this is a question matter of inspiration..
here's a list i couldn't have written two years ago:
- general ambience at odd times (v.early in the morning for instance)
- street markets
- dockyards
- any quietness (it does have characters)
- conversations, crowds are never enough
- doors (never enough of those either)
- fancy cars, especially if you can get inside
- offices (they will sound different)
- record downtown
- get out of town and record there. suddenly things multiply by two.
- birds. these are area-specific.
- transport - trains especially.
- any other things you cannot find outside of UAE.
traffic all over everything is just one of your challenges.
go for it. http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=dubai&w=all