A city in perpetual forward motion, Abu Dhabi greets visitors with gleaming skyscrapers and opulent Islamic architecture. There is much to see here, from the recently opened Louvre Abu Dhabi to the gigantic Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, with its white marble splendor. Beach life and turquoise waters can be found on Saadiyat Island, Al Bateen and Corniche Beach.

Dubai is a grandiose, extraordinarily modern metropolis in the United Arab Emirates. Visitors will marvel at the dramatic skyline, the musical Dubai Fountain and the manmade archipelago right offshore that features a major resort.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a union of seven sovereign sheikhdoms, formed when the British withdrew from the Gulf in 1971. Travel agents are beginning to promote it as that much hyped 'land of contrasts'.