Abdullah Hamaid Al Rumaithi Mosque
Abu Dhabi
Squeezed between looming towers, this mosque is one of two that bookend a plaza hidden off the main roads. Keen photographers should come here at sunset…
Must-see attractions in Arabian Peninsula
Doha
This modern gallery space hosts some terrific temporary exhibitions – previous artists to show their work here include Damien Hirst and Takashi Murakami…
Downtown Dubai
Since 2008 this contemporary gallery has built up its reputation as a go-to space for experimental and cutting-edge art from the region, South Asia and…
Al Bahhar Entertainment Historical Village
Kuwait City
With traditional wind-tower architecture, this beachside area of craft workshops and souvenir shops is a nice place to stroll in the evening. There are…
Eastern Province
South of Al Khobar, this area boasts high-end resorts and spas perfect for an indulgent day out. The public areas are not well maintained, but if you’re…
Oman
With Nakhal and Rustaq, Al Hazm is one of the three great Batinah Plain forts and like them, it protects a large plantation. Currently closed for a…
Hajar Mountains
Neighbouring Ibri Castle, the shops in Ibri's old souq include a small gold market, a covered alleyway or two, and a livestock souq that come to life on…
Dubai Marina & Palm Jumeirah
A lovely park for families with a 3.2km jogging track, playgrounds, an adult exercise zone and plenty of grassy areas for picnics or relaxing. There is…
Riyadh
Until the year 2000, when the Al Faisaliah Tower was built, this was Riyadh's tallest landmark. It remains prominent today, and you can climb to the top…
Kuwait City
This attractive traditional-style building hosts a number of exhibitions of contemporary Arab and international art throughout the year. Esteemed Kuwaiti…
United Arab Emirates
Ajman's dhow-building yard is one of the few left in the region, making both traditional wooden dhows and modern fibreglass versions. In the cooler months…
Downtown Dubai
Escape the heat and bustle by stepping into this cool Japanese art space with changing exhibitions that range from exquisite silk kimonos to photography…
Downtown Dubai
Lawrie Shabibi has energised the local art scene since 2011 by promoting the works of innovative contemporary talent from the Middle East and North Africa…
Abu Dhabi
Spread over three distinct areas, Al Nahyan Park, Family Park and Urban Park, Al Markaziyah Gardens forms a broad band of recreational lawns parallel to…
Northern Coast
This unique triangular watchtower, built in the 19th century and overlooking the corniche, is accessed by a causeway at low tide. The sandy beach to the…
Oman
Befitting a town of its size, Rustaq has a fine gateway similar to those in Nizwa, Bahla and Sumail. Wedged between a cut in the mountains, this landmark…
Abu Dhabi
One of many popular, shady parks in Abu Dhabi, this park offers a respite from the heat of the Corniche in summer. There's a jogging track (20-minute…
Al Wusta
Just off the coast of Duqm, a large column appears to rise vertically out of the sea. This geological formation, Nafun Island, is what's known as a…
Abu Dhabi
This park in the heart of downtown offers two multipurpose playgrounds, a mini climbing wall and basketball and football areas; and there's an erupting…
Oman
This fort is crumbling back to the soil from which it was built, but it still makes an impressive sight on the edge of the dunes. It's closed to the…
Bahrain
It can be a bit hit or miss as to whether you see any action here, but it's worth pulling over to admire the half-built wooden dhows (traditional cargo…
Eastern Province
Jam-packed with families, joggers, cyclists and locals hoping to catch fish, the Gulf-side Al Khobar Corniche makes for a pleasant evening of people…
Manama
Tucked away in a quiet southwest corner of Adliya, this longstanding gallery exhibits the oils and watercolours of its owner, Wahab Al Koheji, who…
Nizwa
This grand double-arched gateway straddles Hwy 21, along the original Muscat–Nizwa road. The watchtowers that form the uprights of the gateway seem aged,…
Al Ula Antiquities & Heritage Museum
Al Ula
This small museum is attractively designed, with some intriguing and informative displays on the history, culture, flora and fauna of the area, as well as…
Dhofar
Recently restored, this old crenellated castle is set square to the sea as if designed to repel invaders. It's closed to the public but makes a photogenic…
Marina Breakwater
This observation big wheel sits rather incongruously in the Marina Mall car park but with its capsules reaching up to 60m at its highest point, it's a…
Abu Dhabi
In common with all mosques in the city, this beautiful mosque stands in nonalignment with the grid system, honouring the direction of Mecca instead. It is…
Riyadh
This unusual green and white clock tower in the shape of an Egyptian needle sits at the western end of Al Thumairi St in the old Riyadh neighbourhood of…
Doha
Previously used as both a prison and as an ethnographic museum, this fort was built during the 19th-century Turkish occupation but lost many of its…
Doha
The grand white building of Qatar's national parliament marks the official workplace of the Emir of the State of Qatar, and is recognisable by the Qatari…
Muscat
Straddling the road between the Corniche and the old walled city, this museum, with the original gates used until the 1970s to keep land-bound marauders…
Muscat
The restored Portuguese watchtower on a promontory out to sea, halfway along Mutrah Corniche, affords a view of the ocean and the grand sweep of Mutrah's…
Muscat
Kalbuh Bay Park juts into a sea that's boiling with sardines. Located at the end of the Corniche, it makes a good pausing place on a hike between Mutrah…
Muscat
This modern clock tower, opposite Muscat's Chamber of Commerce, has become one of the landmarks of Ruwi. It presides over a pleasant park that attracts…
Muscat
Set inside the attractively landscaped Qurm Park, this funfair (with Ferris wheel and an ever-growing number of rides) is a local favourite. Restaurants,…
Downtown Dubai
Compared to its cloud-touching cousins, the 149m-high World Trade Centre seems small today, but when completed in 1979 was actually Dubai's first…
Muscat
Protecting a rare stretch of mangrove, this reserve is closed to visitors. That said, it's possible to sit in adjacent coffee shops and do some…
Doha
Pop over here from the Corniche for a photo op with a grazing camel. The animals are in their pen here most of the day and into the early evening.
Abu Dhabi
Shaped like two parallel sand dunes – smooth and curvaceous on the windward side, steep and rippled on the eroded side – this award-winning building by…
