"Dubai has always been seen as a playground for the rich. What is the Dubai tourism authority doing to pull in people with less money?" That was one question among others that came to me Friday via the DK-Rough Guides PR office, as author of DK's Top Ten Dubai and Abu Dhabi guidebook, from a London journalist writing a story on Dubai. Although I suggested he contact Dubai Tourism for comment, I still shared my thoughts. While Dubai Tourism has appeared to focus on marketing Dubai as a luxurious, safe 'sun, sand and shopping' destination, the media, which loves covering the rich and famous and the glitz and glamour, has lapped it. There's no denying Dubai does luxury well (better than many places), but it's always been so much more than simply a lavish destination where you can spoil yourself silly, especially to the people who live in Dubai. When I lived in Al Mankhool, for five days a week my everyday experiences were more centered on Dubai's gritty backstreets (the 'off-the-beaten-track') and the city's heritage, culture and arts. We'd regularly walk to the Creek and Bastakiya, wander through Bur Dubai souq to Shindagha, both for exercise and to shop at the Shindagha supermarket, browse the souqs at Bur Dubai or across the Creek at Deira, or see a traditional performance at the Heritage and Diving Village. We'd frequently stroll along the Creek and through the parks, especially Al Seef Road and Za'abeel Park. We'd attend opening nights at galleries like The Third Line and B21, and we'd go to events like the Dubai International Film Festival. Occasionally we'd do very 'local' things like watch the camel training or even go falconing with some of the local guys. It was only on weekends when we'd go out with friends for drinks, dinner and a dance, at the bars, restaurants and clubs in the five-star hotels that we'd experience 'luxury Dubai'. But our Dubai, the Dubai most locals and many expats (not all) experience, is the one I've always tried to promote through our guidebooks and writing like our Insider's Guide to Dubai. But while Dubai for us is a set of complex experiences and representations, for much of the global media and potential tourists (as I'm reminded everyday) it's nothing but a luxury destination. It's time Dubai Tourism gets serious about re-branding Dubai and telling the world about the things its residents love about the place. Don't you think?

The NineMSN Travel site is hosting a number of live online chats with their destination experts, so as their Dubai Insider (along with Terry), I'll be making myself available to chat to readers of the site tomorrow, Wednesday 12 February, from noon to 1pm Australian Eastern Standard Time. You may recall me telling you about the last chat I did, way back in September (read the transcript here): readers asked everything from my recommendations to the city's best restaurants to the sights I consider unmissable. So if you're thinking about a trip to Dubai, perhaps take a look at our Dubai Insider guide first, then log on tomorrow and ask away. You need to sign up, and you can do that here. Not interested in Dubai? Then check out NineMSN's long list of international and Australian Insiders and have a chat with one of those guys instead.

The image here is of Emirates Towers and the Sheikh Zayed Road skyline from Za'abeel Park.

Another series of live chats with local experts is starting soon on the excellent NineMSN Travel site. (I wrote about the first series here.) As their Dubai Insider (along with Terry), I chatted with NineMSN readers back in September (read the transcripts here) and it was tonnes of fun: travellers asked everything from my must-do tips to my restaurant recommendations. The site has expanded its team of Insiders considerably to include a long list of international and Australian destination experts, so check out the full list here, because you may not want to know anything about Dubai, but there are loads of other places you can get advice on. My chat is scheduled for 12 February, from noon to 1pm Australian Eastern Standard Time. You can read our Dubai Insider guide here and get more information about the live chats with Insiders here, where you can also connect before the chat.

The image is of the chic postmodern Middle Eastern interior of Almaz by Momo at Mall of the Emirates, Dubai. And those gorgeous lamp covers (along with a range of stylish bits and pieces) are for sale from the little 'boutique' in the corner of the restaurant.

'Is it hot in Dubai?', 'Do you know when Ramadan is?' and 'Am I right in thinking that as an Arab country there are some booze restrictions?' were just some of the questions asked of me by readers of the NineMSN Travel site during a live chat, that went hand-in-hand with our Dubai Insider’s Guide. It was fun to interact with people and give advice, because we rarely get to communicate with readers of our books and articles. The 'live' element was challenging. Several minutes before the designated start, a few messages popped up before I was bombarded with multiple Messenger boxes on my screen. Because I didn’t want to lose anyone, I jumped between boxes: 'Hi! How are you? Hang on please, I’ll get to you in a moment…” and then jumped back to the first person in queue. I fielded questions from 30 people in 60 minutes, and only lost four, which I thought was pretty good. There were specific questions like: 'I'm flying to London from Sydney later in the month and was planning to have a night or two in Dubai... what would be your top five things to do including two great places to eat? and 'If you were planning a holiday to Dubai, for 2 weeks say, how much spending money would be required and how much would 4* hotel be?' Readers asked about everything from the language spoken to safety issues for women - and Australians. One person wrote '... just wondering what image of Dubai to believe – that it's a nice holiday venue with good weather and facilities, or a building site packed with c-list celebs on free holidays given to them to boost exposure and tourism?' Good question. The exercise raised a lot of questions for me as a travel writer: Do people still do research before they travel? Or is pre-trip research a thing of the past? Will any of these people buy my guidebooks to Dubai before they go? And why haven’t they bought one by now? Or do travellers these days mainly rely on the Internet for their information, whether its TripAdvisor, Lonely Planet’s Thorn Tree or MSNTravel’s live chats? If so, will they have a less enjoyable or less meaningful time than if they did some real research and took a guidebook? Why am I even spending 18 hours a day writing guidebooks? Maybe I should become a ‘live chat host’ instead?

Just a reminder that we're going to be around for a live chat on Wednesday 10th Sept., for one hour from 5pm to 6pm Sydney and Melbourne time. A reader asked me what time that was going to be in the USA? To give you an idea, it means we start at noon Wednesday Dubai time, 9am Wednesday London time, 4am Wednesday New York time, and 1am Portland time. The live chats go hand in hand with the launch of our Dubai Insiders Guide on the NineMSN Travel site, and have been organized by NineMSN Travel. Using Windows Live Messenger you can chat to us and ask us anything you want about travelling to Dubai, or even moving to Dubai and living there. You can ask us for hotel or restaurant recommendations for that one stopover you have scheduled next month to suggestions for things to do out or Dubai to tips on great watering holes. Get the Live Chat Instructions HERE. You just have to add us as one of your MSN Messenger contacts. Our Messenger ID is InsideDubai@hotmail.com. Then simply send us an instant message with a few questions. Until tomorrow...

Join me for a live chat about Dubai and the UAE on Wednesday 10 September 5-6pm Sydney time when you can ask me anything you want about Dubai, the UAE, travelling and living there. You might have seen our Dubai Insiders Guide on the NineMSN Travel site? Well, as part of the launch of the Insiders Guides the nice people at NineMSN Travel have made it possible for the insiders to chat to travellers about their home cities. Using Windows Live Messenger you can have a live chat and ask anything you want about the destination, from tips on places only locals know about, to what it's like to live in those cities. Take a look at the other Insiders Guides and transcripts of chats so far with the local travel writers based in London, New York, Beijing, and Vietnam (woops, sorry, I forget to tell you about those) and log on for a chat with Tom Walter about Queenstown next Monday 8th September 11am Sydney time, and join Terry and I for a chat on Wednesday. Looking forward to talking to you. Live Chat Instructions HERE. It's easy. You just have to add us as one of your MSN Messenger contacts. Our Messenger ID is InsideDubai@hotmail.com. Then next Wednesday 8th September between 5-6pm Sydney time (Australian Eastern Standard time), send us an instant message with one or two of your Dubai or UAE questions.

Our Dubai Insider's Guide is now on the Nine MSN's travel site. Take a look here and let us know what you think. I'd be especially keen to know what any Dubai locals, expats and recent visitors to the city-emirate think and to hear your insider tips, favorite 'near the beaten track' things to do, and the things you recommend people avoid. I'm expecting our own suggestion to give the Burj Al Arab a miss will be controversial... You can leave comments on the site or let me know here.

Pictured? Expats relaxing by Dubai Creek. One of our favorite things to do on a weekend afternoon.