Dubai Post 6: Getting around in Dubai

A picture of the monorail pulling into
Dubai Internet City.  

It is true when they say it would be nice to have a car in Dubai.  Unlike New York and Chi-Town, Dubai is relatively new and the public transportation is not as built up as the bustling metros in America.  Riding one of the abundant taxis in Dubai is always an option but it will most likely put a hole in your wallet.  Cabs in Dubai are actually less expensive per mile than Chicago cabs, although Dubai is so spread out it tends to be about the same price getting from one major location to the next.  (My cab ride to work is about $13 and a cab ride to the airport is about $25 from my place.)

The inside of one of the rails is very cool and
 always air conditioned, which makes for
a very refreshing ride to work. 

When you picture Dubai, you should visualize  the Las Vegas Strip except with one major road and a lot more stretched out space.  Skyscrapers as high as the moon and pockets of desert made up with sand and stone line this main road.  Like Vegas in August, Dubai is extremely hot and the less time spent outdoors, the better.  However, unlike Vegas you cannot really walk the strip from one end to the other.  For instance, it is 19.6KM, or 12.2 miles, from my apartment to the FactSet office.  That is a pretty far walk, especially in 106 (today’s high) degree heat.  So what is the most ideal way to get around?

A view of a major strip of Dubai.  Point A is the FactSet office and point
B is my apartment.  The highlighted region is the main road the
monorail runs on. There are side streets and houses along the way
but no easy way to get there other than a taxi.  

Do not walk into a cabin car with this sign
next to the entrance. 

Hello Dubai’s monorail.  Literally stolen from Disney’s Epcot theme park, Dubai has its very own monorail that runs the entire strip.  You can go all the way from the airport (far north) to the southernmost tip of modern Dubai.   For a mere cost of 4.10AED ($1.11), I can take the 20 minute ride from the Dubai Internet Center (9 minute walk to my apartment) to  Emirates Tower Station (4 minute walk to work).  The rail is extremely clean, very safe and it runs about every five minutes.  Oh just one thing to note; if you are male, make sure you do not walk onto the women-only car or else a security guard will tap you on the shoulder and kindly tell you to switch cars.  (I know from experience.)