That feeling of spaceMany people come to Dubai because it offers the chance to regularly enjoy the great outdoors. The long beaches stretching along the coastline of the city are a great start for active people. There are countless choices for those wishing to keep fit and healthy from the superb public and private facilities available at fitness centres and beach clubs to the spas and recreational sports clubs.

From high in the air, paragliders drift along the Dubai coastline, while jetskiers bounce along the beachfronts. Wakeboarders skim across the sea. Yachts – private and chartered – head out to catch tuna and sailfish, or just take in the sea air. From pleasure boats to serious sailing competition Dubai has a plethora of ways to enjoy the Arabian Gulf. With extremely pleasant sailing weather for most of the year, Dubai has become a centre for the amateur enthusiast, the wealthy powerboat owner and the master mariner alike.

Ultimately, though, it is the ease with which you can drive out into the jagged Hajjar Mountains or the vast deserts that surround Dubai that gives residents a feeling of space – and the freedom that entails. It is possible to spend days deep in the wilderness without seeing a soul. Making camp by a wadi, cycling down steep gravel roads or driving at speed across giant red sand dunes – the great outdoors at the edge of the city has a huge pull for those seeking a little real adventure.