DUBAI DELIGHT
Dubai’s year-round sunshine means you can expect a warm December break here, and if shopping is one of your favourite Christmas activities then there are endless opportunities, from the lively souks to more than 95 shopping malls. The month-long Dubai Shopping festival starts on December 26 and promises fireworks, fashion shows and flash sales around the city – perfect if you still have gifts to buy. A visit to The Dubai Mall – the world’s biggest shopping mall – doesn’t have to mean simply shopping, however. It’s home to a vast array of different activities, including an Olympic-sized ice rink, Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo, a cinema complex and the famous spectacle of the dancing Dubai Fountain. If you manage to exhaust your desire for shopping, take time to discover some of the history and heritage of the city. A short trip on an abra will take you across Dubai Creek, or peruse the fascinating galleries of Dubai Museum in the Al Fahidi Fort. If your stay lasts until New Year, you might join the thousands that gather in downtown Dubai on New Year’s Eve for midnight celebrations at Burj Khalifa Light Up 2018, a free laser, light and water show. WWW.VISITDUBAI.COM