Our man in the Emirates

Manchester City faced United Arab Emirates in the Zayed Sport City Stadium

Manchester City have travelled to the United Arab Emirates for the opening of their new training camp in Abu Dhabi and BBC Radio Manchester's Ian Cheeseman has gone with them.

Day 1: A far cry from the Faroes

Day 2: Feeling like a local

Day 3: Match day

Day 1: A far cry from the Faroes

Ian discovers the beaches of Abu Dhabi

Thirty eight years ago, Abu Dhabi drew up an agreement with its neighbour Dubai and began the process of becoming the centrepoint of the newly formed United Arab Emirates (UAE).

At about the same time, Manchester City were starting their fall from the top of football's pyramid, having won virtually all of the game's top honours.

Since then, under the rule of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and his son Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi has become a magnificent city and the Emirates have taken their place amongst the richest countries in the world.

There's top quality education, health care, state-of-the-art facilities, seven star hotels and much more - during the same period of time, City have won the League Cup and dropped into the third tier of English football.

My journey to Abu Dhabi was as stressful at it could be - traffic delays, a shuttle flight was delayed and a link between terminals that took almost an hour and two different trains!

The training pitch is at the Emirates Palace Hotel

It made me wish that Baba Zayed (Baba meaning father) had been involved in building the road infrastructure of England and Heathrow Airport.

I just made it in time for my flight to Abu Dhabi - and suddenly my world changed. As I boarded my flight, everything became calm, well organised and serene - it was as if I was in the UAE already.

I'm staying at the Shangri-La Hotel, a far cry from the youth hostel I was based in for City's trip to the Faroe Islands during the club's UEFA Cup campaign last season, but then everything's a bit cheaper here.

Petrol, as you'd expect from a city built on oil, is less than ten pence a litre, making a 20 minute taxi ride to the Emirates Palace Hotel, where Manchester City are staying, good value at three quid.

Manchester City have flown out former players for the launch

The club - owned by Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed 's half brother, Sheik Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan - now has its own training pitch built into the grounds of the most expensive hotel ever built.

And while the pitch may be modest, the hotel certainly isn't. It has its own private stretch of beach and the biggest pool, complete with lazy river, I've ever seen - or, in fact, tried, as I did find half an hour for a quick dip in between appointments and interviews.

BBC Sport: Man City 'go home' to open training pitch

It seems like everyone is here, apart from the players away on international duty - backroom staff, executives and former players included.

Mike Summerbee and Tommy Booth remember training in Wythenshawe Park back in the early 1970s when the ink on the union of Emirates was still wet - these days, their sons are driving 4x4s and sports cars and hanging around in seven star hotels, planning the next move for their English Premier League club.

Sitting by that enormous pool, I couldn't help but wonder just where Manchester City will be in another 38 years...

Day 2: Feeling like a local

The stunning Sheik Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Grand Mosque

I feel like I've finally arrived here in Abu Dhabi - I've seen the other team owned by Sheik Mansour, Al-Jazira Sporting Club, attended the huge mosque close to my hotel, ridden a camel and been driven up and down endless sand dunes.

The trip to Al-Jazira was spectacular, especially seeing their developing new stadium, but nothing could have prepared me for the Sheik Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Grand Mosque, which can house more than 40,000 worshippers. It is truly mind-blowing.

Its floor is covered with the world's largest carpet, which weighs in at 47 tons - I'd like to see the scales they weighed it on - it has 82 domes, seven chandeliers (including another record-breaking biggest as its centrepiece), columns inlaid with lapis lazuli, red agate, amethyst, abalone shell and mother of pearl, and so much more.

Ian checks out the world's largest carpet

It's one of the most stunning buildings I've ever seen, but not without its sadness, as in the courtyard stands the modest mausoleum of Sheik Zayed, to whom the mosque is dedicated, who sadly passed away before it was officially opened just two years ago.

On Tuesday night at 10pm local time, I co-presented BBC Radio Manchester's Blue Tuesday, which was specially extended by an hour to include special guests here in Abu Dhabi.

Husband and wife Arthur and Jan Reid, who split their time between Manchester and Abu Dhabi, gave us an insight into the cultural differences, while David Bernstein, Rodney Marsh, Ian Bishop, Mark Hughes, Pablo Zabaleta and five fans at home and in the UAE gave us a taste of the football side of things.

Ian tries out the local attire

Wednesday afternoon was my chance to explore further the culture of this proud nation, and I couldn't resist a desert safari - if you ever get the chance, you must do it, though I warn you that if you get travel sick, flying over and down the sand dunes in a 4x4 for 40 minutes can send your stomach into a somersault.

I was immersed in a cold sweat and fearing I could throw up at any time by the time we mercifully came to a halt as the sun set.

But that didn't stop me riding a camel, trying on traditional Abu Dhabi clothes, watching the belly-dancing and sampling the local cuisine.

I didn't see any City fans on the trip; they'd been invited to a barbecue, specially arranged by the club at the luxurious Emirates Palace Hotel.

I'm sure they'll be telling me their tales tomorrow on another busy day, as it's match day for City, who take on the UAE in Abu Dhabi's national stadium.

Ian takes a trip through the desert on board some local transport

They trained there on Wednesday evening, with City's benefactor Sheik Mansour making an appearance to see just what he's got for his money.

A crowd of over 30,000 is expected to pack into the stadium on Thursday to see the team the local paper, Gulf News, simply refers to as City - they're definitely bigger than Manchester United here.

In fact, as my taxi driver today said, "Oh you're from Manchester - Manchester City!"

Day 3: Match day

Abu Dhabi is a city of contrasts

The banners outside the Zayed Sport City Stadium proclaimed it was 'Our Country v Our City' - but it seemed to me that the locals were rooting for 'Our Country' a little more - so most of them left happy as the UAE beat City's makeshift team one-nil, thanks to a first half penalty.

Outside the ground, it was fairly chaotic, but inside all was well organised and calm as City continued their charm offensive successfully, even if the football was a bit disappointing.

My build-up to the game started with a trip back to the Emirates Palace Hotel, for a guided tour and a chance to interview general manager Hans Olberetz, who told me that one of the impressive suites on the seventh floor, just below the Presidential Suites, would set you back at least £15,000 a night!

But then, this is a hotel that sprinkles gold on your cappuccino and is the most expensive ever built.

Just a stone's throw away is the Heritage Centre of the United Arab Emirates complete with a recreation of a humble Bedouin village.

Inter Milan were in town to share their coaching philosophies

Close by were multi-million pound yachts moored alongside traditional wooden dhows. It's a country of massive contrasts.

I was chatting to a local billionaire in one of the world's best hotels one minute, then a local woman selling traditional items at the old market the next.

I have to say that money didn't make any difference to their attitudes; both were friendly, welcoming and modest - a unique country indeed.

Close to the Marina Mall, complete with everything from Versace and Swarovski to Burger King and Popeyes, I noticed that Inter Milan were in town - well, their Academy was.

They'd set up a huge training area with mini-pitches, target shooting and balls hanging from ropes.

Surely this couldn't be competition for City in their home-from-home country? I spoke to their technical manager Marco Monti, who told me they'd been invited there by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, along with Valencia, and of course City, to share their coaching philosophies with local youngsters.

Full time at the stadium

The children were lining up in the street outside as I headed back to my hotel, before setting out to the stadium for the game.

My taxi driver left me with a long walk to pick up my accreditation, which meant a rushed entry into the stadium, but then again most of the 24,000 fans also came in late - the last two thousand being admitted free by Sheikh Mansour, as they were in danger of missing kick-off.

BBC Sport: Sheikh Mansour's 'other' club

City's owner was there, along with his father-in-law, and ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

I wonder if he was disappointed as he saw the first Emirates Foundation Cup, which bizarrely was actually a silver shield, handed to the UAE rather than City?

Ian's trip to Abu Dhabi will be chronicled in full, complete with interviews, in an documentary to be included in a future Friday edition of Manchester Sports - between 6pm and 10pm each week.