This city of high-rises and shopping malls has transformed itself from a desert outpost to a destination du-jour, where tourists flock for sales bargains, sunshine, and family fun.

Here we will give you some places worth visiting.

1. See Dubai's Famed Cityscape at Burj Khalifa:

- Dubai's landmark building and major tourist attraction is the Burj Khalifa, which at 829.8 meters is the tallest building in the world and the most famous of the city's points of interest.

For most visitors, a trip to the observation deck on the 124th floor here is a must-do while in the city. The views across the city skyline from this bird's-eye perspective are simply staggering.

The slick observation deck experience includes a multimedia presentation on both Dubai and the building of the Burj Khalifa (completed in 2010) before a high-speed elevator whizzes you up to the observation deck for those 360-degree views out across the skyscrapers to the desert on one side and the ocean on the other

2. Visit an Underwater World at Dubai Aquarium:

One of the city's top tourist attractions, the Dubai Aquarium houses 140 species of sea life in the huge suspended tank on the ground floor of the Dubai Mall.

Although there is free viewing from the mall, the highlight of a visit here is entering the Underwater Zoo, with its three-story high, 270-degree views along the length of the glass-panel tunnels.

As well as viewing the vast amount of marine life, the Dubai Aquarium offers plenty of aquatic experiences and things to do for visitors who want a close-up encounter with some of the aquarium's inhabitants, from hand-feeding eagle rays to diving with reef and tiger sharks.

3. Soak Up the Sun at JBR (Jumeirah Beach Residence) Beach:

This long, wide strip of sandy white bliss is the number one beach destination for Dubai visitors.

Some of Dubai's most popular beach resorts are strung out all along its length, making this one of the most popular places to stay for visitors who want to make hitting the beach a major part of their Dubai stay.

The large public areas of the beach have excellent facilities, with plenty of sun loungers, restaurants, lifeguards patrolling the stretches designated for swimming, and water sports operators offering jet skiing, kayak rental, parasailing, and boat rides.

This is a safe beach choice for families traveling with tots, as the turquoise water of the Gulf lapping the shore is shallow and calm.

4. Head Out into the Desert:

You don't have to travel far from Dubai's coastal skyline of skyscrapers to reach some of the UAE's desertscapes of rippling dunes.

Both the dune fields and desert of the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve and the orange-hued dunes of Maleha (actually in the Emirate of Sharjah) are within day-tripping distance of the city, Desert adventure tours can combine a range of activities, from sandboarding, camel rides, and 4WD safaris to traditional Arabian falconry displays and desert dinners under the stars.