Jebel Ali Port, opened in 1979, is one of the largest container ports in the world and the busiest outside Asia — the logistics engine behind Dubai's whole re-export economy. Around it sits JAFZA, the Jebel Ali Free Zone, founded in 1985: thousands of companies, 100% foreign ownership, and tax incentives.

Unglamorous and rarely visited, but arguably more central to how Dubai actually makes money than anything with a viewing deck.