Located in historic Al Fahidi Fort, built in 1787 and Dubai’s oldest major building, is one of the most popular cultural destinations for visitors wanting to delve into Dubai’s past and rags-to-riches history. Galleries recreate scenes from the Creek, traditional Arab houses, mosques, the souk, date farms, desert and marine life, with one of the best exhibits portraying pearl diving, complete with sets of pearl merchants’ weights, scales and sieves. With its life-size mannequins and dioramas, it’s a bit ‘Madame Tussauds goes to Dubai’, but highly informative nevertheless.