Seduced by the spell of Sharjah
The tiny Emirate of Sharjah is just up the road from glittering Dubai, but it is a world apart from its showy neighbour, writes Isabel Conway.
The colonel whacks his shiny knee-high boots with a riding crop, barking out urgent orders. The roar of an approaching plane prompts Bedouin tribesmen to cock their rifles, preparing for the worst.
The sparse population is witnessing a historic occasion, the first commercial flight into a Middle Eastern enclave - an event that will radically change its fortunes.
The first passenger to alight into the baking heat is incongruously wrapped in furs and ...
