Barely five years ago, few people outside the region would have thought of taking a holiday in Dubai, and many would have been hard-pressed to tell the difference between Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Dubai, with its vast shopping malls and an indoor ski resort, has been experiencing massive growth since then, and other Gulf destinations are looking for some of this success. Most leading airlines offer direct flights from Europe and elsewhere, and the region has become a popular stopover point or single destination for sun-seekers.