Like all the most livable and likeable cities, those of the Emirates get their energy from the waterfront. Abu Dhabi, the glittering capital, is virtually an island. In Sharjah the sea snakes right into the city. In Dubai it is the Al Khor, the picturesque creek, which is the city's lifeline and helps define the complex relationship between the metropolis and water. To the visitor, the dry desert is nowhere in evidence. For you can laze on wide beaches as spectacular as any island resort's, pump up your adrenaline with a high-speed jetski ride, test your game fishing skills to the limit, or simply, be charmed by a creek crossing in one of Dubai's famous water taxies.