The United Arab Emirates is one of the most comfortable and pleasant places to travel in the Arab world
The contrasts between old and new in the United Arab Emirate are dramatic and are often deliberate. The leaders of this oil-rich nation, made up of seven emirates along the Persian Gulf, have launched a major campaign to attract tourists with new hotels and new diversions. They have also maintained policies to conserve the country’s traditional culture. You can venture into the desert on a camel trek and then indulge in a new sport—sand skiing. Or you can bargain for carpets in a souk and then enjoy a round of golf on greens surrounded by sand.
For those looking for a complete escape into desert exoticism, the country’s major cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai may be disappointing. At first glance, both cities look more like Houston than Tangier, but traces of the old bedouin and trading cultures remain.
In Dubai old, historic houses cooled by wind towers, are surrounded by squeaky-clean office buildings. Lining the docks of the creek that bisects the city are dhows whose distinctive curved prows haven’t changed in centuries, although they’re now more often driven by motors rather than by sails.
The U.A.E. is one of the most comfortable and pleasant places to travel in the Arab world. It’s a popular resort for holiday-seekers from more restrictive countries in the Middle East. The beaches, oases, dunes and a smattering of interesting rock formations aren’t as dramatic as the scenery elsewhere in the region, but the friendliness of the people is a big plus.
