5 Dubai Myths That You Need To Stop Believing Now
From people living on a remote island in the Philippines to ones living in pastoral communities high up in the Andes Mountains in South America, almost everyone from the East to the West has heard of Dubai. With such popularity, there are a lot of weird myths surrounding the city that Dubai residents are tired of busting. They actually seem pretty true so it’s understandable why many fall for them. Here are some of the most common ones.
1. Dubai Is A New City
Contrary to popular opinion, Dubai has been around for a long time. The first mention of Dubai was back in 1095 – yup Dubai is that old. The Al Fahidi Fort (the place that houses the Dubai Museum) was constructed back in 1787 and is the oldest surviving structure in the city today. So if you’re looking for history that’s a good place to start.
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2. Dubai Makes Its Money By Oil
The people of Dubai honestly are tired of trying to explain to peeps that Dubai is not oil-rich. Dubai makes its money mainly through tourism and trade.
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3. Everything In Dubai Is Imported
While the bulk of produce is imported, Dubai does produce a lot of its own stuff – fruits and veggies included. Dubai’s love for superlatives is not hidden, so the city is soon expected to be home to the world’s biggest vertical farm near the Expo 2020 site.
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4. There Are No Taxes In Dubai
Sorry to break it to you, but there is a 5% value added tax on all goods and services, as well as corporation taxes that firms will be required to pay beginning next year. But hey what makes Dubai really special like its neighbours is that there is no income tax. So yes, the salary that you earn is yours and yours only.
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5. Burj Al Arab Is A 7-Star Hotel
Officially, it’s still a five-star hotel as that’s the highest official ranking. But if there ever was a seven-star hotel ranking Burj Al Arab definitely deserves a spot on it. The word “seven-star hotel” was coined by a British journalist who took a tour of the Burj Al Arab before it was officially inaugurated. The journalist referred to the Burj al Arab as a seven-star hotel because it was “more than anything she has ever seen”. Since then the word has just stuck with the hotel.
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