🌞 What I’m Taking With Me This Time
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I’m heading out to the Arabian Peninsula next month for a short work trip. It’s one of those whirlwind, last-minute adventures that feel wonderfully spontaneous… except when you open the wardrobe and realise you didn’t buy any lightweight clothes during the Scottish summer, which this year lasted far longer than the usual four days!
So this trip requires a multi-purpose wardrobe, ordered in haste but chosen with years of Middle Eastern travel experience in mind.
But before we get into outfits, let’s start where every good journey begins:
✈️ At the Airport: My Never-Fail Travel Outfit
I always fly in cargo trousers. Always.
Why?
Because if my hand luggage turns out to be heavier than I expected (which is almost always), I can simply decant the heavy items — phones, power banks, Kindle, portable chargers — straight into my pockets.
But beyond convenience, cargo trousers are also a safety essential.
I firmly believe you should always keep your passport on your person. Commercial air travel is exceptionally safe, but if something ever happened and passengers had to leave the aircraft quickly, you may have to leave your handbag or small backpack behind.
Having your passport in a secure pocket makes everything markedly easier — especially if the plane diverts and lands somewhere unexpected. Never ever put your passport into the seat pocket – I am a member of a few travel agent forums and you wouldn’t believe how many people leave their passports there, causing them untold stress and problems once they realise the passports have been left behind.
So to go back to the all-essential cargo pants – these are the trousers I’ve chosen this time: soft, slightly stretchy, flattering, and very practical.
👉 Cargo trousers (women’s soft, stretchy)
Sizing note: They run small. I bought XL, and I’m a UK size 14.
They’re comfortable enough for long-haul flights, modest enough for the Gulf, and stretchy enough to handle the inevitable “one more karak tea” on the flight home.
🎒 A Practical — and Gender-Neutral — Travel Bag
Next up: a secure day bag for airports, cities, souqs, and anywhere busy – not that you need this in the Arabian Peninsula, but I will be travelling from a tourist hotspot!
I wanted something I could wear on my back or on my front (when in crowded areas), and ideally something my son or husband could also borrow.
This led me to the Skyler anti-theft travel bag — clean lines, roomy pockets, and a neutral colour I don’t usually choose.
👉 Skysper anti-theft day bag (grey)
I almost went for the pink or purple options (on brand!), but grey is more versatile and can be used with any outfit and by anyone in my family.
🌞 Sun Protection — My Non-Negotiables
My skin is very fair, and although I love the Arabian Peninsula, the Arabian Peninsula’s sun loves me a little too much.
So I’m taking two long-sleeved, lightweight SPF shirts:
1. Columbia Bahama SPF50 Travel Shirt
Columbia are excellent — durable, breathable, wash well, dry fast.
But depending on size and colour, they definitely can be at the higher end of the price scale.
2. A more affordable, less-well known brand of black SPF shirt
I’ll rotate between the two depending on the occasion.
The fabric on both is crease-resistant, so they’re perfect for quick turnaround trips.
👒 The Desert Diva Hat Philosophy
Hats are everything in this part of the world.
Baseball caps are fine at home, but in Arabia?
You need a wide-brimmed safari-style hat.
It protects your face, your neck, your ears, and if you’re a photographer like me, it stops the sun from glinting into your lens.
I have umpteen wide-brim safari hats collected over the years — many from my time marshaling the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge — but if I were buying one today, I’d choose this one:
👉 Wide-brim foldable safari hat (UPF50)
Decorate it with a flower badge or pin, or keep it clean and classic.
👟 Footwear: Ecco to the Rescue
I adore Ecco walking sandals and have worn them across deserts, mountains, and wadis. They’re comfortable straight out of the box, sturdy, and handle heat exceptionally well.
For this trip, I’m taking a cream-and-red pair from this (offroad) range :
They’re perfect for warm winter days in the Gulf — breathable yet supportive.
📚 Books for the Flight — and the Soul
I always take at least one book with me on flights to the Gulf. The journey puts me in the right headspace — the sense of returning to landscapes I love, to people who have become like family.
Next month, I’ll be travelling with the book that changed everything for me:
👉 “Arabian Sands” — Wilfred Thesiger
It was this book that first ignited my love for the desert. Even now, years later, the writing moves me. The endurance, the solitude, the friendships, the courage — it’s a masterpiece.
Another favourite read for desert trips is this one:
👉 Queen of The Desert – Georgina Howell
About my heroine, Gertrude Bell, immortalised in films, she was a real influence on Middle East policy 100 years ago.
Both are perfect companions for anyone curious about Arabia’s landscapes, heritage, and history.
☕ And Finally… My Trusty Travel Mug
I never fly without my Contigo thermal cup.
Mine has been everywhere with me:
through wadis, into the dunes, across lava plains, along dusty tracks, in the camps of the Bedu, and on more Scottish road trips than I can count.
It keeps cold drinks cold, hot drinks hot, and never leaks. Mine looks a bit tatty and battle weary now, but it is 10 years old! You can pick up a lovely new one, in a choice of colours
Mine was a Christmas gift from my son in 2015, and it still works perfectly — a loyal little travel companion.
🐪 Ready for Arabia Again
So that’s my last-minute packing list — a blend of practicality, modesty, comfort and desert savvy. Even after 15 years in and around the Gulf, I still feel a flutter of excitement when I pack my hat and sandals and head back to the landscapes I love.
If you’re planning your own trip to the UAE, Oman, or Saudi Arabia — even a last-minute one — I hope this gives you a few ideas.
And if you’d like help designing the perfect itinerary, you know where to find me.
Arabia is calling — and I can’t wait to answer.
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