Possible Clues:

• Article on American friend picking up most of habit in sheikhdom
• Capital city of UAE
• Persian Gulf sheikhdom
• Such shooting practice curtailed by a Gulf state
• Capital bachelor invested in a high-class race, some say
• A friend acquires trimmed skirt in the city
• A friend with custom docked in this part of Asia
• 'UAE capital (3,5)'
• Persian Gulf capital
• University graduate backing race, say, in Arab state