Lonely Planet Best of Dubai (Lonely Planet Encounter Series)

This book is an ideal stop-over guide to Dubai, which attracts over six million arrivals per year. It highlights the city's myriad shopping options, souqs, malls and shopping centres; is the only Dubai guide with detailed fold-out colour maps; and has concise, opinionated reviews of the best of the city's hip eateries. The United Arab Emirates is the cheapest place in the Middle East to buy electronics. The Palm resort is visible from outer space. Dubai has the worlds only seven-star hotel, Burj al-Arab, where each suite has its own private butler. Dubai's multicultural population (more than three-quarters of the population are expats) means restaurants of every description, from Russian to Indo-Pakistani. Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum, a member of Dubai's ruling family, won the UAEs first ever Olympic medal (gold, of course) at the Athens Olympics, and features in this guide.