Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Samantha (Kim Cattrall), Charlotte (Kristin Davis), and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) attend the wedding of their gay friends Stanford (Willie Garson) and Anthony (Mario Cantone). Three of the four women are now married themselves but Samantha, aged 52, is desperately trying to keep her libido alive as she enters menopause. she is using all sorts of drugs, estrogen and other hormonal treatments to beat the clock and keep her sex drive up. The wedding is officiated by Liza Minnelli who also performs a musical number, and Carrie serves as Stanford's "best man".Back home, Miranda quits her job after her firm's misogynistic new managing partner disrespects her once too often. Miranda has a supportive husband Steve Brady (David Eigenberg) & Maid Magda (Lynn Cohen). Charlotte's two children are a handful, mostly her two-year-old daughter Rose's extreme and constant crying, and she is worried that husband Harry (Evan Handler) is attracted to their buxom Irish nanny, Erin (Alice Eve).Carrie's marriage to Mr. Big (Chris Noth) has settled down, although they differ on how to spend their spare time. Carrie wants to go out often to dinner, parties, and big events, whereas Big prefers to stay in and relax on the couch. at the wedding another couple "judged" Carrie and Big when they said that they didn't want kids.For their anniversary, Carrie gives Big a vintage Rolex watch engraved with the message "Me and You, Just Us Two" while he, much to her dismay, shows her a new TV in their bedroom as his gift, which Big says they can use to watch old films together, something they did at the hotel at Anthony and Stanford's wedding and seemed to enjoy. She is disappointed with Big's gift, as she had hoped for something more personal to show he realizes they must maintain the spark in the marriage. However, Big starts to watch TV more often, making Carrie feel unappreciated. In response she stays at her old apartment for two days to write an article, after which Big acts the way he did while they were first dating and they both enjoy a romantic night out.He enjoys it so much he suggests to Carrie that they take two days off every week, he can go somewhere for those two days to relax, watch TV and lie on the couch, and the rest of the time he will have more energy to do what she wants to do. Carrie does not dismiss this, but is hurt by the suggestion and worries it means they will drift apart.Meanwhile, Samantha gets a call from Jerry "Smith" Jerrod (Jason Lewis). Jerry got his break in movies because of Samantha. He is finishing shooting in Abu Dhabi and wants Samantha to be on the red carpet with him, on his premier night. At the after-party Jerry introduces Samantha to Sheikh Khaled (Art Malik), the producer of the movie. Samantha is invited to do a PR campaign for Khaled's business. He flies her and her friends on an all-expenses-paid luxury vacation to Abu Dhabi. Carrie is happy she will have time to think about Big's suggestion. Charlotte is worried about leaving her husband alone with the nanny. But Miranda, unfettered by a job for the first time in her life, is especially excited. Upon entering Abu Dhabi, Samantha's hormone-enhancing drugs are confiscated under United Arab Emirates law, rendering her devoid of estrogen and hindering her libido. Charlotte tries to call Harry every few minutes; Miranda revels in the culture surrounding her; and Carrie befriends her manservant, Gaurau (Raza Jaffrey), who is an underpaid temporary worker from India. Gaurau is married and tells Carrie that he visits her wife only once every 3 months when he travels to India. But time doesn't matter and every time they spend together is wonderful.On a visit to a local souk (market), Carrie runs into her former lover, Aidan (John Corbett) (this was after she bought some shoes at a local stall and left her passport on his counter by mistake). He proposes dinner between the two at his hotel, and she accepts. The dinner is very enjoyable, with the two discussing old times. Aidan remarks on the ways Carrie is "not like other women". In a moment of remembered passion, they kiss. Carrie runs away in panic and returns to her hotel, where Miranda and Charlotte are having drinks together and discussing the difficulties of motherhood. When Carrie wonders whether she should tell Big about the kiss, as they have no secrets between them, Miranda reflects on when her husband Steve told her about his affair.Samantha counsels Carrie to wait before deciding anything. Carrie opts to call Big to tell him. Big is silent upon hearing the news, and after saying a few words, hangs up.The four women find their Western style and attitudes clash with Muslim customs. For example, while on a date with a handsome Danish architect Rikard Spirt (Max Ryan), Samantha is arrested for public display of affection after fondling him at a restaurant, giving him an erection in public and making out with him on the beach. With the Sheikh's intervention, Samantha is released but is left with a permanent police record. To make matters worse, the Sheikh cancels the PR meeting and ceases paying for the remainder of the women's luxurious stay. They quickly pack their bags and leave but must return to the souk to find Carrie's passport that she accidentally left there when she ran into Aidan. When Samantha's liberal dress and western attitude incites an outraged mob among the local men, the women are rescued by a group of local Emirati women who share their sense of style hidden underneath their customary black robes. The Emirati women help to disguise the four American women in robes and veils so they can escape and make it to the airport in time.When Carrie returns home, she finds the bedroom TV removed and Big gone. She passes an anxious day, at the end of which he returns. Big tells her that although he was torn, he realizes that what she needs is something to remind her at all times that she is married. He hands her a jewelry box, which reveals an engagement ring set with a black diamond. When Carrie asks him why a black diamond, he says she is not like anyone else, echoing Aidan's earlier comment, showing he does appreciate her, and they have not lost their spark.Big and Carrie combine their interests; Charlotte's nanny, Erin, turns out to be a lesbian and no threat to her marriage; Miranda finds a new job at a more laid-back and diverse law firm where she is appreciated; and Samantha remains unchanged, and even meets for sex on the beach with the Danish architect, this time in the Hamptons.