Sharjah

The morally strict Sharjah is the emirate of museums and markets and was declared the Islamic cultural capital in 2014. There is no alcohol here, but a trip to Sharjah means rich cultural heritage, plenty of tradition and a thriving theatre scene. Only 30 minutes away from Dubai, the emirate of Sharjah has the reputation among connoisseurs of being a lot cheaper than Dubai, but hardly less worth seeing. Here, too, excellent hotels, interesting museums and historic buildings await, but without the lavish luxury and megalomania familiar from the Middle East.