After years of being the only Middle Eastern destination most tourists would think of travelling to, Dubai finally has some competition. Other Gulf states are trying to get a slice of the pie, while more and more airlines are connecting Australia to the region. So if Dubai doesn't do it for you, one of these alternatives might.
Abu Dhabi
Where: United Arab Emirates
The capital of the UAE isn't
Dubai, it's Abu Dhabi and, in the past year or so, huge amounts of money have been spent attracting visitors. Abu Dhabi's state-owned airline
Etihad has expanded aggressively around the world — including to
Australia — and a raft of new attractions have sprung up.
The money has been thrown into various areas, including museums and historical sites, parks and zoos, music and theatre, and there are plenty of resort hotels.
As with Dubai, Abu Dhabi is a major shopping hub. It is also developing a reputation for sand and water sports. There are more than 200 islands spread along the coastline, of which Yas is the main one. It hosts a Formula One circuit, a theme park, several golf courses and even a polo stadium.
Sharjah
Where: United Arab Emirates
Recent stories about crackdowns on behaviour in
Dubai (such as DJs being jailed for cannabis possession and couples threatened with jail for having sex on the beach) have thrown
Dubai's uneasy relationship between tourism and Islamic laws under the spotlight.
Well, Dubai is like Kings Cross compared to neighbouring emirate Sharjah. Alcohol is banned, dress codes are much stricter and unrelated men and women seen together in a public place can theoretically be arrested.
If you're willing to accept that, however, Sharjah is the cultural hub of the UAE. It's full of museums, arts centres and traditional architecture. What's more, it's less than an hour's drive from Dubai.
Beirut
Where: Lebanon
Better known for being bombed and for hostage crises, Beirut is arguably the Middle East's greatest tourist secret. It gets great weather, has a series of beaches for those wanting to soak up the sun, and the city is backed by mountains that become prime skiing territory in winter.
But the main reason to go is the nightlife. That may sound ridiculous, but Beirut's bar and club scene is buzzing. The city has always had a cosmopolitan attitude due to its position as an East-meets-West trading post, and this has been maintained as the city has been rebuilt.
Given the Lebanese capital's increasingly strong profile as a party-loving tourist destination, it's no surprise to see new budget airline Flydubai making Beirut its first destination. A low-cost offshoot of Emirates, the airline launches flights from Dubai on June 1, 2009.
Damascus
Where: Syria
About two and a half hours flying time from Dubai will get you to Damascus, one of the oldest continually populated cities in the world. It appears in several chapters of the Bible, and played host to conquerors from Alexander the Great all the way through to the French during World War Two. These days, you'd be hard pressed to find a more charming place anywhere in the Middle East. The
souqs (markets), boutique hotels and tranquil teahouses of the old town are perfect for hours of strolling, the people (a tolerant mix of Christian and Islamic cultures) are nothing but friendly and the food is out of this world.
Doha
Where: Qatar
Following on from
Emirates and
Etihad,
Qatar Airways will be the third airline to offer flights to Europe via a Middle Eastern hub this summer.
The Qatari Government is throwing plenty of money around in a bid to become a major player on the world stage. It has put in ambitious bids to host the 2016 Olympics and the 2022 FIFA World Cup, while it also hosts major media organisation Al Jazeera.
For the visitor, it doesn't quite have the same number of attractions as Dubai, but there's still plenty to do. Boat trips to some of the nearby islands in the Gulf are popular, while there are a series of old forts to explore around the country.
In Doha itself, it's possible to mix the cultural (Islamic Museum of Art, National Museum) with the commercial (plenty of shopping malls).
Manama
Where: Bahrain
Gulf Air doesn't fly to
Australia yet, but it is a major player in the Middle East, connecting a whole host of cities in Asia and Europe through Bahrain.
Bahrain is largely following the Dubai model, with a selection of expensive beach resorts, alcohol only available in hotels and ridiculously ambitious projects on artificial islands. This is a little odd, as Bahrain is an island nation. It has plenty of beaches as it is, and many of the plushest resorts are plonked alongside them.
The country is only small, so don't expect much inland along the lines of Dubai's desert adventures, but there's enough to keep those interested in history and Arabic culture busy. The island is dotted with mosques, burial grounds, explorable underground water systems and archaeological sites.
Bahrain is also trying to bring people in to see big events, such as the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix.
Muscat
Where: Oman
Muscat has been a new "in" destination for a few years now. It's a place to go for those who prefer atmosphere to gleaming skyscrapers, multimillion-dollar developments and rampant modernity. It's mostly low-rise, and building regulations ensure that everything is made in a traditional Arabic style.
It's a wealthy, clean city, but one that manages to maintain that touch of Eastern exoticism. Think dhows on the waterfront, hookah cafes and all manner of stalls in the Mutrah souk.
The city also has a series of excellent museums, but those more interested in outdoor pursuits should either head into the mountains that circle Muscat or to the sea. Oman is one of the world's best diving destinations and the reefs are largely unspoilt by mass tourism.
All of the major Middle Eastern airlines connect to Muscat through their hub cities.
Have you been to any of these places and can you vouch for them? Or maybe you've been to a different Dubai alternative in the Middle East you can add to the list? Have your say using the comments form below:
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