Forty years ago it was mostly desert, now there's an indoor ski slope and a man-made archipelago shaped like a palm tree.
Fun fact: Roughly 90% of the UAE's population are foreign nationals, one of the highest ratios on Earth.
Half the country's trying to sell you a rug and honestly, you'll probably end up buying one.
Fun fact: The University of al-Qarawiyyin in Fez, founded in 859 AD, is the world's oldest existing university.