It is no secret that in Dubai there is a real strong ambition to make everything the biggest, the tallest, the brightest and the best. And why not? If you’re going to build a city out of nothing, and you have all the oil money in the world, why not aim for the stars?

This is why it is very fitting that the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, is next to the Dubai Mall, the biggest mall in the world, and overlooking the Dubai Fountain, the tallest and most expensive fountain in the world. Yup, lots of superlatives around here…

Right in front of this massive, modern, glittering tower is a very nice traditional Arab-style souk-type of thing — souk being ‘market’ in Arabic. I thought it was quite a nice juxtaposition, actually.

We were too early for the fountain show but apparently this 30-acre lake contains a fountain that shoots out choreographed water jets as high as a five-storey building, in time with various songs.

The irony should also be noted that the biggest and highest and most expensive fountain in the world is in the DESERT!