The first thing that struck me when I arrived in Dubai was how utterly friendly the people were.

Rather than the unsmiling and slightly intimidating officer who usually presides over passport control, we were greeted with a grin and a welcoming chat while being stamped into the UAE’s tourist hub.

I was further amazed that evening when, hailing a taxi to take us to dinner, the driver announced that the traffic was too heavy, a cab would be too pricey and recommended that we head to a restaurant within walking distance.

We were astounded at his honesty but a little disappointed since in the absence of any Emirati food we’d hoped to eat in the only Arabian restaurant listed in our guidebook.

This was the second thing I noticed about Dubai – the strange lack of anything Emirati. Every restaurant offers either Indian or Lebanese cuisine, the streets are lined with British or American stores, and when you look around you start to notice that even the people don’t hail from this part of the world. READ MORE