Transit in Dubai on the way to Cairo and Europe

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To Cairo (2003): I traveled to Egypt in September 2003 after the SARS was just over. We arrived in Dubai at midnight after a 6-hour flight from Bangkok on Emirate Airlines. We had to transit in this city for a day on the way to Cairo. My trip was a long time ago, so my photos may look old now. It was also the first time I visited an Arabian country.

Despite a short transit, we still had enough time to visit some places in Dubai. We were amazed by the development of this city, which used to be a desert 30 years ago. The Burj Al Arab Hotel was the highlight on our visit. We then went to Jumeirah Mosque and Bastakia Citadel. When other people on the tour were busy shopping at the market, some girls and I were lucky to be showed around by our driver. He took us to the Old House Heritage and Majlis Traditional House. We walked through the rooms where we saw some mannequins wearing traditional wedding dresses, men were inviting tea to each other, while women were knitting.

Our driver also said that 80% of the population in Dubai were foreigners. I was very touched by the friendliness of our guide who is an Indian and the help of our driver who is a Jordan.

To Europe (2022): I went back to Dubai International Airport in August 2022 on my way to Europe. It was right after the end of the Covid-19 pandemic so air tickets were very expensive. The airport was older now, however the food on the flights and services were still excellent. I spent my transit time checking out shops and bought some nice golden tea pots and plates.

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