The Civilised Desert
By Jill Innamorati-Varley

For many of us, the words ‘Middle East’ spell trouble. However, before you consign Dubai to one of ‘the world’s most dangerous places’, allow me to clear up some misconceptions, because this second largest of the seven United Arab Emirates, is a particularly vibrant and exciting holiday destination.

To begin with, the UAE is not part of Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan or any other war-torn nation but one of the Arab world’s most liberal and untroubled countries. Located 1,000 miles from Kabul, it was created into a single nation in 1971 and was once part of the Truical States, a maritime truce agreement signed with Britain in 1820.
The UAE’s tolerant attitude is most apparent in Dubai where alcohol is freely available in hotel restaurants and bars, foreign women can walk alone without fear of harassment and crime is almost non-existent. I certainly had no qualms about walking at night along the Dubai Creek, which is probably more than you could say of New York or even Sydney. In Dubai, religious Moslem women covered in traditional black abbayas share the pavements and shopping malls with their mini-skirted counterparts sporting Max Mara suits and foreigners in T-shirts and shorts. Don’t be surprised if you see jeans revealed under the folds an abbaya or the elaborate gold and silver embroidery of a traditional kandoura, for all manner of clothing is worn underneath. “It really is quite different,” a friend enthused prior to my going there.

The difference turned out to be intangible. Something to do with the engaging Arabian hospitality; the welcoming aromatic coffee poured from elegant brass pots into tiny cups and accompanied by a date, the heady fragrance of spices and rose water that seems to infuse everything and everyone, and the feeling of theatre that accompanies a Sheikh or dignitary when they enter a room. You will find that Sheikhs are quite visible, although not every man who wears the Arab national dress of a white ankle-length shirt, dishdasha and veil, and gutra kept in place by the igal, is a sheikh. However, it’s quite possible to spot one sweeping through the lobby of your hotel accompanied by an entourage of flashing cloaks, flowing dishdashas and gun-toting bodyguards. You’ll swear you’re in the middle of a Hollywood movie! Hollywood-like it may be, but this is no Bali or Thailand. Don’t expect to find poverty or too much in the way of cheap imitation goods because Dubai has the distinct smack of wealth. It is also a duty free port with modern shopping malls and traditional souks (markets) offering fabulous bargains.

Going to the souks at night is a real experience, and it’s safe. You won’t have to worry about your wallet nor have people running after you urging you to buy. Head for the gold souks with their glittering show windows, where some of the world’s cheapest gold is sold by weight. In fact, the Lonely Planet guide to the Middle East says: “Even veterans of Middle Eastern gold markets are likely to be blown away by the scale of Dubai’s gold souks.” There are few buildings in Dubai more than 35 years old, although traces of Dubai’s ancient heritage can be found in Bastakiya in the Bur Dubai area of the city. Once an extensive enclave of square courtyard houses, these old mud-walled buildings topped by graceful wind towers, are an early form of air-conditioning brought to Dubai by the Iranians. On the other hand there are few buildings in the world more spectacular than the Burj Al Arab, a spinnaker-shaped hotel, which presides majestically over the Jumeriah Beach Resort and the coastline of Dubai. Be warned though, serious money is needed if you intend staying in one of its 202 suites, all of penthouse proportions.

The best time to visit Dubai is in their winter, although if you are looking for a bargain, summer is when hotels slash their rates by up to 50 percent. Summer’s extreme temperatures mean that only “mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun” and wise Dubians leave the country for more temperate climes. Internally, tourism is both innovative and professional, like the amazing desert safaris that culminate in a colourful Bedouin feast. You eat while stretched out on Persian carpets and are entertained by belly dancing, henna painters, camel riding, traditional singing, falconry and the smoking of hubbly bubbly pipes. Thrill seekers will get a kick out of four wheel dune driving, a roller-coaster ride that challenges both the driver and the passenger’s stomachs. There are a variety of other tailor-made tours to the desert or through wadis (dry river beds) to the cooler reaches of the starkly beautiful Hajar Mountains.

Excursions include trips to neighbouring emirates and might cover the camel market at Al Ain, the dhow-building yard in Ajman or the bloodless bull fighting in Fujairah, on the UAE’s Indian Ocean. Should you have a yen to camp, operators like Arabian Adventures can organise an overnight desert safari with a camp set up amongst the vast dunes but be warned, this is not for the faint hearted. There are no showers or fancy amenities and as far as toilets are concerned, it’s spade in hand and off into the desert! However, the tranquillity of the night, the delight of lying out under a vast canopy of the stars and then waking to find the smooth contours of the sand a mass of tiny insect and animal tracks, is an indelible experience. And, that just about sums it all up – indelible. Be assured, Dubai and the UAE will change the way you think about the Middle East. So leave your preconceived ideas behind and be rewarded by some quite unforgettable experiences.