QATAR

Forget the 20th-century stereotype of a richArab Gulf state, of hastily thrown up tower blocks, chaotic streets and bafflingly tacky urban sculpture: Qatar - or at least the capital,Doha - has metamorphosed into a self-confident, elegant entrepôt that gives the UAE a run for its money.

Occupying a flat peninsula jutting into the oil-rich waters of The Gulf, Qatar is one of therichest per capita countries in the world - a wealth exhibited in high-profile projects, such as the new Museum of Islamic Art, built to house the largest such collection in the world.

With 50% of Qatar's population living in the capital, the country is a virtual city state. But for those not content with jogging around Doha's fine corniche, a string of beaches beckon for rest and recuperation, and the magnificent dunes of Khor al-Adaid help even up the odds between God and Mammon