of premium animal leather brands that will (rightly) provoke nightmares among animal rights fighters.
While I stared in amazement at the prices of the bags at the Louis Vuitton store, and wrote down a reminder - to turn over a few net monthly salaries next time - a statement buyer by my side pulled out almost 80,000 shekels on credit, and in one payment.
I would join him, just a language rope there is no 1 + 1.
"Most people who buy from us do not need a 20 percent discount, and the fact that there are no specials will not prevent them from pulling out a Platinum card," one of the sellers at the Hermes store explained to me.
"And that's exactly what we're aiming for."
So if you are lucky enough to be in a sector that can afford you, you will get in these luxury stores a very kind treatment, sometimes too kind, which can also be annoying.
For example, at the entrance to a barbaric store I was immediately offered water or soda.
At any given moment, someone will stand up to collect the clothes you measure and accompany you outside the booth.
When you leave, he will accompany you to the checkout.
Extra heavy buyers will be taken to a side room dedicated specifically to such cases, where they will receive a light lunch and alcohol.
If you do not travel in a shiny Bentley or Rolls Royce, and like most of us prefer to look for deals and bargains, your place is in the "Dubai Outlet" mall, a 35-minute drive from the city center.
Here, too, even though it covers only a tenth of the area of the previous mall, you will find representations of all the major brands, but at great discounts.
To get rid of the really good gems, you will need to muster quite a bit of patience and determination to search.
For example, in sports stores you may find clothes and shoes for less than NIS 100 per item, including from the biggest sports brands.
One of the most common promotions here is "Buy two items and pay for one".
In contrast to the Israeli addition so "the cheapest of them", in Dubai you will be surprised to find that in quite a few cases the price of the first item is already appallingly low.
For example, for six Calvin Klein men's underwear (two packs of three) you will pay 68 shekels here!
The mall also has several luxury brands such as Barbary and Belmain, which offer discounts of up to 75 percent.
• • •
Once you have exhausted the "corrupt" capitalism, do not give up shopping experiences in a more local and authentic atmosphere.
The "Spice Souk" is a lovable market that offers a great many equal local items, including diverse galabiyas for men, hijabs for women, keffiyehs, pillowcases, magnets and even toys.
The market also has a prominent complex of local spices, including black lemon, Somali lemon, saffron and barberry.
As in any oriental market, it is possible - and even desirable - to negotiate prices here.
The first offer from the seller is usually twice as high as the price you will actually pay in the end.
I, for example, paid for a pair of classic white galabiyas 220 dirhams, while the seller initially asked for 260 dirhams for a single galabiya.
Dubai is a celebration for culinary lovers, and this delicious fact can cost you quite a bit of money.
The country is packed with very good and varied restaurants, with a very high sense of service.
If you have already landed in Dubai, you may want to look for good Arabian food.
A recommended local restaurant is' Abd al-Wahhab (named after the legendary Egyptian singer and songwriter), located on the terrace at Dubai Mall.
Due to the congestion, places need to be booked in advance, and it is recommended to ask to sit outside.
The reason: apart from the excellent food and the favorable prices (NIS 200 per diner), the restaurant is adjacent to the spectacular audio-visual fountain show that takes place outside the mall once every half hour.
In general, it is advisable to check the prices of the dishes before ordering.
The prices in the international junk food chains are almost the same as in the country, and sometimes a little less.
A woofer meal at the Burger King chain cost me 35 shekels.
However, the price of a personal pizza at sites in the city can reach up to NIS 100, and falafel up to NIS 25.
Soft drinks in Dubai can be an expensive story.
Although if you buy a can of Coke at the market or in the supermarket (a concentrated purchase is recommended if you are in a group) you will pay less than three shekels, but the prices are climbing in other places: in malls you pay for the same can 12-8 shekels, and in theaters almost 25 shekels (and 29 shekels for popcorn) .
As befits a Muslim country, alcohol is hard to come by here, and if you find (you can order at a hotel), you will pay a lot for it.
For example, for a bottle of rosé wine in Israel that would have cost me NIS 50, I paid no less than NIS 330 at the hotel.
Apropos of a hotel, contrary to what they scared you, no one bothers to check your marital status in the registration at the reception.
They do not care if you are a married couple, straight, gay, lesbian, just good friends and in general - with whom you sleep in the room.
The most expensive and luxurious hotel is the Burj al-Arab, a seven-star hotel, considered one of the most beautiful buildings in Dubai, and in the past it hosted on the rooftop tennis court a game between Nadal and Federer.
It was built for a sum of about a billion dollars, and every room in it is a duplex.
The cost per night at the hotel starts at $ 2,000 and can rise to tens of thousands of shekels.
• • •
Dubai is one big "big brother" house.
Everything here is networked with cameras and documented, at every possible site and from every angle.
Officially it is done for security and public order purposes.
I admit that for the first two days the feeling of being so exposed was a little weird, but over time you get used to it.
Dubai likes to take pictures, but much less to take pictures.
If you have decided to come up with a professional camera that is more than a standard camera on a cell phone, you may be delayed and asked about it, until you are satisfied with its purpose.
In doing so, not in all places is it allowed to shoot freely, and it is advisable to ask before clicking on the camera.
Thus, for example, it is not recommended to photograph the locals without their permission, and photographing women is considered outside the realm (and they are not shaken).
And in matters of manners: do not throw things on the floor here, behave politely, do not be loud (an Israeli who came to a border checkpoint with a large Beasley snack, chewed in front of a police officer and spoke loudly was detained at the passport checkpoint and allowed in only two hours later).
And God forbid - do not consider giving up payment anywhere.
Public transportation in Dubai is advanced, but does not reach everywhere.
If you plan to rely on it, make sure your hotel is located in the city center, or at least near the metro stations, which due to the locals' tendency to get around by car are pretty empty most of the time.
In this regard, taxi prices in Dubai are favorable.
The starting price of the trip is five shekels, and the meter here is less "fast" and less expensive compared to Israel.
Recommendation: Do not argue with taxi drivers about prices.
If you look closely, you will notice that in the taxi, too, everything is documented and photographed.
And one more thing: make sure you do not get in a luxury car taxi.
A driver who offers his services in a luxurious car without the TAXI marking on the roof will charge you two or three times as much money.
All taxis in Dubai have WIFI reception, and most also have a generous trunk.
Due to the fear of Corona, up to two passengers per taxi are now allowed to enter.
Are you a family?
Book yourself a large taxi, where it is allowed to drive more.
And another trivia detail: a taxi with a pink roof is one that has a driver and is intended for women only or family.
A man is not allowed to ride it alone.
We mentioned Corona.
The fear of encountering the global virus will not escape you in Dubai either, and the treatment of the health issue begins at the airport and continues into the city and the shopping centers.
Upon landing, visitors are asked to undergo a corona test in two possible ways: a free, but slow test, the results of which will reach email or phone (many Israelis reported not receiving the result at all) up to 24 hours from the moment of performance (until then you will be required to stay in hotel isolation).
The queues for this check are at the entrance to the airport, and may be long, subject to the number of landings at the same time.
Immediately after the test, you will be required to present the test results you performed in advance in the country (be sure to have a printed copy of the result in English), and only then will you be allowed to continue to the border crossing and the baggage claim area.
The shorter corona test is performed near the border crossing, and costs about NIS 150.
The result this time comes much faster - within a few hours.
The emirates do not allow Corona to stop their lives, and the streets, malls and attractions in Dubai are crowded.
However, it is mandatory to wear masks everywhere, and anyone who violates the guidelines will be fined (in malls, the security guards will warn you about this).
Bottles of alcohol can be found everywhere, including elevators and restrooms.
And similar to the situation in the country - Dubai also has a limit on the number of people allowed to enter each store.
The main thing is that we will all continue to be healthy until we return to Israel.
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erans@israelhayom.co.il
The writer was an Israir guest