Not so long ago this federation of seven sheikhdoms bordering the Arabian Gulf was a scrubland thinly inhabited by nomadic Bedouin, while on the coast the small fishing and pearl-diving encampments were regularly raided by pirates.
But then oil was discovered and the petrodollar gave birth to gleaming new cities, rising like mirages out of the desert dust.
These Cities, particularly Dubai and Abu Dhabi, combine the latest in modern architecture, the most luxurious in hotels and the ultimate in limousines. But these are not sterile places.
The Emirates has seen such expansion in the last twenty years that huge numbers of Egyptians, Yemenis, Indians, Philippinos and Europeans have moved in to help run the enterprise that is the UAE, bringing their own cultures with them.
Worth singling out amongst natural landmarks are the mountains at Al Ain, the desert wadis (dried up rivers), and of course the creek at Dubai, still populated with Arab dhows.
The most remarkable landmark of all is visible from the air: the Emirates Golf Club, a handkerchief of perfect green dropped on the khaki desert, the first championship grass in the Middle East, and a triumph of effort over environment.
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