Well, let me tell you...

The first time I visited Dubai was a few years ago when I was 18 years old. I went to see a good friend of mine who lived there and had always told me that Dubai (or "Du-bay" as he used to call it) was one of the best cities in the world. Since then ... I've been back four times. He was right!

Reason No. 1: Dubai is famously known as the entertainment and party capital of the Middle East. Take it from me, Dubai knows how to get down. There's a fine balance, though, between Dubai's strong Islamic culture and the party lifestyle. Alcohol is allowed, but you can't get too crazy. Rih might even have to go easy on the more risqué costumes for her shows.

While she doesn't have to cover up completely, Rihanna isn't going to want to offend anyone, so a couple of raunchier outfits might have to stay back at home. Either way, Rihanna is going to have an amazing time!

Reason No. 2: Back when I first visited Dubai, the world-famous Burj Al Arab — regarded by some as the only "seven-star" hotel in the world — had just been completed and looked like nothing I had ever seen before. Like a huge ship's sail rising 321 meters out of the ocean, the hotel is one of the most beautiful and luxurious in the world. The service is incredible. The option of being picked up from the airport by one of the Burj Al Arab's fleet of white-on-white Rolls-Royce Phantoms — or even the white-on-white helicopter — says it all!

I'm thinking Rihanna should make a move for the hotel's Royal Suite. Reserved for only the world's richest, the most famous and heads of state, the Royal Suite is described on the hotel's Web site as "stately and opulent" and takes the word "luxury" to another level. At 780 square meters, the suite has its own private elevator, private cinema, a marble-and-gold (yes, real gold) staircase, leopard-print tufted carpets, Carrarra marble floors, mahogany furniture, a dining area, the suite's own Arabic majils-style lounge (a reception area), a library, a master bedroom with rotating four-poster canopy bed and a second bedroom with adjoining marble bathrooms with spa bath, walk-in shower and Hermes body products. Oh, I nearly forgot to mention the 24-hour butler on hand at the ring of a bell (yes, he waits outside the door).

Reason No. 3: Dubai boasts some modern-day wonders of the world. These mega-projects range from the world's tallest man-made structure (the Burj Dubai, towering at 818 meters) to the first ski slope in a desert to the largest man-made islands, the Palm and the World (an archipelago designed to look like a map of the globe). Dubai is known as "the City of Lights," "the City of Gold" and now it can add "the City of Records" to its list. But it's not just the modern city that is attractive — Old Dubai is simply beautiful. Famous for wind towers lining either side of the Dubai Creek and its Arabian architecture, the Bastakiya district is a tantalizing glimpse of a centuries-old Middle East. Historical buildings, mosques, museums, the market — there's a lot for Rih to do on her day off.

Reason No. 4: We all know our girl Rihanna hails from Barbados and loves the sun, and she'll fit in just fine in Dubai. The weather is incredible. Situated on the south-eastern shore of the Persian Gulf, Dubai (especially around May and June) gets hot! The white-sand beaches are stunning, so Rih better pack a bikini!

Reason No. 5: As Busta rapped in "Arab Money," the city's got money! No doubt, Rihanna is probably getting a very big cheque indeed! Go get 'em!

I eventually left Dubai, and believe me, I didn't want to. After what could only be described as a whirlwind 48 hours in Dubai, I opened the door to the villa terrace on Saturday morning and looked out at the view for the first time. Even though Dubai is a city that's in a constant state of "nearly done," set in the middle of a desert with more new construction, scaffolding and cranes than anywhere else I've seen, Dubai boasts some exquisite (albeit artificial) beaches, complete with everything you would come to expect from a picture-perfect resort. I was sold. Almost immediately, my mindset changed from leaving Dubai to deciding what cocktail I was going to have by the beach. I knew I could spare a day so I jumped on the phone, woke up a couple of people and pushed my flight back to the evening. The rest of the day, if I'm honest, was spent half-asleep by the beach, music playing and cocktail in hand.

It was Thanksgiving last week — my first Thanksgiving ever. From what I understand, Thanksgiving is a time for family and friends, so I decided to spend a quick couple of days in London and Paris — strictly business, of course — before returning home to NY. Even though NY has started to feel like a home away from home, you've got to love London. I'm always excited to return to London. Anyone who lives abroad and gets to return home every now and then for a small holiday will understand. It's a beautiful thing.

We landed perfectly and before the doors were even fully open, I was out the plane and grabbing my luggage. I couldn't wait to get in a car and drive on the right (meaning left) side of the road.

After I unpacked, and called my best, we went straight to a party on Oxford Street in the West End. It was for the one and only Stevie Wonder. Say no more! Normally I would never go out to a formal event on such a short trip, but since Stevie was going to perform a stripped-down set in front of just 40 people, I was more than happy to take them up on the offer. I had never seen Wonder perform live before, and like most people, I'm a big fan of the Wonder.

We arrived late but just in time to catch the main attraction. Stevie Wonder was incredible, effortlessly working his way through some of his classic hits, and his voice was just as good as it's always been. With my job, I've seen a few fair gigs, but I have to say, there was something about his performance that was truly on-point. Much like the time I saw Pink Floyd perform for the first time in years at Live 8 or even an artist like Prince, there was an air of effortless cool and undeniable ease about the way he performed onstage. It's a trait that only the true veteran greats I've seen play possess ... and Stevie had it in abundance. Dressed in a bright shirt, with his trademark braids and sunglasses, I tried my hardest to take a good pic of the Wonder to put right here, but unfortunately not one of them came out well. All good though ... take my word for it. Stevie Wonder is the @#!*!

These last few days have gone by so quickly. I think this is the first time I've had a chance just to sit down and take it all in.

The launch went incredibly well by all accounts. The show opened with an energetic performance from Dubai rap group Desert Heat, who were a last-minute addition to the show after their impromptu post-sound-check performance the night before impressed everyone in the room. Seeing two seasoned rappers spitting hard in Arabic while dressed in the full-on traditional robes wasn't something I'd ever seen before in my life, but it was definitely something I'd like to see again and the perfect way to start the show.

A lot of people were talking about the significance of launching an MTV channel in the Middle East and what it stands for, and even though I only visited one of the region's most liberal cities, Dubai, for just a few days, the overall consensus from the people was loud and clear: "We love music."

Music plays a very important part in Arabic culture, and the tastes of the young people there are incredibly eclectic and widespread, from more traditional sounds to a thriving underground hip-hop scene to superstar dance DJs like Erick Morillo, who visits regularly and was there for the opening. Our arrival has been long overdue.

By the time local R&B sensation Karl Wolf came on the stage, all protocol had been thrown out the window and the front five rows were out of their seats and dancing right up by the stage. Earlier, I'd been told that Karl is like the Middle East's answer to Justin Timberlake, and judging by the screams of some of the girls in the audience, they were probably right.

Then it was time for the big boys. Ludacris came out to the entire 700-strong crowd chanting his name over and over. I remember thinking that I wasn't sure if the sheikhs sitting at the very back of the room in the royal box had ever seen anything like this. Nevertheless, I'm told they were all smiles and some even got down and sang along. Luda, who also played an integral part in the launch of MTV Arabia, performed a mixture of new and old hits before hanging back offstage to give his take on the new channel and what it means to him to be one of the first major hip-hop stars to perform in the Middle East.

And if that wasn't enough, it was Akon's turn. At this point, the crowd was at fever pitch, and with a little coaxing, the full house (including the sheikhs) stood up as Akon took the show home. He certainly did his thing giving the Middle East a taster of what they can expect from him when he returns on tour in a few months.

It was an awesome launch, bringing in a new era to the Middle East, with a vision to one day launch a new internationally successful music star from the region. If you had said that MTV would be launching a channel here 10 years ago, they would have said it was impossible. Not anymore!

It's 7:30 Tuesday morning, and I've been out all night. Haven't slept yet, and it's beginning to catch up. I should know better, but what can I say? I love Monday night in New York. For me, it's the first night of the working week ahead, and the one night when I really should be home in bed and asleep by 1 a.m. at the latest. But like I said, I love New York (the city, not Flava Flav's ex, just to be clear!), and when the city calls, who am I to say no?

After dinner downtown, the atmosphere was electric last night, and some of the city's best-known faces came out to play. When it came time to leave, let's just say I had a little party still left in me, so we jumped into some cars and went straight to my favorite after-hours spot in Soho. The party was already in full swing when we got there, and even though it was already around 3 a.m., it didn't look like it was going to stop anytime soon. Does no one in New York have work on Tuesdays? I guess not. Anyway, I won't bore you with the details, but let's just say we had fun!

Fast forward a couple of hours, and I'm sitting at this great 24-hour restaurant, satisfying a craving I'd been having for macaroni and cheese. Then my alarm goes off. I must have known that I'd get a little carried away on my Monday night out and forget that I had a flight leaving at 9 a.m. from JFK. I've never looked forward to getting on a plane more than right now — and that's a big statement from someone who hates flying as much as I do. But right now, sleep is catching up on me, and 12 hours on a flat airplane bed sounds just fine. I'm flying on Emirates Airlines direct to Dubai, and I'm sure anyone who's flown Emirates Airlines before will agree, these guys are doing their thing. I admit, I am a little biased. Emirates is the official sponsor of the greatest football team in the world, Arsenal FC, but that's beside the point. I'm on a bit of a whirlwind trip (48 hours, to be exact) to helm the launch of MTV's newest channel, MTV Arabia. And like my boss said, "With 200 million viewers tuning in for the launch, don't mess it up!" Good advice. Thankfully, though, I won't be going it alone. Alongside the MTV Arabia team and my partner in crime, MTV producer Aaron Pinkston (who'll be documenting my entire trip), I'll be joined by two of hip-hop's biggest names: Akon and Ludacris, who are both performing on the big show tomorrow. It's going to be big, so look out for more from Akon, Luda and myself as we spend the next 48 hours here in Dubai.