Very fascinating Trip Report, thanks for taking the time and effort to share.
I do have some questions:
You mentioned that it got up to 38 (which equates to about 100F for those in the USA). Was that a dry heat (like much of the western and southwestern USA, especially desert areas) or was it humid and uncomfortable (like much of the eastern USA and Canada)?
Did you feel there was total liberty in taking pictures? Or were there places you were restricted from taking pictures?
What was security like on the flights within the Middle East?
In what way were the roads in the UAE better than Interstates in the USA? What was the speed limit?