If you land in Dubai with a suitcase, a bit of jet lag and zero idea how anything works, there is a good chance your first local friend will be green and named Careem.

Next week, the Zayed National Museum finally opens its doors on Saadiyat Island, offering a place that explains not just what the UAE is, but why.

The simplest way to describe Masdar City is this: a small district on the edge of Abu Dhabi where the UAE has been quietly testing ideas about what future cities might look like.