Wild Things You’d Only See In Dubai
Dubai is known for being one of the most outrageous cities in the world. Home to the world's tallest skyscraper, robot camel jockeys, exotic pets, and the $1,000 cupcake, this city is truly unlike any other. Keep reading to see what makes Dubai among the wildest and most lavish places you can go.
People Riding Their Exotic Pets
Having an exotic pet can be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. It requires extensive knowledge about the animal and how to handle it. Even then, there's always an element of risk.
Caring for a lion is one thing, but riding it horseback? That's something you'd only find in Dubai. This man seems surprisingly confident as he casually rides his lion. His feet aren't even touching the floor, so he better hope that animal doesn't take off running.
People Doing Insane Stunts
Stuntmen are all over the world, but you don't have to look far to find one in Dubai. Don't be surprised if you see people scaling walls or standing atop moving vehicles.
Just look at this photo of drivers doing a wheelie in an SUV! That stunt is dangerous enough in a sedan, let alone a large car like that. In case the stunt wasn't impressive enough, they also had one of the passengers mount the car!
A Tennis Court Suspended 1,000 Feet Above The Sea
If you've ever thought to yourself, "Tennis is cool and all, but it'd be better in the air," then Dubai has just the place for you. The famous Burj al Arab hotel has a tennis court suspended 1,000 feet above the sea!
That tiny golfer in the photo is actually Tiger Woods preparing to hit a golf ball into the ethers. When the green disc isn't set up for Woods, it's a tennis court for amateurs and professionals alike, so long as you can afford it.
Luxury Ambulances
When you think of an ambulance, you probably imagine a box-shaped, red vehicle with room in the back for patients. In Dubai, you'll find ambulances like this one that aren't any of those things.
These luxury cars are made to zip past traffic and get patients to the hospital as fast as humanly possible. Incredibly, they also feature 60% of the medical equipment a normal ambulance has. Imagine getting to drive like one of the Fast and Furious stars for the sake of saving a life!
80 Falcons Riding Coach
Few places are as accomodating about birds on a plane as the United Arab Emirates. Their national bird is the Falcon, so don't be surprised if you see one riding the seat next to you in coach.
This plane had 80 falcons on board, each with its own seat! It turns out the birds belonged to a Saudi Prince, but even an average citizen would get to buy a seat for their Falcon. This may explain why people in Dubai are so used to bringing their exotic pets everywhere.
The Tallest Building In The World
The Burj Khalifa became the tallest building in the world upon its completion in 2009. It stands at a staggering 2,722 feet tall, which is more than half a mile in length!
Dubai is full of skyscrapers that stick through the clouds, but they seem tiny in comparison to the grand Burj Khalifa. Brave visitors can go into the building and travel up its 163 floors to see the most impressive views any building has to offer.
Carpooling With Tigers
Exotic animals are a normal part of life in Dubai, so don't be surprised if you look over and see a tiger in the car next to you. This person is not only driving around their pet tiger, by they even have the window down!
It's cute to see a dog sticking its head out the window, but seeing a tiger leaning out the car and ready to pounce is a different story. Hopefully, they already ate lunch!
A Diamond Studded Mercedes Benz
Dubai is full of impressive cars, so you really have to go out of your way to turn heads. That's what Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal did with his Mercedes Benz. To make it truly stand out, he had the car encrusted in diamonds.
300,000 diamonds went into this vehicle, which the Prince bought for a jaw-dropping $4.8 million. Few people spend that much money on a house, let alone a car! It wasn't much for the royal considering he's one of the richest people in the world.
A Lush Garden In The Middle Of The Desert!
Anyone who has tried to care for house plants knows how challenging it can be to maintain just the right conditions for plants to thrive. This is especially true when it comes to elaborate gardens filled with various kinds of plants.
Somehow, genius landscapers managed to construct this lush garden in the middle of Dubai's desert terrain! This spot is called the Dubai Miracle Garden, and it really is a miracle considering there are 250 million plants here!
Taking Lions For A Speed Boat Ride
In Dubai, people aren't shy about having exotic pets-- they take them just about anywhere they go. Being on a boat in the middle of the water with a lion sounds like a nightmare to many sensible people.
For this Dubai resident, it sounds like a typical Saturday afternoon. The scary thing is the way that the lion is leaned over and growling at something. Hopefully, it isn't going to freak out about the fact it has nowhere to escape to.
Free Food For Those In Need
Dubai understands that being a wealthy country isn't just measured in fancy buildings and flashy cars. It's also about how you take care of those in need. That's why they have free food stands in stores.
These areas are designated for those who don't have money to afford groceries and/or are unemployed. There are dry goods and a mini-fridge for perishables like yogurt. The sign kindly requests that people take one piece each so there's enough to go around.
An ATM For Gold!
Dubai is so over-the-top that some places only accept payment in the form of gold! This can be a bit limiting since few want to walk around with gold in their pockets. That's why the city started producing gold ATMs!
The one pictured here is actually at the Abu Dhabi hotel, which was the first to implement the mesmerizing machine. Now, you can find gold ATMs throughout both luxurious cities. Just look for that "Gold To Go" sign.
Traffic Jams That Are Full Of Impressive Cars
There are ritzy places all over the world, but few have as many fancy cars as Dubai. This city is jam-packed with luxury vehicles, literally! Any traffic jam you encounter is likely to be full of BMWs, Porsches, Lambos, Ferraris, and more.
This isn't a town you'd want to be found in driving a beat-up 1993 Nissan you inherited from your grandparent. Even middle-of-the-road cars (pun intended) are going to stand out.
Texting While Driving... A Cheetah!
Though texting while driving is a dangerous activity, it's something that people all over the world still sometimes do. In Dubai, some drivers take this act to the next level by doing it while driving their cheetah!
This man is literally texting with the same hand that is holding onto his cheetah's leash! If that animal wanted to, it could definitely leap out the window and take its owner's phone with it! At least someone has their eyes on the road.
Skiing In The Desert
It used to be that snow sports were limited to certain climates and seasons. Dubai defied this limitation by building an indoor skiing resort right inside their Mall of the Emirates.
The stunning mall has over 2 million square feet of retail space and costs over $200 million to build. Now visitors can buy a bathing suit for the scorching weather outside on their way to sliding down the slopes at this indoor skiing facility.
A White Gold Mercedes That's Too Shiny To Drive
Only in Dubai would you find a car that is too nice to drive. That's what this white gold Mercedes Benz is. The gold paint is so reflective that it would be a hazard to other drivers if it were out on the street during the day.
Even at night, the paint would act as a mirror for city lights and would be a huge distraction. This ride is all for looks and will probably live in a showroom forever.
A $1,000 Cupcake
If you've got a sweet tooth and $1,000 burning a hole in your pocket, look no further than Bloomsbury's at The Dubai Mall. This cupcake shop offers the "Golden Phoenix," a cupcake worth more than most smartphones.
The thing that skyrockets this dessert's value is its topping of edible gold! The cupcake is made with premium ingredients and covered in 23-carat edible gold sheets. In case that wasn't enough, it's also topped with gold dust and served on a 24-carat gold empire cake stand.
Robot Camel Jockeys
Camel racing is a normal sport in desert cities like Dubai, but now these days the sport is more unique than ever before. After child jockeys were banned, tech geniuses discovered a safer way to mitigate costs.
They came up with jockey robots! These robots are fastened to the camels' backs and command the animals as a jockey would. Fans are so impressed with the effectiveness of these racers that some even place bets on them!
Driving Cars On The Water
One sight you might be surprised to see in Dubai is people driving cars across bodies of water. These vehicles, known as amphibious cars, are actually not new. They've appeared all over the world and originated back in 1961.
What is unique to Dubai is that the city's Prince, Sheik Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al-Maktoum, owns six of these impressive vehicles. The sales price on that collection was $800,000 total, which is cheap compared to the city's plethora of luxury vehicles.
Ferrari Police Cars
Being that Dubai residents are known for driving fast luxurious vehicles, police officers need something just as quick to keep up. That's why Dubai's official cop car is none other than the Ferrari!
We wouldn't be surprised if getting to drive a Ferrari motivated at least a few Dubai residents to pursue a career as an officer. You definitely wouldn't want to be in a car chase with one of these bad boys on your tail.
Plans To Make A Temperature-Controlled City!
Dubai goes big when it comes to its malls, but the city's next project is downright groundbreaking. This is a miniature version of the Mall of the World project that Dubai has in store.
The insane project consists of a city-sized mall that spans 48 million square feet! It would have climate-controlled streets and boasts 100 hotels and apartments. The mall would also have the world's largest indoor theme park! It doesn't get more lavish than that.
A Fleet of Golden Cars
Imagine walking down the road and seeing not just a line of luxury cars, but ones that are all covered in gold. Such an experience isn't all that unheard of in Dubai.
Here we have a Mercedes, Ferrari, and Porsche all lined up next to one another! We would imagine that they all belong to the same driver. What are the odds that three strangers driving gold cars were at the same place at the same time?
Airlifting Luxury Cars
There are a few ways to transport a car. You can drive it, move it on a ferry or boat, or you can have it airlifted. In Dubai, having luxury cars carried by helicopter over the city is commonplace.
Wealthy residents can pay to have their car airlifted so they don't have to worry about driving through the busy city, but still have their car nearby. It may seem a little extra, but what in Dubai isn't?
Ambulance Limos
Dubai residents have a variety of options to choose from when it comes to ambulances. One is this stretch limousine version, which comes stocked with all the bells and whistles of a normal ambulance plus plenty of room for passengers.
When someone finds themselves in the unfortunate situation of needing an ambulance, they can at least rest assured that their loved ones will be right by their side. Plus, limo ambulances feel luxurious rather than scary.
Wrestling With A Lion
Exotic animals and luxury cars are two things that are common in Dubai, so it makes sense that they would appear together. What's more surprising is that this man isn't inside the car with the lion, but is on top of it!
They're even wrestling on the hood of the car! There are so many things that could go wrong here. The car could get damaged, the lion could strike, the man could get hurt. That's just a normal day in Dubai!
An Aquarium Inside A Mall!
The Dubai Mall is truly unlike any other. Case in point, it has an aquarium! It is one of the largest suspended aquariums in the world and features a 10 million liter tank. There are more than 140 species found in the aquarium, including over 100 sharks and rays.
Visitors can experience the 48-meter walk-through tunnel or a glass-bottom boat ride. Imagine doing some shopping and stumbling upon and giant glass wall with sharks on the other side!
A Custom Horse Motorcycle
Custom vehicles are common in Dubai, but that doesn't mean that they're always personalized to look more luxurious. In this case, a Dubai motorcyclist made his ride look like it was inspired by a toy horse.
The motorcycle features a plastic white horse positioned in such a way that it looks like it's galloping beneath the rider. The vehicle looks like some sort of half horse, half-machine which isn't exactly the most impressive design, but to each their own.
People Hanging Off Skyscrapers
Thrill-seekers sometimes get their adrenaline fix by doing crazy things, like hanging off skyscrapers! Some people even make money by taking photos or videos of themselves doing crazy stunts on tall buildings.
Since Dubai is full of impressive skyscrapers, it's a popular place for people to show off their bravery. One example is this man who is using a selfie stick to take a picture of himself sitting perpendicular to a skyscraper. Hopefully, he's not afraid of heights!
A Starbucks Among Stunning Architecture
Dubai has some breathtaking architecture, like these walls and arches at the Ibn Battuta Mall. The funny thing is that the view comes crashing down on a Starbucks kiosk!
Starbucks locations are all over the world, and the coffee giant sometimes has multiple locations within a tiny radius of one another. It seems only natural that they would have one in a mall, but seeing the stark contrast between the architecture and the sign is hilarious.
Playing Jenga With Desert Turtles
PETA probably wouldn't be too happy if they saw this photo and for good reason! Desert turtles aren't meant to be stacked on top of one another like Jenga pieces. Still, this Dubai man didn't hesitate to pile his exotic pets so they form one frighteningly unstable tower.
The fact all of the turtles have their heads tucked into their shells says something about what a bad idea this is. In Dubai, exotic pets are so commonplace that messing around with them is a normal pasttime.
