Book Dubai Wonder

BOOK DUBAI WONDER

As an international port city and desert oasis, Dubai is one of the most important metropolises in the Middle East. With humble beginnings in the industries of pearl diving, fishing and trading, Dubai has since surpassed its historic origins. The most populous of the seven emirates that founder Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan united in 1971, Dubai is a treasure trove of the best, biggest and brightest, attracting architectural greats such as Zaha Hadid, Foster + Partners and Santiago Calatrava. Dubai's skyline includes the world's tallest tower, the Burj Khalifa; the massive Dubai Mall; the Burj Al Arab seven-star hotel and the Dubai International Airport – the epitome of extravagance.

"Dubai Wonder" takes readers through this historic city, its cultural diversity and its diverse neighborhoods, including Deira, home to the Khor Dubai, a river that was of great economic importance to Dubai for pearl fishing and fishing for several decades; Al Quoz, the cultural heart of the city; the Dubai International Financial Center and Jumeirah, a predominantly residential area with the well-known resorts along its coast.

Other stops on the tour include Dubai's emerging art scene, the Art Dubai art fair and Alserkal Avenue, a collection of warehouses with art galleries. "Dubai Wonder" also gives readers a glimpse into the highly anticipated Expo 2020 Dubai, which opened in October 2021 and is already being hailed as the most magnificent world exhibition in history. A center of innovation and firsts, Dubai represents a vision of the future where anything is possible, as every page of this stunning contribution to Aussouline's Travel Series shows.

About the author:

Myrna Ayad is an art consultant, cultural specialist and editor focusing on visual art and culture from the Arab world, Iran and Turkey. She founded her eponymous consultancy in 2018 after serving as director of Art Dubai, the premier international art fair for the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia. Ayad has written for The New York Times, CNN Online, The Art Newspaper, Artforum, Artsy, Artnet, Wallpaper* and The National, among others, and contributed to artist monographs and exhibition catalogs. From 2007 to 2015, she was editor-in-chief of Canvas, the leading Middle Eastern visual art magazine, where she oversaw the production of cover-affiliated newspapers, catalogs and luxury art books. Over the years, Ayad has served as both a panelist and moderator and is a member of committees of cultural institutions in the region. She has been based in Dubai for almost four decades, where she lives with her husband and two children.