WITH its glossy mega-malls, glitzy resorts and flashy can-do attitude, Dubai has transformed itself - virtually overnight - from an obscure dot in the desert into the 'it' destination of choice for visitors in search of a dazzling Middle East experience. Detractors say it is no great shakes and compare it to Las Vegas - minus the gambling and with even less soul - but Dubai has carved a unique identity for itself and deserves to be given a fair sheikh, as it were.

As the most high-profile emirate of the seven that make up the United Arab Emirates, Dubai is a curious blend of Arab sensibility and Western pizzazz, where women in abeyyas (traditional full-length robes) and thong-wearing bleach-blond tourists co-exist side by side.

Surprisingly, this raises fewer temperatures (even during the sweltering summer months) than might be expected. The only ripples that can be seen come from the waves that gently lap at the shore next to the Burj Al Arab - a 53-storey salute to architectural excess that is to Dubai what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris or the Petronas Towers are to Kuala Lumpur.

The Burj may in turn soon be supplanted as the number one tourist attraction by the soon-to-be-built Burj Dubai, which is touted as the tallest building in the world - it is the kind of building that is symptomatic of the emirate's can-you-top-this attitude.

Meanwhile, the Burj Al Arab - a self-proclaimed seven-star ultra-luxurious resort hotel built on a man-made island jutting out into the Arabian Gulf - is merely the most famous Bedouin-and-breakfast place among a clutch of high-end resorts and private houses that occupy this stretch of the Dubai coastline. The Burj's US$1,500-a-night suites may be an exception but elsewhere, US$800-a-night rooms are a dirham (the UAE unit of currency) a dozen.

Further along the coast, and clearly visible from the way-over-the-top-floor Skyview Bar at the Burj, is yet another audacious development known as The Palm, a development of luxury villas being built (by the same company that owns the Burj) on an artificial island the shape of a palm. It is the sort of brash project that enhances Dubai's reputation as a theme park-cum-international playground for the rich and famous.

In case you still have doubts, look no further than The World, a residential project comprising 300 islands shaped to look like a map of the world. You can buy the country of your choice to build that dream home. And it doesn't stop there. An even splashier multi-disciplinary investment project, dubbed Dubailand, is currently under construction.

Tax-free port

Just over a century ago, an early member of the ruling Al-Maktoum family figured out a way to bring the world to Dubai by turning it into a tax-free port. It was a wise move and his descendants have continued the policy to such an extent that he would surely be impressed if he were still alive today. Dubai, with a population of about four million - the majority of whom are foreign workers and expatriates - is a constant hive of commercial activity, thanks to its position as a busy trading centre - and its status as reigning shopping-mall champion of the universe.

Not satisfied with projects like the Mall of the Emirates, the mother of all mega-malls that comes equipped with its own luxury hotel, a branch of London's Harvey Nichols, designer labels from A-to-Z and back again and - just for good measure - a 25-storey indoor ski dome. For proof that Dubai subscribes to the 'excess is best' school of commercial activity, look no further than the Carrefour supermarket outlet here, which carries everything from caviar to fresh camel milk and where its 52 checkout counters seem to stretch on for as far as the eye can see.

Outside, along busy Sheikh Zayed Road, construction continues unabated and on a scale that has to be seen to be believed. The highways are so long, wide and straight here that you could land a double-decker A380 on them. It's all enough to make Orchard Road look like a minor suburb.

Cars and sports

Motoring buffs are also catered to, with a number of desert rally events held during the year. Premium car brands such as Audi have also shown a preference for using Dubai as a location to launch their latest models.

Observant types will notice that Dubai is a magnet for luxury and high-performance cars - starting with the ones which are raffled off regularly at the airport duty free shop. s

The roads outside the metropolitan area are largely traffic-free, and the desert makes a picturesque backdrop. There is even a purpose built, state-of-the-art race track on which to test high-performance vehicles.

Meanwhile, those in search of a more traditional sport can find out about falconry or take in the camel races and dhow races at sea.

Dubai is also positioning itself as a mecca for international sporting events. This weekend, for example, the sheikdom plays host to the Dubai World Cup, the richest horse race in the world, with prize money of US$6 million. Big money golf and tennis tour events featuring big names like Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh, Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova are also bringing in the crowds.

The march of progress may be unstoppable as glittering steel-and-glass monoliths reach ever skywards, but there are pockets of resistance to be found. In the old part of town, along the banks of Dubai Creek, a large waterway cuts inland from the coast. Here, there are constant reminders of Dubai's trading roots, with several souks (bazaars) to explore, each of which is known for one or more products. Gold, spices, perfumes and textiles are among the items on offer.

For a near-death experience, hop aboard an abra (water taxi) - it requires lots of pushing and shoving with the locals, culminating in a leap onto a moving object. Cross the creek from, say, Naif Souk in the Deira district to the small bazaar near Al Mina Road. The boat ride will give a nice perspective on how well the traditional interacts with the modern in this part of Dubai.

Recent visitors to Dubai will likely have noticed a high-profile ad campaign at the airport. On the inordinately long walk in from disembarkation to the immigration booths, repeated signs urge passengers to 'Forget London. Now in Dubai.' The tagline is a reference to the opening of the Harvey Nichols store at the Mall of the Emirates, but it could just as easily be making an in-your-face statement on behalf of Dubai as a destination.

Taking the lead and staying in front - in the areas of world-class shopping, high-end tourism and recreation, luxury goods and property development - seems to be a big part of the trademark Dubai style. It's not quite Arabia as we might have imagined it, but Dubai just might be bold enough to pull it off.