Pearls of the Gulf: Doha, Muscat & Dubai

The ancient city of Muscat is instantly charming, set between the jagged peaks of the Al Hajar mountains and the cobalt blue Arabian Sea. Modern and cosmopolitan yet filled with rich tradition and history, visitors will delight at the city’s impressive Islamic architecture and incredible buildings like the stunning Royal Opera House and the magnificent Grand Mosque. Whether you want to meander in museums, visit historic palaces, shop for artisan goods in the Mutrah Souq or relax on sandy beaches, Muscat has it all.

Dubai (Arabic: دبي‎‎) is a cosmopolitan metropolis and global city on the Arabian Peninsula. The city is one of the ten most popular tourist destinations in the world. The city is also considered one of the most modern and progressive cities in the Middle East - certainly in the Arab world - and is also sometimes nicknamed as "City of Gold" due to historically being a hub for gold trade as well as the rapid transformation from a desert into a luxurious city.

Dubai is characterized by a vast landscape of desert which transforms into a futuristic style of skyscrapers along the coastline. The city offers both insights to the old merchant and pearl diving history of the Arabs in Deira and Bur Dubai and the new modern skyscraper business and bustling life in Jumeirah and Jebel Ali. Dubai is sometimes mistakenly thought of as a country, however it is an Emirate and is part of the United Arab Emirates. It is the financial centre of the United Arab Emirates.

Dubai is also considered a commercial and cultural hub of the Middle East, it's a global transport hub, and has attracted world attention through many large innovative construction projects and sports events. The city is symbolised by its skyscrapers, including the world's tallest building, Burj Khalifa, in addition to ambitious development projects including man-made islands, world class luxury hotels, and some of the largest and extraordinarily modern shopping malls in the world.