"Aleikum Salaam." Greetings to you too, I replied and handed over the road permit to cross over to the United Arab Emirates.

There are many reasons why people prefer a four-hour road journey from Oman to the United Arab Emirates over the 45-minute flight. The spectacular golden desert greets you as you speed at 140 kph down the narrow road past the shrubs, sand, mountains and of course, the occasional camel. All this makes the desert foray worth the effort. And obviously, as financially strapped people like myself would see it, you have more money to spend in Dubai!

"You papers are in order, enjoy your journey," said the guard in broken English as he returned my papers.

"Shukran" (Thank you) I said, proud of having spoken three words in Arabic, and shook his hand. The original Hatta border post was closed, apparently for renovation, and a makeshift border post had been erected some distance away. This border is monitored solely by Omani authorities, something of a surprise to me as neighboring countries would usually have joint patrols at their borders. But there were more surprises to come. As soon as I drove a couple of kilometers from the check-post, my GSM fitted with an Omantel SIM Card stopped working - and rightly so, since I was in U.A.E territory.

Some fifteen minutes later, I came across brown-brick buildings, apparently some kind of school, that had huge Omani flags on them, and my GSM suddenly started receiving Omantel signals. But how could I be back in Oman, I couldn't have made a mistake because there is just this one dead-straight road. Thoroughly confused, I kept driving and indeed after a few minutes I began to see U.A.E flags again and my mobile stopped receiving signals again. Scratching my head, I took a break at a coffee shop. When I explained what had happened, the shop owner smiled and said that it happens to every first time visitor to the U.A.E via the Hatta route. It turns out there is a tiny piece of land called Madha, totally surrounded by U.A.E territory that comes under Omani governance. This area is supposed to have large deposits of lime, and hence is considered valuable by Oman. With my mind at peace, and invigorated by the strong coffee, I began the next leg of my journey, which would lead me to my destination: Dubai.

The stereotypical image of Arab cities that most of us have pushed at us by the media is blown apart in Dubai. If you expect to see women covering their faces in shuttlecock shaped burkhas, accompanied by their men folk clad in long flowing Arabian garments, grand mosques reciting verses from the holy Qur'an, Islamic architecture and signboards in Arabic script, be prepared for a major shock. A huge board placed on a flyover screams in big bold letters, "Welcome to Dubai", and what came next was completely unexpected. Seeing five-lane freeways, clearly marked exits to every location, skyscrapers gleaming in the golden sunlight and people dressed in the most western of attires walking by the side-lanes left me pondering where all the money to buy all this came from. That an Arab Emirate, without large oil reserves, had managed to construct such a stunning and well-planned city was a revelation in itself.

Like most big cities, Dubai comes alive with a frenzy at night. If there ever was a city with a singular theme, one idea that catapults it to a dizzy economic acme, then this is it. 'Shopping' is the one word that can best describe Dubai. And like 5 million other tourists, I decided to indulge myself in a little shopping. The Wafi shopping complex, an Egyptian-theme hypermarket was my first halt. Complete with large pyramids, statues of pharaohs and hieroglyphic inscriptions, the place has an ancient Egyptian aura to it. As I entered the plaza, I began to feel just like little Alice in Wonderland. The ultra-smooth polished flooring, grand lighting, and exquisite glass paintings all make it a remarkable place to shop. No wonder every designer worth his name wants a piece of the cake. Pierre Cardin, Bendini, Gucci, Prada. Yes, they are all there. Welcome to the largest assortment of brands anywhere in the world, all under one roof. If you are married, well, don't say I didn't warn you, the temptations are just too much for most women to resist, and they all slowly, but finally succumb.

The essence of Dubai, I believe, is that everything these people do, anything they invest their money on, is always novel, and that is what ultimately pays off. Mercato, another shopping complex, lends a new dimension to sh opping. The whole plaza is based on an ethnic Italian theme. What amazed me the most was the importance given to minute details. A gigantic wall painting on the first floor of the picturesque Italian city of Venice has a real life charm to it and is a vantage photographic point.

There is something in Dubai for everybody. For the richer ones among us, the Al Wafi Plaze is a good place to blow some hard dough. But for those who feel the pinch, do not fret, the City Center plaza has some good quality boutiques where the prices are a bit more digestible. Or if you just want to revel in the glory o f it all, you can indulge in my favorite pastime - window-shopping. Hardcore bargainers can find solace in the Gold Souq, a mystical array of shops all selling nothing but gold. Indeed, perhaps the only place in the world where you would find so much of gold in one place.

After nearly maxing out my credit limits, I went to look at the building everyone is talking about. In fact this structure is now so popular that it appears on all vehicle number plates, just as the Statue of Liberty appears on New York places. The building is. of course, the mammoth and indomitable Al-Burj Hotel. This construction marvel is shaped like a sailboat and at night when the lights are all turned on and glowing, it looks like something out of a fairytale book. The hotel has every imaginable facility including a helipad and is usually the favorite haunt of visiting heads of states. The hotel authorities obviously understand that not everyone can afford a stay at this magnificent place, so they so kindly decided to give us all a peek at all the fun we're missing by taking people on tours inside the hotel for 200 Dirhams (US$ 40). Even though you may come out feeling you are missing something in your life, I strongly recommend the tour.

You may decide to hire a cab to get easily from one shopping plaza to the other, and Dubai cabbies are good-natured folk who are always smartly dressed up in ties. It's very easy to strike a conversation with these people, and when you do, you get a deeper insight into what goes on in the city. One cabby told me how he felt a sense of resentment at seeing more expatriates than locals living in Dubai, but at the same time felt pride in his city growing into an icon, a role model for the rest of the world to follow. In fact over 70 percent of the population is expatriate. But then, that is what makes Dubai a city like no other, a true global village. Another cabby proudly proclaimed that free trade is the best trade. How true! This is a city with the bare minimum of trade restrictions, and that is, in many respects, the secret of Dubai's success.

As I set off on my journey home, I couldn't help but feel that this city with the largest tourist population in the world, is an apt symbolization of modern day Arab attitudes. For those who feel that some Arab states have thrived on the 'unearned wealth' of oil, Dubai is instructive – its success story is an indication that Arab thinking goes far beyond the black gold. As I was driving towards the Hatta border, a life-size picture of Sheik Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, caught my eye. He was dressed in traditional Arab attire, and he had a wide grin on his face. And that's when it struck me - I realized that the rulers of Dubai are geniuses, its all a plot, a brilliant plot. Everything here, the splendid highways, skyscrapers, lovely hotels - everything - is put in place to serve one ulterior motive. And that is to make you take out your credit card and shop like you never have shopped before. It's always 'Do Buy when you are in Dubai'.