Traveling to United Arab Emirates
Three weeks in the UAE during peak summer was an exercise in extremes. The heat was intense, but so was the ambition on display - from the world's tallest building to artificial islands to indoor ski slopes in the desert.
The UAE has 10 million people spread across seven emirates, though Dubai and Abu Dhabi dominate. The country didn't exist as a unified nation until 1971, and oil wealth has transformed it from a fishing and pearling economy into a global hub for commerce, tourism, and excess. Fun fact: the UAE has the world's third-largest proven oil reserves, but Dubai itself has very little oil and relies on tourism and business instead.
What I Experienced
Dubai is overwhelming by design. The Burj Khalifa at 828 meters is genuinely awe-inspiring - you can see the curvature of the Earth from the observation deck. The Dubai Mall, the Palm Jumeirah, the indoor ski slope - everything here is superlative. Whether that's impressive or gaudy depends on your perspective.
Abu Dhabi felt more grounded. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is genuinely stunning - one of the world's largest mosques, with white marble, gold, and crystal creating an atmosphere of serene grandeur. The Louvre Abu Dhabi, with its dome of perforated metal creating "rain of light," is an architectural triumph.
The summer heat was brutal - regularly 45°C+ with humidity. Life moves from air-conditioned space to air-conditioned space. I understood why this isn't peak tourist season, but hotel prices were correspondingly lower.
Practical Notes
- UAE Dirham is the currency (pegged to USD)
- Rent a car for flexibility between emirates
- Alcohol is available in licensed hotels and bars
- Dress modestly outside hotel/resort areas
- Summer (June-September) is extremely hot but offers deals
The UAE is fascinating as a study in what unlimited money and ambition can create. Three weeks was enough to appreciate both the spectacle and the contradictions.
Aerial photography from the UAE is available for purchase with commercial license - ideal for Gulf travel marketing, futuristic architecture content, or desert cityscape wall art.