The view of the Burj we never see

These will be my last Dubai photos for a little while so I’m posting two from our seaplane ride, and one that, although old, has a Wimbledon twist.

Built on an artificial island, the Burj Al Arab is a shapely sight, visible on a sunny day from miles around. Brilliant white during daylight hours, the Teflon-coated hotel takes on an entirely different look at night, with spotlights creating a changing tableau of colours. But have you ever seen this iconic building from behind? (sorry the quality’s not great – iPhone, through the window, moving target, etc!)

The Burj Al Arab, one of the most expensive hotels on earth, pictured as we all know it. I love the fact that the 210 metre-high helipad has doubled as a grass tennis court

And around the back: Built to resemble the billowing sail of a dhow (an Arabian vessel), here’s a behind-the-scenes view of the vast mast

Didn’t believe me about the tennis court? Here it is, with Roger Federer and Andre Agassi having a friendly knock-about to promote the Dubai Open in 2005