We drove around a 150 km arc of villages and farms for two days. The Liwa Oasis hugs the edge of the Rub Al Khali (Empty Quarter) desert – an endless landscape of undulating dunes shimmering in shades of gold, apricot, and pink. We stopped next to a few fortresses scattered throughout the...
We stopped for two hours to visit a pyramid-shaped structure that rises from the desert sands some 45km south of Abu Dhabi on the lonely highway that leads to the Liwa Oasis. It holds the private car collection (🎟️ 56,85 AED) of HH Sheikh Hamad bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, known as...
We spent half a day in Louvre Abu Dhabi (🎟️ 55 AED), designed by Pritzker Prize–winning architect Jean Nouvel. Gallery buildings are all grouped around a central plaza that juts straight out into the sea and is shaded by the museum’s elaborate 7500-ton filigree dome, which seems to...
We had a few rainy days in proudly modern and cosmopolitan Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s forward-thinking cultural heart, where nothing stands still. The city occupies most of a small triangular island of the same name, just off the Persian Gulf coast and connected to the mainland by a short...
We had a lovely day in the more conservative emirate of Sharjah (no alcohol available). Sharjah takes a more subtle approach, forgoing glitz to concentrate on culture and history. It is home to some of the country’s best museums and art galleries: the restored Sharjah Heritage Area...
We made it to the smallest of the seven emirates. Most people come here for a beach break. But we parked next to the excellent museum in the fort from the late 18th century. The fort served as the ruler’s residence until 1970 and also saw a stint as the police station. Now, its...
We drove through this tiny emirate of Umm Al Quwain, wrapped around an island-dotted lagoon, for a few hours with a stop in the museum (🎟️5 AED). It is, in many ways, the “anti-Dubai”. Its retro feel – without a flashy international resort or mega-mall to call its own – stands...
Just a few kilometers away from our service point and truck storage garage lies the abandoned village of Al Hamra. With roots in the 16th century, it is one of the UAE’s oldest and best-preserved coastal villages. Its people mainly subsisted on fishing and pearling until they picked...
Surrounded by the fierce Hajar Mountains, Ras Al Khaimah (or simply ‘RAK’) is the UAE’s northernmost emirate. We were around for some time doing our service of the truck. At the end of our stay, we finally made time to visit the town and take photos. We stopped next to...
It is believed that Al-Hofuf and the whole region of Al-Ahsa were part of the ancient land of Dilmun that is referred to in Mesopotamian texts. Also, there is speculation about Al-Hofuf being the ancient city-state of Gerrha, as the Greek geographer Strabo mentioned. The recent history is...