United Arab Emirates, Asia travel resource.

United Arab Emirates,Asia.

The contrasts between old and new in the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) are not only dramatic-they're often deliberate. The leaders of this oil-rich nation, made up of seven emirates along the Persian Gulf, have launched a major campaign to attract tourists with new hotels and new diversions. But they have also maintained policies to conserve the country's traditional culture. As a result, you can easily maneuver between past and present in the U.A.E.: You can venture into the desert on a camel trek and then indulge in the new sport, sand skiing. Or you can bargain for carpets in a souk and then enjoy a round of golf on a green surrounded by sand.
The U.A.E. is a fascinating mix of Bedouin life and international commerce. For those looking for a complete escape into desert exoticism, the country's major cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai may be disappointing. At first glance, both cities look more like Houston than Tangier. But traces of the old Bedouin and trading cultures remain in the U.A.E., although you may have to search for them.
In Dubai, historic old houses cooled by wind towers are surrounded by squeaky-clean office buildings overlooking Khor Dubai, the broad creek that bisects the city and fades out in the desert to the east. Lining the docks of the creek are dhows (traditional sailboats), whose distinctive curved prows haven't changed in centuries, although they're now more often driven by motors rather than by sails.