United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates, a federation of seven emirates on the Persian Gulf, is a country of striking contrasts, where vast deserts and a traditional Bedouin and seafaring heritage meet some of the most futuristic cities on Earth. Dubai, with the world's tallest building (the Burj Khalifa) and its audacious modern architecture, and the cultural capital Abu Dhabi sit amid a landscape of rolling sand dunes, oasis towns, the rugged Hajar Mountains in the east, and a long Gulf coastline.

While famous for ultramodern skylines, luxury, and shopping, the UAE also offers desert adventure, mountain wadis, mangrove kayaking, diving in the Gulf, and the date-palm oases and forts that recall its pre-oil past, making it a blend of cutting-edge spectacle and desert tradition.

Take a desert safari among the dunes (with dune-bashing, camel rides, and camps), ascend the Burj Khalifa, kayak the mangroves of Abu Dhabi, hike and canyon in the Hajar Mountains around Ras Al Khaimah, dive and relax on Gulf beaches, and explore oasis towns and forts.

The cooler months (November–March) are by far the best time, with warm, pleasant days ideal for the desert, mountains, and coast; summer (June–September) is extremely hot and humid, best spent in air-conditioned attractions or the cooler mountains.

Despite its aridity, the UAE supports desert wildlife like the reintroduced Arabian oryx, gazelles, and falcons (central to its heritage), along with marine life, dugongs, and sea turtles in the Gulf, and flamingos in coastal wetlands and reserves.

The UAE is largely flat desert — part of the great Arabian Desert, including the dunes leading into the vast Empty Quarter — fringed by the Persian Gulf coast with its islands and mangroves, and rising to the rugged Hajar Mountains in the east near the Gulf of Oman.

Long home to Bedouin tribes, pearl divers, and traders along the Gulf, the seven emirates united into a single federation in 1971 after the British withdrawal. The discovery of oil transformed the UAE within a generation into one of the world's wealthiest and most modern nations.

Emirati culture blends Bedouin desert traditions — falconry, camel racing, hospitality, and date cultivation — with Islamic heritage and a cosmopolitan, ultramodern present, reflected in grand mosques, heritage villages, and world-class modern architecture and events.

Visit in the cooler months, and balance the futuristic cities with desert safaris and the Hajar Mountains. Dress modestly outside resorts and beaches, respect local customs and Ramadan, and book a desert camp for the dunes, stars, and traditional experiences.