"Quality is not merely an end. It has become a way of life." H.H General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister.

Dubai is a cosmopolitan city that effortlessly offers all the elements for a memorable and magical holiday - sun, sand, surf, shopping and sightseeing, and then some...

While Dubai is dynamic and truly modern, it has also retained many of the cultural traditions established by its erstwhile nomads, fishermen, pearl divers, desert-dwellers and traders. This means that in a matter of mere hours, you can take in the vast expanses of the Arabian desert or soaring steel towers; shop at age-old souks or at sophisticated shopping malls, participate in international water sports or enjoy a drive through rugged mountain villages.

For many centuries, Dubai has served as a warm and welcoming port for traders from the East and the West: Marco Polo described the city as a bustling commercial centre when he visited Dubai. The bustling metropolis is now the nerve-centre of trade and commerce in the economically vibrant region, and serves as a strategic springboard to the US$ 200 billion Middle East consumer market. The UAE is the third largest economic power in the Arab world, where every one in 67 residents is a millionaire. (Source: Annual Arab Economic Report 2000, Arab Monetary Fund).

Today, Dubai lends full credit to the title, 'The Best of East and West', with its strategic location at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, and serving as the gateway to the Gulf states, the Middle East, the CIS, East Africa and the Asian subcontinent.

London is one of the world's most celebrated cities where you can immerse yourself in culture, theatre and architecture; take in shopping and sightseeing; enjoy gourmet foods or food for thought, and then some...

Capital city and home to the British Royal Family, London is renowned for its rich and diverse spread of historic buildings, museums and galleries, theatres and fine dining, offering you unlimited opportunities for entertainment by day and night - throughout the year.

This vibrant city embraces the diverse cultures of its population, clearly reflected in the food, music, colourful street markets or at one of the city's many festivals.

As a global centre for international business with over 25% of the world's largest companies basing their European headquarters in the city, London recorded a staggering 28 million visitors in the year 2002. The premier city of Europe in terms of size, population and per capita wealth, London is a cosmopolitan mix of the First and Third worlds of the avowed working class and the avant-garde.

While in London, you can truly experience the world.

Wall Street. Times Square. Park Avenue. Fifth and Madison. Central Park. New York is a vibrant metropolis, a powerhouse in the world's finance, advertising and entertainment arenas. The best that life has to offer is here, in the City. Catch a Broadway opening, shop haute couture, strike a deal on the stock market, and stroll through the park on a brilliant day.

New York is home to cultures from all over the world, a heritage richly reflected in the city's cuisine, its diverse neighbourhoods, colourful music and street festivals. Folks with a gleam of stardom in their eye come to New York in hopes of making it big, being 'discovered'. The Big Apple is a city of big dreams and aspirations.

Conveniently situated in the centre of the Boston-Washington corridor, New York is host to more Fortune 500 companies than any other city in the United States. Skyscrapers, apartment blocks and brownstone townhouses offer a delightful mix of architecture that acts as a backdrop for the drama of everyday life in the city.