We just got back from AFAR Experiences Dubai, and it was an amazing, eye-opening adventure. Forty attendees, including nine staff, spent four days in Dubai learning from a wide range of speakers about Dubai’s past, present, and future. Some of what we saw and heard was quite literally incredible. Here are a few of the numbers told to us by our guides, speakers, and hosts that stood out along the way.
1971 Year the United Arab Emirates was formed.
7 Emirates that make up the UAE: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, Umm al-Quwain, and Ras al-Khaimah.
15 Approximate percentage of Emiratis among Dubai’s roughly 3 million people.
200 Number of nationalities said to be living in Dubai.
828 Height in meters of Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.
6 Hours it took for the 160 floors of real estate in Burj Khalifa to sell out.
100,000 Weight of concrete used in Burj Khalifa’s construction, measured in elephants.
10M Visitors to Dubai in 2012. Its tourism board hopes to double that by 2020.
33 Percent of world’s population that lives within a four-hour flight of Dubai. Two thirds of the world live within eight hours.
65 Acres of landscaped gardens at One&Only Royal Mirage hotel.
10 Tons of gold estimated to be held in the gold souk at any one time.
25,000 Cost in dollars of the onyx countertop in the bar on Emirates’ A380 aircraft.
208,000 Applicants in 2015 for a cabin crew position with Emirates. Only 5,300 were accepted.
2 Former Cirque du Soleil members who now work as flight attendants for Emirates.
350 Speed in kph of a peregrine falcon’s stoop.
565 Amount of food in kg needed to feed all the animals at The Lost Chambers Aquarium on the day we visited. Also, some 200kg of lettuce weekly.
88 Countdown in days until the next AFAR Experiences, which is in New Orleans. Learn more here.
1 Big thank you to all attendees, speakers, sponsors, and everyone else who helped make this happen!
AFAR Experiences are expertly planned and led trips that allow participants to really get beneath the surface of a destination, offering unparalleled access to local thought leaders and tastemakers. Join us on our next event in New Orleans.
