Opulent and unabashedly artificial, Dubai could be a genuinely refreshing post-lockdown break

For all its opulence, I've never cared much for Dubai. But with the slate wiped clean by Covid and fresh perspectives demanded by rapidly diminishing travel options, there's an impetus to find out what's on offer. Which is how I've ended up in the UAE, one of the last remaining countries granted an air corridor with the UK - although with new lockdowns in place, many of us will now have to wait.