Dubai (19)

The wife wants a few nice handbags brought back, but you've not really got enough money to get all the designer gear… never mind, head to Karama, home of all the fakes you could ever want. Be prepared for a very strange experience, as you go into shops and are asked if you want bags or watches, and then are led up to hidden back rooms above and under stores, and are treated to a moutain of fake designer goods. They have everything, watches, belts, bags, clothes - you name it, they've got it. I'm not a big fan of fake stuff, but they have some real quality merchandise, that'll keep the wife and the bank manager very happy. Make sure you haggle with them though, they'll try charge you through the roof, so have a good go at haggling away, you salesmen will get their prices down by half easy.

Got a few hours off and don't want to sit in the sun? Then go to the snow. You know that huge silver bit you see jetting off of the Mall Of The Emirates when you zoom past in a cab, well that my friends, is a ski slope, with real snow and everything. A great way to kill time, and get your practice in for your next visit to the slopes, is to go to Ski Dubai and spend an hour or two zipping your way down their real snow slopes. There are two runs, a fairly mild blue/red and a black (which is more red than anything else!) and plenty of space for beginners to learn on the nursery slope area. They provide all the kit except hats and socks… so bring some with you, even though it's weird putting them in the suitcase to visit the desert, or you can buy them there. Go get completely weirded out and go from 40 degrees to minus 2 in the space of a few footsteps.

Beautiful hotel which is perfectly located for business in Dubai on Sheikh Zayed Road. Stayed here on my first visit a few years back and have been there ever since. You get stunning views over the star wars part of the city from the higher rooms (and the top floors are there executive rooms complete with nice lounge and food all day). The pool is small enough to seem private yet busy enough not to seem like a loner, there are no screaming kids around and the staff seem to go out of their way to help you. They also have those curtains that open and close with a button so you can feel like James Bond.

The queues at immigration can be huge at peak times. Pre-book the Marhaba service. They will meet you from the jetway, drive you through the crowds and escort you through dedicated lines at immigration. They will then find your baggage whilst you browse the inbound Duty Free. I've saved at least an hour, the best value $21 in the Emirate!

If you want to catch some sport on television go to Champions, a good bar in the Marriott hotel. Shows a lot of live sporting events like football, rugby etc. Popular with locals and ex-pats alike.

Hotel Bab Al Shams is top for luxury, away from all the hustle and traffic of central Dubai (50 minutes by taxi from the airport) with service levels rarely matched for twice the price and a unique location. Simply a desert oasis.

Oriental, seafood restaurant at the Grand Hyatt in Deira. The restaurant location and setting are ideal for meetings, the staff are quietly efficient and knowledgeable about the food, they have a great selection of wines while the signature dish, Pepper Crab, is truly outstanding.

My tip for a hotel is the Marriott in Deira. Away from the glitz so that you can concentrate but close enough to everything that you want, first class business facilities and a rooftop pool. The best restaurants are the Sphinx at the Pyramids and Shabestani Iranian restaurant at the Hyatt.

If you are doing business in Dubai, particularly anything legal, patience is the key. Tea will be served regardless of deadlines and fairly lengthy requests after the health of family members and mutual acquaintances will follow thereafter. My tip is follow the maxim 'less haste, more speed.' Observe your hosts' order of proceedings and the goodwill engendered will ultimately be to your benefit.

Hospitality is taken very seriously and if at all possible accept invitations to dinner if given. Most of all, enjoy the different way of doing business, engage in the sometimes convoluted process and the subtle verbal games and learn that there is another way of doing things.

My tip for a hotel is the Marriot in Deira. Away from the glitz so that you can concentrate but close enough to everything that you want, first class business facilities and a rooftop pool. The best restaurants are the Sphinx at the Pyramids and Shabestani Iranian restaurant at the Hyatt.

Try the Shisha cafe in the Metropolitan Hotel. They have a whole range of flavoured tobaccos to give you a taste of this traditional Arabic pastime.