Because this is a giddy, intoxicating experience: the world’s most modern and fastest-growing city – the seat of one of the seven United Arab Emirates – changes by the minute, free from the restrictions of an ancient history (it began life as a trading post with a prominent market). You don’t come here for the culture: you come for the child-friendly beaches (it’s a hot bet for winter sun, with the flight-time only just tipping it over into a long-haul destination), the shopping and the myriad opportunities for family holiday fun, whether you want to explore the souks, splash out in a water-park or ride a camel out into the desert. And some of the hotels are so OTT, they’re tourist attractions in their own right.
Dubai is a playground for adults and kids alike. It is, in fact, such an outrageous mixture of things, some of them entirely unexpected – from underwater hotel rooms to a Middle Eastern ski resort via a dedicated gold market – that you can count on a packed and exciting if somewhat surreal holiday that none of your family will ever forget.