In Dubai, just about everything is meant to be the biggest and the best—and it's no joke. Here you'll find the world's tallest building, the largest man-made islands, the biggest shopping festival, the most massive mall, and the most luxurious hotel.

People who live here will tell you that Dubai is always changing—that's an understatement. Dubai has grown so fast that it hardly seems recognizable from one year to the next. Each project has been bigger, bolder, and significantly more expensive. The skyline fills with more architecturally daring high-rises. The land is carved with new canals and marinas. The sea is gifted with new artificial islands. In other words, nothing remains constant. By 2009 the global financial crisis had slowed Dubai's frenetic growth, but had not stopped it. The indebtedness of Dubai World, a major investment arm of the Dubai Government, led to the postponement of some of the emirate's most ambitious projects, such as The World and Dubailand, but construction has since resumed on many of these.

The pace of future construction will, no doubt, depend on the state of the global economy and Dubai's own financial management. In the meantime, the emirate continues its transformation into a truly global city. With people from around the world who live, work, and visit here come demands that the emirate continues to build its international credentials and seeks the best of the various cultures it represents. Here are just a few highlights of memorable Dubai experiences we'd like to share—you will no doubt create many more during your adventures here.