Even its name sounds jewel-like: United Arab Emirates. And yes, the three largest cities glitter: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Al Ain. UAE has everything: the desert, the sea, hills, big cities. You can dive for pearls, find silence in the desert, climb the hills, be deafened by the world's loudest rockers.

The country is made up of seven Emirates (in alphabetical order): Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Quwain.

The largest Emirate (by size and population) and the wealthiest (to many people's surprise), is Abu Dhabi, not Dubai.

The country is a study in contrasts. Abu Dhabi and Dubai are exceedingly modern and even ostentatious in their architecture. Glass and steel buildings tower over the cities. Hotels are palatial. Recreational facilities such as golf courses, circuits for racing cars, sandy beaches are designed to attract tourists from the West or the East.