5 days,won't get a chance to get out the city my original plan involved and overnight bus trip to Muscat Oman but due to time demands can't tag that on now.it's night in Dubai now,1942 hrs.,and the sky an opaque grey. Can't even see any first magnitude stars but that is through a south facing hotel window! Saw the thin waining crescent moon from Dubai airport at about 0430.

 

Also the red sea coast seems hazy too I've previously been to Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait and noted this phenomenon too.it must be the hot desert air hitting the sea causing mist and is probably localised to a shortish distance from the coast.

 

Is Dhahran Saudi Arabia on the other side of the causeway from Bahrain? Saudi Arabia is a pretty difficult country to visit unless for work purposes although I've read that they are soon to do tourist visas but only for organised groups. I'm guessing that the internal deserts of Saudi Arabia would have great views of the stars.

 

My guess being you're, or have been, in the oil industry to get into Saudi Arabia? Of course western doctors and nurses are another big group that get in.they seem to be moderating a bit,the head of the Lebanese Maronite Christians is there now flashing a rather large crucifix.I think they're planning for the future when oil may not be as economically important as it is now?the only astronomy today was naked eye solar of the sun setting from a ferry mid Dubai creek,rather beautiful glitter path over the water.

 

That's another way to see the world!Saudi Arabia has another direct connection with astronomy,that being the kabba in Mecca, the holy of holys. It is believed to be a meteorite that the faithful circle during the hadj but I'm not sure if anyone has seen it?non Muslims are forbidden entry to Mecca although Richard Burton the Victorian explorer not the Welsh actor!is said to have sneeked in dressed as a local.from pictures it looks like the kabba is covered by a veil so even pilgrims cannot see what it is?the theory is it's an iron meteor.