In a little over a decade and a half, the tranquil port of Dubai, once populated by Persian traders and Bedouin fisherman, has transformed itself into the fastest growing city in the world. The pace at which this transformation has taken place and the scale to which it has been realised and continues to develop, is nothing short of mind boggling. The rulers of Dubai, recognising early on that oil was not going to be the key to their future prosperity, invested heavily in promoting this small Emirate as the ‘next big thing’ and in almost every respect it has succeeded. Dubai is now home to the best nightlife and dining options in the region and plays host to the richest sporting events in the world. Theme parks and unique interactive experiences abound. With coastal development space at a premium, man-made offshore islands have been created to house further developments along with over 120 kilometres of new beachfront.