United Arab Emirates

Dubai is a city of superlatives — the tallest building, the largest mall, man-made islands visible from space. Beyond the glitz, there's a fascinating mix of old and new: traditional souks alongside futuristic architecture, desert dunes within driving distance of indoor ski slopes. A major global hub with year-round sunshine.

The UAE's capital has the most extraordinary mosque in the world — Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque (white marble, 82 domes, world's largest handmade carpet) is free to non-Muslim visitors. The Louvre Abu Dhabi under Jean Nouvel's Rain of Light dome is a genuine world-class museum. Qasr Al Watan presidential palace opened to visitors in 2019. The Empty Quarter's 200m sand dunes are 2.5 hours south.

The UAE's third emirate and its self-styled cultural capital, sitting just 30 minutes north of Dubai but operating on a different frequency. Sharjah is a UNESCO Creative City home to the Sharjah Art Foundation and the Sharjah Biennial, with a restored Heart of Sharjah heritage quarter, Souq Al Arsah (one of the oldest in the UAE), and the cascading Ottoman-style domes of Al Noor Mosque on the Buhaira corniche. It is also a dry emirate with no alcohol and a more conservative dress code than its glassy neighbour, which is the trade-off for getting Emirati culture, museums, and pearl-diving heritage rather than rooftop pool clubs.