Dayrah, United Arab Emirates

With a population of 400,000, or 10% of Dubai's 4 million residents, Dayrah is a historic commercial district that has seen better days. Once the beating heart of the emirate's trading activities, generating 30% of Dubai's commercial locations and 10% of its GDP, Dayrah is now playing second fiddle to the glitzy developments along the coast. The constant fires, storms, and epidemics that have plagued the area over the decades have taken a toll, and bureaucracy remains a persistent headache. While the traditional souks still bustle with activity, Dayrah's glory days appear firmly in the past - this is a city best suited for the hardened expat trader, not the faint of heart.