Fujairah, the friendly emirate
Some of the seven emirates we quite liked, others less so. I'm happy to finish this series with Fujairah, the friendly emirate.
Abu Dhabi, the affluent emirate
Abu Dhabi holds a whopping 9 % of the world's oil reserves, is the richest city on earth, safe, green, clean and, dare I say it, a wee bit...
Sharjah, the energetic emirate
Between Ajman and Dubai lies Sharjah, the third largest emirate - and perhaps the third best known, as well. Sharjah is also the most conservative emirate: alcohol is completely forbidden, dress codes are strict and no mixing of men and women if unwed. Not even [...]
Ajman, the anonymous emirate
With a quarter of a million people, Ajman wasn't as tiny as I somehow had expected. Also, it seemed much more affluent than I had expected. I suppose that says more about my expectations.
Umm al-Quwain, the unsung emirate
Going south after our failed Musandam venture, our driver (you know, the one who had forgotten his passport) tried to persuade us to go directly from Ras al-Khaimah to Ajman, and give Umm al-Quwain a miss. But in my quest to see every single emirate, [...]
Ras al-Khaimah, the remote emirate
Ras-al-Khaimah and the United Arab Emirates Ras-al-Khaimah is one of the United Arab Emirates. The UAE comprises seven states. Formerly British protectorates, the emirates (then known as the Trucial Sheikhdoms) joined together to form a federation when the UK ended the relationship in 1971. Two [...]
The kindness of strangers
Arab hospitality is legendary. In the Middle East, I have encountered the kindness of strangers more often than anywhere else.
