United Arab Emirates
For most people, the United Arab Emirates means just one place: Dubai, the sci-fi-esque city of iconic skyscrapers, palm-shaped islands, city-sized malls, indoor ski slopes, and palatial beach resorts. But beyond the glitter awaits a diverse mosaic of six more emirates, each with its own character and allure.
Oil-rich Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s capital, is positioning itself as a culture and leisure hub. Beyond looms the vast Al Dhafra region, home to the northern reaches of the Rub Al Khali (Empty Quarter) desert’s rippling dunes. Its magical silence is interrupted only by the whisper of shifting sands rolling towards Saudi Arabia.
North of Dubai, Sharjah is the UAE’s art and heritage centre while Ras Al Khaimah is all about the beach – with a dash of adventure-activities thrown in. Head east into the jagged embrace of the Hajar Mountains to experience a side of the UAE far removed from Dubai’s gloss.
Know Before You Go
Read the basic info and also some facts about United Arab Emirates! Here you will find everything you should know.
Top Highlights in United Arab Emirates
Dubai
Dubai is a stirring alchemy of profound traditions and ambitious futuristic vision wrapped into starkly evocative desert splendour.
Abu Dhabi
Proudly modern and cosmopolitan, Abu Dhabi is the UAE’s forward-thinking cultural heart where nothing stands still – except perhaps the herons in its mangroves.
Jebel Jais
The highest peak in the UAE at 1934m, Jebel Jais is even occasionally dusted with snow. A switchback road snakes up the mountainside delivering vistas of barren, eroded cliffs, deep canyons, and warped escarpments around every bend. There are pullouts for photograph-stops along the way, but for the ultimate panoramic mountain views, you’ll want to head up to the Viewing Deck Park near the summit. For a more up-close-and-personal mountain experience, Jebel Jais has a zip line that goes thorugh ferrata.
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