Dubai: The Middle Eastern New York City

You may have recently received a forwarded email, or maybe even witnessed on television, some bits and pieces of the modern marvel that is known as Dubai. Once from just a city in the United Arab Emirates, it is now one of the most important travel destinations in the world. If you don't know about the miracle that has occurred in this Middle Eastern city, you'll be very surprised to learn about just how far it has come.

Dubai's Transformation

Over the past few decades, the world has watched Dubai transform from a mediocre city in the Middle East to a financial and tourist super-power on the brink of breaking many records cities have held for years. Its transformation is largely due to their goldmine of oil fields that is said to produce over 240,000 barrels of crude oil everyday. This substantial fortune has allotted this city the opportunity to invest in real estate ventures that have resulted in some pretty impressive landscaping. Hundreds of skyscrapers have created a gorgeous skyline that is only rivaled by the most progressive cities. But the marvelous transformations don't end there. Let's look at what the city of Dubai currently has to offer its tourists.

Man-Made Islands

Over the past few years, Dubai has been building and developing beautiful man-made islands for both residents and businesses. The Palm Islands are three artificial islands that have been created from the particles of the ocean's floor. The first two islands are composed of 100 million cubic meters of rock and sand, while the third is composed of 1 billion cubic meters of rock and sand. They were all created in the shape of unique palm trees and, upon their completion, will hold over 100 luxury hotels, apartments, homes, marinas, theme parks, restaurants, malls, spas and more.

The World Islands are a man-made archipelago of 300 islands that have been constructed to take the shape of the world map. Each island ranges in size from 150,000 square feet to 450,000, and range in price from approximately $15 million to $250 million. In the beginning of 2008, the final stone was laid, completely the initial development. The only piece of the process remaining is for the real estate developers take over.

Burj Al Arab: The World's First 7-Star Hotel

There are a lot of great hotels in the world, but none on earth as nice as the Burj Al Arab, currently the World's finest hotel. It is the only 7-star hotel in the world, but even more, it is the tallest building used exclusively as a hotel. The Burj Al Arab offers an insurmountable number of amenities that make it more than tempting, including chauffeur-driving Rolls Royce service, 24-hour butler service, spa-like bathrooms, and suites with marble and gold-leaf trim.

Dubailand: The World's LargestAmusement Park

Dubai is also currently in the process of creating Dubailand, an amusement park that, upon completion, will be twice the size of Walt Disney World. In this venture, they hope to attract 15 million tourists by 2010, and eventually 200,000 visitors a day.

Burj Dubai: The World's Tallest Building

Another amazing venture that has placed Dubai under the World's scope is Burj Dubai, which when finished will be the tallest man-made structure on Earth. This skyscraper has been under construction since September 2004 and is set to be completed in September 2009. When it is finished, it will be twice the size of the Empire State Building.

While Dubai is still in the process of creating its masterpieces, it is rising in the ranks as an economic center, with tourism prospects expected to exceed most major cities. So if you're looking for a new place to travel, and think you've been everywhere, then get your bags out of the closet and pack for a trip that is guaranteed to show you the world as you've never seen it before.