History

The Emirates of Dubai and Abu Dhabi originally formed part of the Trucial States, which fell under British Protection from 1892 until 1968, when Britain announced its withdrawal from the region. Up until this time, these regions were reliant on their fishing, pearl diving and trading activities for survival.

However, huge oil reserves had already been found in Abu Dhabi in 1958 and in Dubai in 1966, and the Trucial States were committed to forming an alliance to protect their interests after the withdrawal of Britain. In 1971 the federation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was created.

This new state was composed of the Emirates of Dubai, Abu Dhabi (the capital), Ajman, Fujairah, Sharjah, Umm Al Quwain and, in 1972, Ras Al Khaimah. Each Emirate has their own ruler and a certain amount of autonomy.

The rulers of the Emirates form a Supreme Council, and elect a President and Vice President who in turn appoint a Council of Ministers. HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan is the President of the United Arab Emirates and the Ruler of Abu Dhabi, which is the largest of the seven emirates and also the largest producer of oil in the UAE. HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum is the Vice President, and Ruler of Dubai.

Dubai is the second largest emirate, and the country’s leading commercial and financial centre. The financial resources available from the discovery of oil, combined with the vision and dedication of the late Ruler, HH Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, has resulted in a city that has enjoyed phenomenal growth in just 30 years, and is continuing to expand.

Geographical Location

The UAE occupies 83,600 square kilometres in the east of the Arabian Peninsula, and shares borders with the Sultanate of Oman to the east and north, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the south and west.

It has a coastline on both the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Gulf and is south of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz,The Land is mainly sand dunes and salt flats interspersed with an occasional traditional desert oasis in the south and west of the country.

The east and extreme northern coastal areas are primarily a fertile plain where the more plentiful rainfall and supplies of subterranean water have allowed agriculture to be practiced for thousands of years.

Climate

The United Arab Emirates has a subtropical dry climate with high temperatures and clear skies throughout most of the year, but excessive heat coupled with humidity in summer.

The summer months (May to October) see temperatures rising to 49C with 100% relative humidity. The winter months (November to March) are mild with the average temperature being 25C. There is no humidity in winter.

Rainfall is very low, rarely exceeding 10 – 20cm a year, and falls mainly in winter.

Population

The population of the UAE is 2.5 million, of which 1 million live in Dubai. 80% of the total population is made up of expatriates coming from the rest of the Arab World, India and the sub-continent, Far East, Europe, North America and South Africa.

Languages

The official language is Arabic, but both Arabic and English are the most commonly spoken in business and commerce.

English, Urdu, Hindi and Farsi are widely spoken and other western European and Asian languages are also spoken amongst expatriates.

Currency

The local currency is the "dirham" which is divided into 100 "fils".

Notes come in denominations of Dhs 5, Dhs 10, Dhs 20, Dhs 50, Dhs 100, Dhs 200, Dhs 500 and Dhs 1000. Coin denominations are 5, 10, 25 and 50 fils, and Dhs 1.