With numerous Middle Eastern airlines now flying to South East Asia from a host of departure points in the UK, the main cities of the Persian Gulf offer the wonderful option of break the journey. From the towering glass skyscrapers and modern hotels of the ever growing Dubai to the picturesque beaches and mountains of Oman, the Middle East has a never ending variety of surprises and hidden treasures.

Originally a sleepy backwater relying on fishing, pearls and the spice trade, the regions fortunes took a dramatic turn with the discovery of oil in Abu Dhabi in the late 1950’s. The regions wealth started to grow rapidly and with a surge in oil prices in the 70’s a major building boom began in the Gulf.

With the realisation that the oil would not last forever, (some say as little as 30 years before the wells run dry) came the prospect of this enormous wealth disappearing as quickly as it had come. The decision was made to make the most of the Gulf’s other great attributes, sun, sea and sand, and to create some of the greatest holiday destinations in the world.