Middle East Holidays (Qasr al Sarab)
Editor's Choice
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi is a city morphing into a global destination competing with some of the elite centres of culture and tourism to become a modern city state, inviting the world to sit up and take notice. Yes, Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, is slowly shrugging off its capital city shackles and becoming a real destination that prides itself on being truly Arabian for a modern era. One need only…
Dubai
Does Dubai need an introduction? Yes – but only if you had been living on Mars for the last 10 years. Dubai has managed to grab all the headlines in every newspaper and current affairs programme all over the world. It has had an unrivalled infrastructure programme, a tourism boom, rejuvenation of region – but it has also had the bad press, especially when Dubai defaulted on its debt and had t…
Fujairah
Fujairah is one of the seven Emirates which make up the UAE and is exceptional in the sense that it is the only one which lies on the coast of Gulf of Oman unlike the other six which flank the Arabian Gulf. Having gained independence from Sharjah in 1952, over the years the region has emerged as…
Sharjah
The city of Sharjah is the third largest city in the United Arab Emirates and is unique for its being one of the more traditional Emirates. Having been under the reign of the Al Qasimi dynasty since…
Al Ain
The garden city of Al Ain is one of the three cities which form the geographical triangle in the centre of the United Arab Emirates, the other two being Abu Dhabi and Dubai. As each of the three cities is located at a distance of 130 kilometres from the other two, it is an equilateral triangle w…
Al Gharbia
Spread over an area of 60,000 square kilometres, the Al Gharbia region in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi accounts for more than 70% of the total land mass of UAE in which are located its seven main cities. Although politically belonging to the UAE, this region is in close proximity with the borders of…
Desert Islands Abu Dhabi
The desert islands of Abu Dhabi, known as Jozor Al Sahra’a in Arabic, are an archipelago of eight islands which were envisioned by Sheikh Zayed, the founding father of UAE and were converted into reality thanks to his efforts. Comprising of Sir Bani Yas Island, Dalma Island and six discovery isl…
Khor Fakkan
Khor Fakkan, meaning “creek of two jaws”, gets its name from the bay in Gulf of Oman on which it is located. Occupying a small portion of the east coast of the UAE, this city officially belongs to the Emirate of Sharjah although on three sides it is surrounded by the Emirate of Fujairah, the fou…
Muscat
The official capital city of Oman, Muscat, is in fact a combination of three small towns namely Muscat, Matrah and Ruwi because of which it is the largest in the Sultanate. Lying alongside the coast of Gulf of Oman, this city is a part of a long conglomerate of numerous cities and towns which st…
Jeddah
Jeddah, the second largest city and the commercial centre of Saudi Arabia, is located on the shores of Red Sea, being the largest port of its kind. Due to its commercialism, the city is cosmopolitan in nature and offers one of the best climates for investment in the country. Most of the gover…
Western Hajar
Western Hajar is home to some of the most beautiful mountain ranges. In Oman towards the northeast and in the United Arab Emirates in the eastern region lay the Western Hajar Mountains. If you love to observe the activities and actions of nature then visiting these mountains is a must. There ar…
Liwa
Liwa is a large oasis area in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and is located to the north of the Rub’ al Khali desert. It stretches like an arch to the north and comprises of approximately 50 villages with Muzayri serving as the main geographic and economic centre. Being the southern most settlements of A…
Doha
Doha, meaning ‘the big tree’ or ‘the sticky tree’, is located on the Arabian Gulf and is the capital city of Qatar. Apart from being the political and commercial hub of the country, it has carved a distinct niche for itself in the games arena as well by hosting the Asian Games in 2006 and prepari…
Recent Articles
Qatar
Qatar is an Arabic word which is believed to have been derived from ‘Qatara’, the name of the Qatari trading port and region named Zubara during the ancient days. Popularly referred to as the State of Qatar by other countries in the world and locally as Dawlat Qatar, it is an Arab country in Mid…
Kalba Mangroves
The Kalba Mangroves are located along the Oman coast. They can be seen about 12 kilometres southeast of the mangrove forest called Khor Kalba. Right next to the Kalba Mangroves is the Gulf of Oman with its depths of water just waiting to be explored. The Kalba Mangroves are trees which are old…
Kuwait
Kuwait is a West Asian sovereign Arab nation bordered by Iraq in the north, Saudi Arabia in the south and the Arabian Gulf in the northwest. The work ‘Kuwait’ has its origins in the Arabic word ‘akwat’, which on translation refers to a fortress built near water and its capital city also bears t…
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the Middle East Asian region, is in possession of the world’s largest oil reserves and is the largest exporter of oil in the world. Bordered by Jordan in the north, Iraq in the north-east, Kuwait, Qatar and UAE in the east, Oman in the south…
Bahrain
The Kingdom of Bahrain is an archipelago of thirty-three islands lying off the western shores of the Arabian Gulf and because of its oasis-like nature, the largest island is often referred to as ‘The Pearl of the Gulf’. Exceptional in many aspects as compared to its neighbours, it is the smallest…
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen in Asia occupies the south-west corner of the Arabian Peninsula with Oman on its east, Saudi Arabia on its north, Red Sea to its west and Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden to its south. Its capital city, Sana’a, is the largest city and apart from the mainland, this country is also…
Oman
Occupying the south-eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, the Sultanate of Oman, which is its official name lies between the Arabian Sea on one side and the Gulf of Oman on the other. Being surrounded by Saudi Arabia, Yemen and the United Arab Emirates, Oman is probably one of the hidden ge…
Musandam
The isolated enclave of Musandam is the northern most region of Oman and could be described as the extension of the eastern coastline of UAE. Being the smallest area with an expanse of just a little over 3000 square kilometres, it juts out into the Strait of Hormuz like a rocky headland and henc…
Masafi
Masafi in the United Arab Emirates is located at the edge of the Hajar Mountains which also happens to be the cross-point of three roads leading to the important settlements of Dibba, Dhaid and Fujairah. A small village which started out as a fuelling stop for people driving to and fro between R…
Dibba
The coastal strip of Dibba occupying the north eastern stretch of Gulf of Oman is politically split into three parts namely Dibba Al-Fujairah, Dibba Al-Hisn and Dibba Al-Baya. While the first two regions are governed by the Emirates of Fujairah and Sharjah, UAE, respectively, the third region co…
Delma Island
In the extreme west of the UAE at a distance of 30 kilometres offshore lies the volcanic Delma Island which is home to approximately 6000 people and has been inhabited for thousands of years. Although the island measures 10 kilometres from north to south and 5 kilometres from east to west, it ha…
Buraimi
The oasis town of Buraimi in Oman shares a border with its counterpart Al Ain in the UAE as both belong to the desert oasis complex which is supported by a number of water wells in the area. Although Oman as a country is not as prosperous as UAE, the difference is hardly visible in case of Burai…
Bani Yas Island
Located 250 kilometres southwest of Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas is the largest natural island which serves as home to the largest wildlife reserve in Arabia. Established in 1971 by the late ruler and founder of UAE, this ecological investment spans out over an area of 87 square kilometres measuring …
Ajman
Ajman, meaning small city in Arabic, is the smallest of the seven emirates and while its west flank touches the Arabian Gulf, the rest of the Emirate is engulfed by Sharjah. Ajman is a city that benefited from the influx of people from the bigger cities of Dubai and Sharjah and thus embarked on…
Umm al Quwain
Umm al Quwain is the second smallest of the seven Emirates and probably one of the most chilled out of them all. We’re not saying that this place is hippyland, but it’s quite easy to soak in the atmosphere and greenery and not really feel too rushed to do anything at all. Despite UAQ having som…
Ras Al Khaimah
Ras Al Khaimah, meaning the ‘Top of the Tent’, is located in the northern region of UAE and lies sandwiched between the Arabian Gulf and the Hajar Mountains. Featuring a capital city of the same name, its coastline stretches for 27 miles and is inclusive of numerous lagoons and beaches while t…