Dubai like other cities in the Middle East rises out of the desert like an oasis. In the center of this is the Burj Khalifa at the Dubai Mall. The Burj Khalifa is currently the tallest building in the world.
The morning before the convention I went to the Dubai Mall and bought a ticket to go to observatory on the 124th floor. It was only when I got to the top that I found my camera had no memory card in it and I was unable to take pictures from the top. But the view was amazing. If you’re scared of heights it’s not the place to be.
Dubai, like most GCC countries, can be an expensive place. You only have to look at the number of 5-star or even the worlds only 7-star found in the UAE to see how the entire country has been based around wealth.
Dubai is a shoppers paradise, if you want it you can buy it. Mall’s include indoor ski slopes as well as boutiques. The souks have traditional Arabian items. Gold seems to be everywhere in Dubai.
Dubai has a tram and sky train to help people get around the main area’s for cheap. Taxis seem to be mixed between set rates and a barter system. There are any number of places to eat for any price range
Over all I found Dubai to be the most accessible of all Middle Eastern countries that I have travelled to.

The real reason I travelled to Dubai in the UAE was for the IGN Convention. I had found out that an old friend of mine that I hadn’t seen in a long time would be there as a guest. Dubai is a quick flight and I wanted to go to the convention anyways so I made plans to meet her at the convention.
IGN is a company with a focus on Video Games. They sponsor and arrange events all around the world. Events have booths to sell merchandise or play games. People are able to go to workshops hosted by guests or other fans. There are video game tournaments and cosplay competitions. It’s a place where people go to meet people who are into the same things that they are.
The community in Kuwait is very small so I had a great time in Dubai meeting new people. I was also very excited to meet up with Riddle (Riki) who was my next door neighbour growing up and whom I hadn’t seen since she graduated high school.