Middle East

Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, nestles handsomely on the waters of the Arabian Gulf. During the relative cool of the winter, I spent an entire day making my way along The Corniche – a showpiece walkway by the water’s edge and Abu Dhabi’s beaches, with the high-rise majesty of the city centre next to you. The blue and white palette is dazzling.

The walkway eventually gives way to the bustling junction with 18th Street, the artery leading to Marina Island. It bristles with boats, has its own impressive shopping mall and a vast UAE flag. As the daylight slowly ebbs, people gather to pass the time. Dusk into darkness brings its own reward as the city twinkles and casts colourful reflections onto the water – a photographic delight.

As this is the final glance at Abu Dhabi, I’d suggest that it’s a better bet than nearby Dubai, which has mopped up all the notoriety having shot up from almost nothing. Well there’s only one way to find out…

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Welcome to my neighbourhood in west London. Uxbridge Road in Shepherd’s Bush is a vibrant thoroughfare lined with shops, always thronging with people and filled with the oxygen of everyday life. It’s a multicultural district embracing people from around the world. A glance at some of the shop fronts reveal that the Middle East has left an impression on the area, with elegant signs in Arabic and colourful displays of produce.

In the midst of this is the stately blue of Bush Hall, a music venue with 19th century roots which sits next to the local mosque. Walk further down the road and find a small group of Somali shops, Polish supermarkets, Syrian restaurants, coffee shops, clothes stores – an entire urban community.

Enjoy this pen portrait of just one absorbing London street.