This article describes an anaesthetist's experience working in a tertiary care hospital in the UAE. The health care system, with both private and government facilities, is subject to rapid development and diversification like the country as a whole. The staffing system in the hospital is based on the Anglo-American consultant model and provides a pleasant, informal work environment. Compared to a routine work day in Germany, work in the UAE is exciting and varied because of cultural differences and the nature of the cases being treated. Life in the UAE is characterized by its multinational, multicultural society which provides for absorbing encounters and great recreational opportunities including plenty of sun and sea.