Happy Holidays from the Atlanta Airport!
As we are delayed from our original departure time of 5:00 pm to our new time of 7:30 pm, I’ve had time to go back through my photos from our trip. Dubai was amazing and filled with unforgettable experiences that not only made us all more global citizens, but challenged us to be better in the Hospitality and Tourism industry.
Ferrari World is a very interesting attraction located just outside of Dubai in Abu Dubai (specifically Yas Island). We noticed similar rides to ones they would have in the United States in terms of structure and style. All of the attractions were in English. (English was present throughout the entire trip. I never felt uncomfortable because I did not speak Arabic.)
Prior to this experience, I have never been in an indoor theme park. The roller coasters were outside but you started/boarded inside. There were shows (which I did not have time to attend) and they were building two more rides. Even though we had the gold pass, which has unlimited fast pass, I was not able to do everything because we were only there for about 4-5 hours. In addition to the rides and shows, there was also experiences. For example if you wanted to drive a Ferrari, you could for an additional fee.
I was so impressed with the Expo 2020 and DTCM presentations! Hearing about all that Dubai is planning and has achieved so far is so motivational. I found it extremely interesting that both of these divisions are funded by the government. Pictured below is the model of the facility that they are building for the expo.
The expo will run from October 20th to April 10th, 2020. The theme is “connecting minds, creating the future.” From this theme there will be three main branches: opportunity, mobility, and sustainability. After the expo is over, they plan to continue to use the space for events and concerts and a legacy aspect. During the expo there will be an expo village, which is where the employees and volunteers will live; after the expo that will be residential housing. The office looked like a young and fun yet challenging environment. They were all very welcoming and very interested in our experiences while in Dubai.
I felt really safe for the duration of the trip and loved the city. It was so beautiful and so open to ideas and growth possibilities (they just want to be the best they possibly can). I would love to go back in 2020 to see all the changes! 