Neutral politics, wealthy collectors, and central location are making Dubai the go-to city for contemporary Islamic art. More than 30 galleries have opened since 2005, and the Al Quoz district of warehouses, small factories, and labor camps just south of the Sheikh Zayed Road has become another locus of Dubai's fast-forwarding arts scene thanks to its vast industrial spaces and cheap rents. Some of the city's most cutting-edge galleries are located here and specialize in contemporary work by emerging Iranian, Pakistani, Indian, and Arab talent. Founded in 2005 by three American, Iranian, and Emirati partners,The Third Line curates consistently interesting exhibitions and hosts regular cultural evenings. Emirati brothers and installation artists Hassan and Hussein Sharif run the Flying House. 1x1 Contemporary is the Al Quoz branch of Indian expat Malini Gulrajani's two-gallery operation and transforms an old warehouse into a museum-worthy showcase for work from the Asian subcontinent. Run by another Indian expat, Hetal Pawani, the Jam Jar is both art center and gallery and operates a semiregular art bus touring exhibitions across the city.

In just a few years Dubai has become the magnet for contemporary art from across the Islamic world. Drawn by Gulf oil money and the lure of local collectors eager to fill luxury real estate, as well as by international buzz predicting an Islamic art boom akin to China's market, Sotheby's, Christie's, and Bonhams have each set up Dubai auction houses while local galleries and art schools are flourishing. The big event comes in March, with the annual Art Dubai fair, which brings together buyers, artists, and international gallery owners from London, New York City, China, India and Pakistan, and the Middle East. The exhibitions take place in the Madinat Jumeirah hotel, where the designer Champagne bars create a party vibe, while the Global Arts Forum provides intellectual punch with an English-language lecture and panel series featuring artists, visiting museum curators, and star architects such as Rem Koolhaas (www.artdubai.ae; March 18–21, 2009).

Shops, galleries, and charming restaurants pack the alleyways of the Bastakiya quarter, an area on the west side of the Creek that has been inhabited by wealthy Persian merchants since the late 19th century and was painstakingly renovated by the government in the 1980s. Narrow pedestrian alleyways snake around the district, lined with local architecture and wind-towered houses (the tower was designed to catch cool breezes and direct them to the lower rooms) in coral-colored stone and rose-beige clay. Almost every heavy wooden doorway swings open to reveal a courtyard where you'll find traditional craftsmen or studios. Highlights include the Majlis Gallery, which showcases both traditional and contemporary ceramics, jewelry, and art (Al Fahidi St.; 971-4353-6233; www.majlisgallery.com; closed Fridays); XVA, a hotel/art gallery/vegetarian café in one (971-4353-5383; www.xvagallery.com; closed Fridays). The exhibitions can be a bit hit-or-miss, but the area is charming and sensitively restored, even though it is now blatantly aimed at the tourist market. The rooftop of the restaurant Bastakiah Nights has breezy views of the Creek and a set menu of Arab and Iranian dishes (971-4353-7772). For walking tours, contact the Sheikh Mohammad Centre for Cultural Understanding (971-4353-6666; www.cultures.ae). In cooler weather there is a weekly Saturday-morning flea market.

In March, Bastikiya's alleys and courtyard houses become showcases for a communal fair of concerts, films, exhibitions, and lectures promoting the best of the UAE's contemporary art (www.creekartfair.com).

Desert safaris are cheesy and contrived but still great fun. Even the most jaded locals grudgingly admit that a dune-bashing safari is not to be missed. A 4WD vehicle picks you up from your hotel at around 3 pm and takes you in a convoy to the desert about an hour and a half away. The SUV then veers off the highway, the driver deflates the tires, and the vehicle climbs up then slides down the sand dunes (called dune, or wadi bashing). The experience is a bit like a roller-coaster ride, so we suggest you have some motion sickness medication on hand (or a paper bag). Afterward you'll be taken to a faux-Bedouin tented camp where you can eat, take camel rides, and indulge in a spot of shisha smoking.

The desert, fortunately, is more varied than a canned "Bedouin" experience. If you have a full day, book a four-by-four trip to Hatta, an oasis village at the foot of the Hajjar Mountains where a few date farms are watered by traditional communal channels called aflaj. Your car will have to crawl through wadis and between dramatic volcanic peaks to reach a series of clear-water pools where tiny fish will nibble your toes as you swim. Arabian Adventures can arrange day trips in SUVs to Hatta Oasis.

Just 90 minutes by car from Dubai, Oman's Musandam Peninsula, a rock finger overlooking the straight of Hormuz, is another world of seemingly remote fjords, small uninhabited islands, and wild beaches. Dubai operators drive you to the Omani town of Khasab, the center of dhow-based dolphin-watching and snorkeling expeditions. Khasab Tours can organize trips out of Dubai lasting one day as well as cruises of up to a week out of Khasab, with transfers from Dubai hotels.

Cruise down the Creek (the name throws many visitors, but as it's a huge, natural inlet it is technically a creek) at a leisurely pace on a large, traditional wooden dhow (moored opposite the Radisson Blu Deira; 971-4303-4888; www.arabian-adventures.com) or else you can rent your own speedy abra (water taxi) from the Deira Old Souk or Bur Dubai Arab Station. They are used by the locals to traverse the Creek from Deira to Bur Dubai for a mere 14 cents, and tourists can hire one to take them sightseeing (flat rate of $27 an hour).

In contrast to most of Dubai's shiny new attractions, this small but informative museum near the Creek, a short walk from Bastakiya and the old Textile Souk, is housed in the remains of the Al Fahidi Fort, built in 1787 and thus the oldest building in the city. Don't expect to see rooms filled with ancient historical artifacts; what you get is an air-conditioned, interactive labyrinth that re-creates the Emirati way of life in the pre-oil age. Despite the current glitz, the locals tend to cling to their traditional Bedouin culture, and this museum gives a glimpse of that ancient lifestyle, with its reliance on and love of the desert, the solar system, and traditional handicrafts. Standout installations on shipbuilding and a re-created village scene complete with 3-D ghostlike holograms of traders are worth the bargain 80-cents entrance fee alone.

Open Saturdays through Thursdays 8:30 am to 7:30 pm, Fridays 1:30 to 7:30 pm.

Yes, it's built in a desert, but Dubai has plenty of cultivated greens to keep even the best golfers happy; the diehards play at night in summer to avoid sunstroke. The Montgomerie course is a par 72 and has the world's biggest green (971-4390-5600; www.themontgomerie.com); Emirates Golf Club is home to the Desert Classic (part of the PGA European Tour) (971-4380-2222; www.dubaigolf.com/egc); Dubai Creek Golf Club has stunning views and is adjacent to the hip Park Hyatt (971-4295-6000; www.dubaigolf.com/creek); the 247-acre Desert Course is the longest in the city (971-4366-3000; www.thedesertcoursedubai.com); and Four Seasons Golf Club's Al Badia course in Festival City is an eco-friendly choice irrigated with desalinated seawater (971-4601-0101; www.fourseasons.com/dubaigolf). Make sure you ask your concierge to book well in advance. Courses give priority to members, and it's often impossible to get slots over the weekend. Some also have minimum handicap requirements.

The majestic Jumeirah Mosque showcases Islamic heritage and promotes cultural understanding; this is the only mosque non-Muslims are allowed to enter in the UAE besides the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi. The mosque was built entirely in natural-colored local stone in 1978. Its architecture is in the Fatimid tradition, with heavily decorated, towering minarets (including the tallest one in Dubai) flanking nine massive domes (and 45 smaller ones), all covered in geometric motifs and intricate Arabic calligraphy. It's a fascinating option for those interested in the religion, and at the end of the tour, questions are actively encouraged. Bare arms and legs are not permitted, and women should bring a head scarf.

Free one-hour guided tour on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 10 am.

When it comes to real estate, few cities have the financial backing, the vision, and lack of red tape to build on the same massive scale as Dubai. Of the signature projects, the world's tallest skyscraper, Burj Dubai, has reached its apex, is now completely cladded, and is due to officially open in winter 2009. It will have both residential and commercial areas, including the first Armani Hotel (www.burjdubai.com). Meanwhile, the 1,539-room resort Atlantis The Palm, has opened its doors on Palm Jumeirah, the first of three tree-shaped islands—visible from outer space, no less (www.atlantisthepalm.com). Donald Trump will make his debut in the Middle East on Palm Jumeirah with the Trump International Hotel & Tower, a 62-story, stainless-steel and glass structure, expected to be completed by 2011.

Many of the biggest projects will remain unfinished for years to come, including The World, an archipelago of private islands forming the outline of the seven continents; The Universe, islands in the shape of planets and constellations; and the Dubai Waterfront, an artificial peninsula that's twice the size of Hong Kong.

The mother of all megaprojects, opening in phases, is Dubailand, a conglomeration of theme parks and themed suburbs including a medical community anchored by one of the world's largest plastic surgery clinics and an outpost of Harvard Medical School. An Ernie Els signed golf course is up and running in Dubai Sports City, a subdivision with stadiums for cricket, tennis, a Manchester United soccer school, and a sports-centric shopping mall (971-4425-1111; www.dubaisportscity.ae). Once completed in 2018, Dubailand will be the size of Singapore (three billion square feet!). Planned buildings include Vegas-style hotels and resorts, more golf courses (including the first-ever designed with the help of Tiger Woods), theme parks (including a Universal Studios, the Jurassic Park–inspired Restless Planet, and a 660-foot-diameter, 230-foot-high snow-dome ski resort), and copies of world monuments including the Eiffel Tower and sections of China's Great Wall. The public can visit Dubailand's HQ in the city to view an intricate 3,200-square-foot scale model of the development, as well as interactive audiovisual displays. Two massive Bengal tigers, housed in an enclosure adjacent to the entrance, watch visitors arrive (Emirates Rd.; 971-4368-0000; www.dubailand.ae; closed Fri. and Sat.).

Of course, the best way to view all these properties—and to get your bearings in Dubai's ever changing landscape—is from above. Seawings offers daily sightseeing seaplane flights starting at $243 per person (971-4883-2999; www.seawings.ae). A private and pricier option is via helicopter (Aerogulf Services Company; 971-4220-0331; www.aerogulfservices.com; tours from $1,700 for four passengers). But if you happen to be dining at the Al Muntaha restaurant at the top of the Burj Al Arab, it's also possible to see these developments from slightly farther away. An alternative view can be had from the sea via yacht charter, allowing you to get up close to some of the islands, through Art Marine (971-4338-8955; www.artmarine.net) or Blue Banana (971-4369-7378; www.bluebanana.ae).

Essentially a giant freezer attached to the Mall of the Emirates, Dubai's first indoor ski slope has a chairlift to five separate stations, including the world's first indoor black run, whose thrill comes not just from the 60-meter drop but from the knowledge that outside it might be 130 degrees in the shade. Nonskiers can toboggan, "rock" climb, and make snow angels and snowmen in the world's largest indoor snow park, where fresh powder falls every night. Ski Dubai's Avalanche Café, midway up the slope, offers non-alcoholic mulled wine. A two-hour lift pass with all equipment costs $80; ski and snowboard lessons from $60 per hour.

Dubai World Cup (March)
Tel: 971 4332 2277
www.dubaiworldcup.com
For many, this is the social event of the year, when a well-dressed crowd gathers to watch the richest horse races in the world (and, of course, to party). Aim to get a space in the Makhtoum stand if you're a racing enthusiast, but if you're here for the party, head directly to the Bubble Lounge to fill up on Champagne alongside the socialites.

Dubai Desert Classic (February/March)
Tel: 971 4380 1777
www.dubaidesertclassic.com
Watch Tiger et al as they tee off at the Emirates Golf Club during the Dubai Desert Classic, part of the European PGA Tour. Insiders ensure they get invitations to one of the lavish hospitality tents, the Emirates Airlines tent being the hottest ticket around.

Dubai Tennis Championships (March/April)
Tel: 971 4216 6444
www.dubaitennischampionships.com
Despite the caliber of player—Federer and Nadal, for instance—at $8 for the early rounds and $27 for the finals, this is a very reasonably priced event. Be warned: The seats aren't numbered, so it's first come, first served for the best views of the courts.