The UAE is an absolutely surreal place, and Dubai is its crown jewel.  This middle-eastern metropolis has all of the grandeur of Las Vegas or Macau, but without a single casino in sight.  Only about 10% of the population are Emirati.  Most of the 2 million+ living here are expatriate laborers from south Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and Somalia. 

Dubai spends money like it's going out of style.  From the imposing Burj Khalifa to the artificial Palm Jumerieh and World islands, no engineering task seems too outrageous for the UAE.  With each new project, Dubai transfroms itself from an oil economy to a premier tourist destination.

Spread throughout this image set are a handful of photos from Abu Dhabi's Grand Mosque.