About the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

The UAE is a country made up of seven 'emirates' Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al-Qaiwain, Ras Al-Khaimah, Fujairah. It was founded on December 2, 1971.

This is now celebrated as the annual National Day. This is when the major cities of the emirates are all brightly lit-up and decorated with lights.

The Geography

The United Arab Emirates is situated on a pensinsula in the Arabian Gulf. It is bordered by Oman to the east and Saudi Arabia to the west and south. Iran is the closest country to it from the north. The UAE is 83,600 sq.km (including 200 islands - approximately).

On the map, it is situated at: Latitudes: 22¼ - 26.5¼ North Longitudes: 51¼ - 56.5¼ East

Timezone: The UAE is four hours ahead of GMT.
Telephone: International Code +971
Police: 999
Fire: 997

The Government

The capital of the UAE is Abu Dhabi. This is where the seat of government is and where national decisions are made. However, each emirate has it's own ruler and each emirate has a degree of autonomy and can make up their own laws.

Language

The official language of the UAE is Arabic. Other languages spoken are English, Hindi, Farsi. A large number of the expatriate population are from the sub-continent, the Philippines, Iran, and just about any country. So you will find people here speaking Urdu, Tagalog, Malayalam, Russian, South African and languages.

Currency

The United Arab Emirates currency is called the Dirham. Arab Emirate Dirham (=Dhs or AED) 100 Fils = 1 Dirhams

Religion

The official religion of the United Arab Emirates is Islam. But other faiths are accepted and freedom of worship privately is given. Churches are common in some emirates.

Climate

Moderate climate is found between October and March when days are sunny and pleasant (Average Temperature - 26¼ C). Nights are Cool (average temperature is 15¼ C) Summer is between April and September, when temperatures peak at 50¼ C with high humidity levels. In the summer, southerly and northerly winds blow over the UAE with occasional sandstorms.

Population

The Population of the United Arab Emirates at the end of 2002 was 3.75 million.

Economy

The UAE is a major player in the global oil industry. The emirate of Abu Dhabi alone accounts for 10 per cent of the world's confirmed oil reserves (98 billion barrels). Trade, too, is booming with each emirate establishing a free zone with no taxes to encourage companies to set up their manufacturing and export units here.

The UAE's Gross Domestic Product in 2002 stood at Dh262.03 billion ($71.4 billion)The oil sector accounted for (2002) Dhs 62.8 billion while the non-oil sector accounted for Dh199.2 billion ($54.2 billion)

Per capita income: Dh70,000 ($19,080)