New and old attractions make for a heady mix in the emirates

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has always had a slightly more than generous helping of sun, sand and sea. And now - as a bit of garnish - style can be added to that tempting holiday offering.

There's no shortage of entertainment on offer for tourists to the UAE, which enjoys an enviable location more or less in the middle of the Middle East, about eight hours by air from Hong Kong.

Added to the UAE's beaches, desert and other natural attractions is a heady cocktail of upmarket shopping, five-star resorts, restaurants that embrace all the world's cuisines, international events, and - of course - a stalwart traditional culture.

Horse racing devotees, tennis fans and golf aficionados are all well catered for in the UAE's sporting calendar, while petrol heads can get their kicks at the annual Formula 1 championship. Concerts and music and art festivals round out the UAE's cultural offerings, which are set to get an enormous boost with the opening of the Louvre Abu Dhabi this year.

Under an arrangement with the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, the Euro108 million (HK886.6 million), 24,000-square-metre museum will be located on the Saadiyat Island Cultural District, and is due to open this autumn. Artwork from around the world will be showcased at the museum, which will place particular emphasis on bridging the gap between Eastern and Western art. The initial exhibition will include works from such artists as Titian, da Vinci, David, Manet, Monet and Van Gogh as well as rarities like the 1,200-year-old glazed terracotta Blue Lady which was made in China. Several other museums are planned for the area, including a branch of the Guggenheim.

Not to be outdone, Abu Dhabi's sister emirate, Dubai, will be inaugurating The Dubai Frame in October. The 150-metre-high, gold-plated, window frame-shaped observatory will be topped off by a 100-metre-wide glass-covered skywalk with a view that encompasses the old and modern parts of the city. The Frame is expected to draw more than two million visitors a year, and - since it is covered in solar panels - is completely eco-friendly.