United Arab Emirates holidays

Dubai Holidays

The portfolio of quality luxury hotels and desert resorts is ever expanding, as are the dining options. With a large expat community and international flavours influencing the cuisine, Dubai now hosts a number of fine dining establishments, including Michelin star and celebrity chef hosted restaurants. Café culture is also something of a lifestyle adaptation in Dubai with a number of great ice cream parlours, cake shops and sheisha bars dotted throughout modern city - not a bad way to spend your luxury holiday.

Modern Dubai is a cosmopolitan society with a wide range of attractions, from watersports, golf and tennis to international sporting events such as horse racing's World Cup. Dubai's legendary tax-free shopping ranges from traditional Arabic souqs to opulent, marble-clad malls, where the choice (and price) of products are unrivalled.

The past hasn't been completely erased by the present, however. Dubai's old heart can still be found in the Bastakia area around the Creek, from where wooden dhows still trade across the Gulf and further afield. And not every modern building is a hotel - the Jumeirah Mosque is a striking example of modern Islamic architecture and well worth a visit.

For that burst of much-needed winter sun, a Dubai holiday isn't easily beaten. Our Middle East team are here to help with every detail of your trip whether it's a high tea in the Burj al Arab, ascending the 163 floors of the Burj Khalifa (Dubai's tallest building to date at 2,717 feet tall) or the best spot to dine whilst watching the famous water fountain show at the Dubai Mall.

Ponder the concept of 'first mover advantage', i.e.: that there is innate benefit in embracing boldness and being first out of the blocks. There are plenty of examples where this proved the correct strategy, but occasionally it can prove a costly mistake. Exhibit A - Dubai. Of all the United Arab Emirates, Dubai was the first to realise that oil was a finite resource and that life after fossil fuel revenue would be pretty bleak unless they diversified. Admittedly, the fact that they had considerably less of the black stuff than neighbours Abu Dhabi might have forced their hand, but in the blink of an eye Dubai morphed from a sleepy fishing town into a major tourist centre, investment property centre and serious transport hub. Then, as we all know, the bubble burst in spectacular fashion in 2008.

And who came riding on a magnificent arab stallion to the rescue? That's right, neighbouring Abu Dhabi, who bailed out their profligate neighbours to the tune of $10 billion, but Abu Dhabi has learnt lessons and plotted its post-petroleum future far more strategically, with far more emphasis on culture. Abu Dhabi is also blessed with a far more interesting natural landscape than its neighbour. Where Dubai has had to build islands, Abu Dhabi has over 200, none built from scratch, nor obviously man-made when viewed from space. In addition, where Dubai has scrubby desert, Abu Dhabi features part of the fabled Empty Quarter, the largest dune sea in the world, where Thesiger experienced the harsh but beautiful simplicity of Bedouin life.

Add a fast growing clutch of seriously luxurious hotels for families and couples alike, some excellent restaurants, and some superb activities from desert camping to visiting those art galleries and museums, and we suspect Abu Dhabi might become a serious player in the holiday stakes in the none too distant future.