putting tourists in awe in such admiration. It would take them an average of five minutes to appreciate the different modern buildings aligned to entertain road travellers, depending on the traffic.
The five-minute tour is just between the Trade Center (DWTC) and Defence roundabout, a stretch of only about 2 kilometres. The development in the previous years was concentrated on this area, The Trade Centre Building being one of the first few buildings to be built there. But right now, a massive construction is happening on the other side, which includes the most anticipated Burj Dubai, believed to be the new tallest building in the world once completed in 2008.
The DWTC being the home of major exhibitions in Dubai makes Sheikh Zayed road more known to tourists and businessmen seeking new grounds in this region. Excluding the months of May to September, exhibitions from the different industry existing in Dubai has been keeping Sheikh Zayed Road busy as ever.
Interesting mixes of hotelsare also situated in this famous avenue, mostly rated as five-stars. The Fairmont Hotel is situated opposite DWTC, and an overpass has just made exhibitors / trade visitors of exhibitions easy to access the hotel if they choose to stay there. Crowne Plaza Hotel is located just a few meters after The Fairmont, which can also be a good choice to stay if you are attending an exhibition.
Other hotels located in Sheikh Zayed Road are Towers Rotana Hotel, The Emirates Towers, Shangri-la Plaza Hotel and The Novotel Ibis, which is located at the DWTC premises itself. Hotel Apartments on the other hand are also available, such as the DWTC Hotel Apartments and Dusit Hotel.
Just when we think that exhibitions happening in Dubai are enough to make this wonderful place busy, commercial spaces come to the picture.
Way before Dubai Media City and Internet City and other industrial areas were built; Sheikh Zayed Road was and still is the place to hold offices if you are up to the prime location and prestige side of doing business. A good mix of different offices is being run here which makes this place also busy enough on a nine-to-five basis.
A fair amount of employees are also living along Sheikh Zayed Road, as most buildings combine a mix of commercial and residential areas in their floors. Although the rate can be as much as double compared to apartments in the outskirts of Dubai, many residents still choose to live in Sheikh Zayed Road mainly to enjoy and appreciate its busy nature. Emirates Airlines is also housing some of its cabin crew members in several buildings along Sheikh Zayed Road.
Coffee shops such as Starbucks, Second Cup, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and French Connection are alongside this avenue, as well as restaurants with different cuisines. American food is existing in TGI Fridays, Coco’s and Applebee’s. Some other great restaurants are Gelato, if you are craving for a taste of Italian food. Al Safadi is just around the corner, as well as Saj Express, if you’re looking for a taste of Lebanese.
As winter season approaches in December, it would be good to take the opportunity to have a long amusing walk along Sheikh Zayed Road to see its wonders, building after building. Nice little cozy restaurants may surprise you.
New city developments may have been and are still being developed. There are new malls and office areas that are industry-grouped these days. Dubai’s development plans are still yet to be completed, and they continue to plan more for its development. Long before Sheikh Zayed Road was a spectacular destination, there were Naif Road, Rigga Road, and other streets near the Creek that used to be the center of the emirate. But as Dubai becomes more modern in time, they have been slowly forgotten. However, with wonderful landmarks such as The Emirates Towers, Burj Dubai, and more to come, Sheikh Zayed Road will stick around the top list of to-go’s in Dubai for a while. With the perfect mix of residential and commercial elements, it will always be a pleasure to drive through this fabulous avenue, Sheikh Zayed Road.
