Bani Yas City, United Arab Emirates

80,498 people call this place home - but don't expect a warm welcome. The sprawling tribal connections and shifting power dynamics of the Bani Yas confederation make for a complex, bureaucratic environment. As the population has declined from 12,000 to just 5,884 over the past century, many have left in search of employment opportunities beyond the emirate's increasingly mechanized oil industry. Those who stay face a persistent headache navigating the intricacies of the region's social structures. Unless you have a strong stomach for red tape and can handle the hot, arid climate, Bani Yas City is not for the faint of heart.