Would you choose Dubai as a holiday destination?

Yes, that's another environmental horror. For obvious reasons, you can't grow any food locally, so all food is imported at vast expense, even the bog-standard stuff in supermarkets. And for the UAE outposts of London restaurants, everything is flown in from the UK daily, at even vaster expense and airmiles.

It's the kind of climate and terrain that works with the light footprint of small populations of (sometimes nomadic) herders and coastal fishing communities, which is what the UAE (and before that the Trucial States) had until the discovery of oil. It simply isn't suitable for vast, water-guzzling cities with big populations that need to be fed imported food, and all the greenwashing in the world isn't going to change that.

No. Colleague once told me his kids could eat as much icecream as they wanted. I remember thinking it was a long way to travel for that🙄

No, it's basically the opposite of what I like in a holiday. The airport is nice for a stopover though.

Ewwwww, no
For a myriad of reasons
It being a heated sandpit being the biggest reason

We did pre covid when it was cheaper and we wanted guaranteed good weather, clean beaches and great service. Personally I was also a fan of the lack of drinking culture and evening ‘entertainment’. It also felt incredibly safe, if a little bit Truman Show.
I wouldn’t book to go now as we are in a different phase with DC being older and that sort of holiday being boring, plus the cost has shot up (and it’s a bit too close to all the shit happening with the ME!)

No, never would. I'd much rather be somewhere snowy any time of the year but especially at Christmas. Can't stand hot weather so worst nightmare for me.

Hell no. I have been before for work and loathed it. There are hundreds of places I'd rather go.

I have friends who love it though and go quite often. Horses for courses.

Last year we stopped off for a few days each way on our journey to and from the UK.
Stayed in the Atlantis it is kind of larger than life with huge aquariums, pools and water-parks and the sea, our 5yo loved it and cried when he woke up in the Sofitel in Gatwick.
The hotel was very comfortable, weather is fantastic I can see the attraction. But on the other hand it is a bit of a concrete jungle, expensive and full of people who think they are too good for Torremolinos.

I'd go again but only to break up the flight home, and since DS is becoming a bit of a pro at flying we might not need to.

Horses for courses obviously...
But, it's my idea of hell. All that glass, concrete, desert, high rise buildings, everything just so man-made and unnatural. Barely a tree in sight. Then the ridiculous heat... Thats before we get onto the culture, their views on the modern world, religion and women's rights.😬

Give me lovely green Corfu any day.

No, I have zero interest in visiting for all the reasons already listed

I went with now ex DH 15 years ago. Wouldn’t bother going back.

Completely soulless with 0 culture, built and run by modern day slaves.

One of the good things about going to other countries is getting to engage with the locals. Except in Dubai there aren’t any. Not that there’s anything wrong with there being immigrants working there, but when they’re there working as modern day slaves to keep rich conglomerates in business it is everything that is wrong with the place.

Not for me for all the reasons PPs have listed

@FactsNotFeelings what do you like about it? It's obviously got some attraction and is clearly a unique place but what keeps bringing you back and back?

I’ve been once, tagged along with DH on a work trip, it was an interesting experience and I quite enjoyed it but once was enough.

Tower blocks, relentless heat, shopping malls, multi-lane roads, sand. Pretty much my vision of hell.

I personally wouldn't, but I don't find it inexplicable that different people like different things.

Not for me (used to live in the area) but can understand why people want to go in the U.K. midwinter - you’re pretty much guaranteed lovely warm sun and still warm-ish sea, and it’s not a hideously long flight away.
When we lived in neighbouring countries, Christmas was when so many parents, inc. both sets of ours, came to visit.

Yes. I’ve been twice to visit friends. It’s a nice, safe environment and a great place to holiday with kids.

I prefer the grittiness and unpredictability of more exotic locations, and I’m apparently one of the few who doesn’t really enjoy eating at the outposts of London restaurants at twice the price, but you can’t deny it’s a lovely place to holiday.

Not somewhere I I will ever go personally

I used to live there, and it's puzzling to me why anyone would go there on holiday. Leaving aside entirely the human rights abuses, the heavy surveillance, and the fact that it's a dictatorship with a heavily self-censoring press and a ruler with a bad habit of kidnapping and imprisoning his own daughters and whose behaviour towards his ex-wife amounted to, in the words of a UK high court judge 'a campaign of fear, intimidation and harassment' to the point where he lost his paternal rights because he can't be trusted to see them -- it's an environmental disaster on the grounds of water desalination and consumption alone.

Well it wouldn't be for me. However my neighbour loves it. She is 80 and goes with her older sister. She goes as the hotels are lovely and perfect for them as they have mobility issues and they feel safe.

No. I have had to go many times for work. Stayed with a colleague and their family for months at a time, which was quite nice actually, and not in the tourist hotel areas, but still it’s largely quite boring and unpleasant, frankly.

You couldn’t pay me enough money to go there.

Not a chance

Yes I go every year

No because of their rules re alcohol, marriage etc. I’d be scared I’d get arrested. The way women (esp western women) are viewed there is enough to stop me. But I do know many people who go and seem to enjoy it so leave them to it.