الإمارات
The UAE is where the Gulf tests its ideas first. Dubai builds the spectacle, Abu Dhabi builds the institution and Ras Al Khaimah quietly builds the escape. You can be on a marina at eight and on a mountain ridge by ten.
The Proving Ground
Dubai rewards editing. Skip the list everyone gives you, pick one neighbourhood a day and treat the desert as part of the city rather than a day trip. The best hours are between five and eight, when the heat drops and the light goes copper.
The Long View
The capital spends its money on culture and space. Saadiyat holds the museums and the only stretch of natural beach left in the emirate. Push two hours inland to Liwa and the Empty Quarter starts.
7 in UAE
Short trips that work without taking leave.
Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi/Experiences
A museum on Saadiyat Island built around connections between cultures.
Abu Dhabi/Experiences
The UAE's largest mosque, open to visitors of all faiths outside prayer times.
Abu Dhabi/Experiences
The Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi, open to visitors with an audio guided tour of up to two hours.
Hegra, AlUla/Experiences
A guided visit through Hegra with transport inside the heritage site.
Doha/Experiences
A waterfront museum covering Islamic art across more than 1,400 years.
Muharraq/Experiences
A walking route through Muharraq that follows Bahrain's pearling history.
Doha/Experiences
Jean Nouvel's desert rose museum on the Corniche, telling the story of Qatar and its people.
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Liwa, Abu Dhabi/Hotels
A desert resort near Liwa with rooms, suites and private pool villas.
Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi/Experiences
A museum on Saadiyat Island built around connections between cultures.
Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai/Dining
A contemporary fine dining restaurant with an underwater setting at Atlantis, The Palm.
Jumeirah, Dubai/Hotels
The sail-shaped hotel on its own island off Jumeirah Beach, with a private beach and a restoration by Tristan Auer.
Corniche, Abu Dhabi/Hotels
The palace hotel at the western end of the Abu Dhabi Corniche, with a 1.3 kilometre private beach.
Abu Dhabi/Experiences
The UAE's largest mosque, open to visitors of all faiths outside prayer times.
Abu Dhabi/Experiences
The Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi, open to visitors with an audio guided tour of up to two hours.
Practical notes from our own trips and the mistakes worth avoiding.