Walking among Masdar City’s buildings reminds you how smart design has a massive effect on the sustainability of our built environment.

Clearly desalination is hard at work in Dubai Mall, the largest shopping mall in the world. An ice rink, 30 acre lake, fountain show and waterfall are just the start.

For a taste of what Dubai entirely used to be during your travels here, visiting the city on both sides of the Dubai Creek is a must. Take an abra, a traditional wooden boat.

Even if you have a hard time finding genuine local food in the UAE, you can still score fine regional dishes, thanks to the Lebanese and Persians.

Whether you want to visit the city’s souqs, the bombastic Dubai malls or the city’s various business or style hubs, a ride on the Dubai Metro is a must.

On February 15 at the Al Marooj Rotana in Dubai, I will moderate a panel of sustainability and corporate responsibility leaders at the Sustainable Leaders Forum.

This article, submitted for the United Nations World Environment Day blogging competition, covers how two very different cities with yet intertwined fates, Detroit and Doha, boast citizens building a new green economy.

During our day trip to Musandam, Oman, I caught this sunrise as we drove through Sharjah. The desert haze and lone palm tree sum up this trip to the Middle East: warmth, an uncertain future, sublime beauty and promise.

One of the most beautiful sights in Oman’s Masandam Peninsula is Khor Najd, a 30 minute drive from Khasab.

Whether you watch a camel race in Dubai or watch them practice in the Al Sawan area of Ras al-Khaimah (RAK), robot jockeys decked out in their various colors and garb lead to an even more enjoyable morning at the races.

My latest article on Guardian Sustainable Business once again covers the innovation occurring in South Korea to combat food waste.

Dubai skiing may not have been on your itinerary, but who could resist the urge to bundle up and check out the ice sculptures, ski lift and fluffy snow?