Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
management process. In some ways, the emerging countries of the Peninsula are just that:
a project in progress in which, over the past half century, a strong leader with a clear vis-
ion and an unquestioned mandate to govern has been behind the countries' phenomenal
growth and modernisation. In an article in the
Financial Times
in 2011, distinguished
journalist Robert Kaplan describes how the legitimacy of Arabian dictatorship is built on a
social contract that allows for autocratic decisions to be made in the public good for the
advancement of society - a legitimacy 'built on royal tradition' that aligns with the histor-
ical experience of the countries concerned.
Unesco World Heritage Sites
Qala'at al-Bahrain
(Bahrain) Dilmun heritage and coastal fort.
Bahla Fort
(Oman) Newly completed restoration project ongoing for two decades.
Land of Frankincense
(Oman) Dhofar's ancient trading ports and caravan routes connected with the precious
sap.
Bat and Al-Ayn
(Oman) Pre-Islamic burial sites.
Aflaj
(Oman) Ancient irrigation system.
Madain Saleh
(Saudi Arabia) Nabataean outpost in the middle of a sandstone desert.
Dir'aiyah
(Saudi Arabia) Ancient ruins on the outskirts of Riyadh.
Al-Ain
(UAE) Cultural sites associated with the famous oasis.
Shibam
(Yemen) Old walled city.
Zabid
(Yemen) Ancient walled city.
Socotra
(Yemen) Home to endemic species.
Best to Avoid
Left hand
Use the right hand when eating with locals, shaking hands and passing gifts.
Feet
Tuck the offending soles under you when sitting on the floor.
Shoes
Remove them before entering a mosque or someone's home.
Too much flesh
Cover shoulders and knees in all public places.
It has not gone without comment in the media of the region that the only multiparty
democracy in the region, Yemen, is the least developed in terms of infrastructure, educa-
tion and health care. Many local commentators predict that its descent into virtual civil
war will be hard to resolve without unconditional leadership acceptable to all tribal fac-
tions.
Attitudes towards democracy partially inform the region's relationship with the West.
For strict Muslims, as conversations with local
mutuwa
(religious police) reveal, demo-
