For Abu Dhabi, the linen worth choosing is the one whose cloth can be proven rather than merely described: certified Belgian linen, made by hand, cut for a city that prefers covered arms and an easy line. Pieter Petros makes exactly that, about an hour and a half up the coast in its Dubai atelier and in Belgium, for this climate and this calendar.

The capital began with water. In the 1760s a watchtower was raised on the island to guard its only freshwater well; that tower grew into Qasr Al Hosn, still standing in the heart of the city and the oldest stone building in Abu Dhabi. Pearling, then oil, then a skyline followed, but the city has kept something of the fort's character. It is calmer than its neighbour, more formal in its public spaces, and quick to notice the difference between a garment chosen with care and one chosen in a hurry.

How should linen be judged for a city like this? Begin with the fibre. Long, even flax fibres spin into a finer, smoother yarn, and that is what decides whether a long-sleeved shirt still sits well at four in the afternoon. Then ask for proof of origin. Belgian Linen® is a private certification mark rather than a legal designation, and its certificate traces the flax from the field to the cloth; what the Belgian linen certificate covers is worth reading before trusting any label. Look at the weave, too: in Gulf heat an open, airy weave lets the body breathe, and the same cloth is kind in the cold of a museum gallery or a hotel lobby, which is why linen in air-conditioned rooms matters here as much as linen in the sun. Finally, the making. Pieter Petros garments are handmade, much of the collection is certified Belgian linen, the shirts close with seashell buttons, and the Monte-Carlo Male shirt and the linen trousers carry buttons of walnut. Every material is natural, and every garment biodegradable by design.

The calendar shapes the wardrobe. From November to March the afternoons settle into the mid-twenties and the evenings invite a long walk on the Corniche; this is the season most visitors come for, and the one in which the city fills its diary. April and May warm quickly. From June to September the thermometer passes 40°C and the coast turns humid, so outdoor life moves to early morning and late evening. October is the gentle return.

Start a stay where the city started. A morning at Qasr Al Hosn, or at Qasr Al Watan, the presidential palace that opened its halls to visitors in 2019, asks for modest dress: shoulders and knees covered, for men and women alike. For him, the Laos Long Sleeve Linen Shirt in Beige Cream, in certified Belgian linen, with the PP Trousers 100% Linen in White from the men’s linen collection. For her, the PP linen blouse in Orchid, in Belgian linen, worn with a long skirt or long loose trousers of her own.

Saadiyat Island holds the cultural district. The Louvre Abu Dhabi, designed by Jean Nouvel and opened in November 2017, sits under a dome some 180 metres across, its layered steel stars scattering what the architect calls a “rain of light” onto the galleries below. It is a place for unhurried afternoons and a quiet palette: the Monte-Carlo Male in Vanille, with its walnut buttons, and PP Casual Linen Trousers in Oatmeal; for her, the PP linen blouse in Sky Blue, in natural linen, again with long loose trousers of her own. A short walk away, Saadiyat Beach is a protected nesting shore for hawksbill turtles, and the sea there is the reason many guests choose the island. In the water, PP swim shorts in Sapphire Blue, in Belgian linen and made to be swum in; on the sand and at the beach club lunch, a Laos Short Sleeve Linen Shirt in White over dry swim shorts. The Saadiyat Island wardrobe has its own chapter.

Evenings belong to the terraces of the great hotels along the Corniche and the water. Here the Amelia linen dress shirt in Dubarry, in Belgian linen, is a dress in itself, and its depth of colour holds as the light drops behind the towers. For him, the Laos Long Sleeve Linen Shirt in Dark Blue with PP Casual Linen Trousers in Vanille: covered, unhurried and cool well past midnight.

Yas Island has its own season. In recent years the Formula 1 season has closed at Yas Marina Circuit, in late November or early December, and the marina fills with yachts and long dinners. The Vibes Linen Shirt in Orchid, in Belgian linen, with its shorter, easy cut, suits the evening on the water; for the race days themselves, what to wear to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is set out in full.

For Abu Dhabi, the collection can be seen up the coast in Dubai, at the Park Hyatt Dubai and its Lagoon Beach Club, at Surf Club Dubai and at Sofitel The Palm Beach Resort, or ordered online and delivered to the hotel or the villa before you arrive. Either way, they are made in the same Gulf heat they will be worn in.

Read more: What to Wear in Abu Dhabi · What to Wear in Abu Dhabi for Women · What to Wear in Dubai for Men · The Best Linen Brand for the Mediterranean