5 Great Things to do Between Meetings in Dubai

Travelling to Dubai for business? Make sure to fit these activities into your schedule.

Take in the scenery

Enjoy the city’s top sights in two hours with one of Dubai’s little-known motorcycle tours. Flybike offers bespoke itineraries on the back of a Honda Gold Wing, which cruises along with music blaring (optional) as you take in the scenery and stop for photos, with your driver on camera duty. The tour guides can be light on information but it’s a good way to tick off the main landmarks.

Be pampered at Talise Ottoman Spa

Discover how seriously Dubai takes its pampering with a luxurious hammam treatment at the largest spa in the Middle East. Located inside the opulent Jumeirah Zabeel Saray hotel, Talise Ottoman Spa has a palatial hammam with high ceilings and Ottoman-style cabanas. There are steam rooms, saunas and even snow rooms. The 60-minute Royal Ottoman treatment unfolds on a heated marble slab.

Get to know Old Dubai

Peel back the glitz and uncover the city’s rich cultural diversity on foot with a boutique food tour of Old Dubai. Frying Pan Adventures specialises in culinary street-food excursions of up to four hours around Dubai Creek. Sample freshly baked Egyptian bread, Palestinian falafels and a traditional Emirati meal. Alternatively, the two-hour Creekside Tour explores the Gold, Textile and Spice souks (bazaars), and ends with a Q&A session over coffee and dates in a cultural centre.

Explore the art districts

Artists from war-torn countries who have found refuge in Dubai offer a unique perspective on current affairs in the region. DIFC and Al Quoz are the two main art districts. Ayyam Gallery and Art Sawa have galleries in both districts. They display contemporary art from the region, with a focus on Syria and Iraq.

Shop till you drop

No trip to Dubai would be complete without a visit to the mega-malls. A monolithic maze of entertainment and fashion, The Dubai Mall has an ice rink, an aquarium and every designer under the sun. Mall of the Emirates is a must-visit for its indoor ski slope, Ski Dubai. Afterwards, buy well-priced diamonds at the nearby Gold & Diamond Park.