As an Islamic country, Christmas is a normal working day. I have taken leave over the festive season.

The supermarkets have had a large section selling Christmas stuff, that is trees, decorations and all the usual ephemeral rubbish. Thankfully it is all low key… not had to hear the Pogues, Slade, Roy Wood etc…no adverts on TV.

We have avoided getting a tree, but have purchased a Christmas owl.

On Friday we went to a colleague’s for a pre-Christmas get together. She had also invited a Muslim family. Their children aged 9 and 17 had no experience of a European Christmas… their task was to decorate the Christmas tree. We bought along Christmas crackers, another simple pleasure they hadn’t tried before.

Today is Christmas Eve and we’re off for another trip into the desert this afternoon.

We had several options for Christmas day….

• buying a turkey and cooking it at home
• most of the big hotels provide the full works… turkey and the trimmings
• or eat out

We chose the latter and have booked Christmas Brunch at Sharq Village and Spar… so we will be eating outdoors overlooking the bay.