THE COUNTRY

             Being literally crime-free is not the only thing that makes the United Arab Emirates one of the most attractive places to live in. Its amazing amalgamation of the traditional values of the East and the modern technologies of the West, being a melting pot of various nationalities and cultures living together and working in harmony and a standard of living that is comparable to the world's most advanced nations makes it one of 20^th century's success stories.  

• The UAE-A Constellation of 7 Stars
  The United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven emirates or states, each with its own unique character and personality but yet united with a common goal and destiny.  The seven emirates are :

• 2/12/1971 - The New Constellation Rises in the Middle East
  The National Day or the day of formation of the Federation of the United Arab Emirates is : 2nd December 1971and is celebrated generally every year.  National holidays are declared on 2nd, 3rd & 4th December, the major cities of the emirates are all brightly lit-up and decorated with lights.  Celebrations take place with great joy and pride.

 

Abu Dhabi      Dubai      Sharjah  Ajman   Umm Al-Qaiwain                   Ras     Al-Khaimah   Fujairah

• 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, Philippines, Iran etc.  So you will find Tagalog, Malayalam, Russian etc.     

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

• Denominations :

  Exchange Rate Dh.3.671 = US$1.00  

                   MAP OF UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
                             (CLICK TO ENLARGE)

Abu Dhabi City - Capital of the United Arab Emirates

Abu Dhabi is one of the most modern cities in the world. It is the center of government and business life in the UAE, headquarters of the emirates oil operating companies and embassies are based here. The architecture of its modern buildings and sky scrapers is the finest in the Middle East. Abu Dhabi's oil wealth has been wisely utilized to encourage a healthy trade and commerce atmosphere apart from oil industries too. The promotion of tourism and various tourism related projects will elevate Abu Dhabi to a Singaporean status in the region. Large gardens and parks, green boulevards lining all the streets and roads, sophisticated high-rise buildings, state-of-the-art communication services and transport, the presence of all the international luxury hotel chains, rich shopping malls, cultural centers and events provide tourists a one-of-a-kind experience all the year round.  A few of the important are listed below :

• The Abu Dhabi International Exhibition Centre has hosted some of the most prestigious international events like IDEX (International Defense Exhibitions) etc.

• The Abu Dhabi Shopping Festival held every year in early March is filled with fantastic bargains, sale and prizes from all the shopping malls.
  
• The Abu Dhabi Duty Free is one of the finest duty free shopping centers in the world and its prize draw is popular throughout the world.
  
• The Abu Dhabi International Airport ranks among the best airports in the world.
  
• The Abu Dhabi Cultural Centre has become a landmark in the Emirates and holds cultural events and workshops throughout the year. Its library is well catalogued and offers a rich source of information on the region.

More about Abu Dhabi Emirate

Abu Dhabi is the largest of the seven Emirates and the Federal capital of the UAE. It occupies an area of 26,000 square miles. Its long coastline - the shallow waters of the Southern Gulf, extending from the base of the Qatar Peninsula in the west to the border of the emirate of Dubai on the north east, was once the world's best waters for pearling. When the pearling industry declined, oil discovery in the offshore oilfields of the Southern Gulf revived the economy of Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi was also the first emirate to export oil from the Umm Shaif offshore field in 1962.  On the land, it stretches south to the oases of Liwa where some of the world’s largest sand dunes can be found , and east to the ancient oasis of Al Ain. This makes Abu Dhabi the largest as well as the most populated of all the emirates. Today over 120 million trees have been planted in the emirate of Abu Dhabi alone.  

Dubai is the second largest emirate in the U.A.E. Its total area is around 1000 square miles.

The city of Dubai is divided by the famous Dubai creek or Khor. This natural harbour, and Dubai's strategic location on the international trading map has made it one of the world's leading trading and commercial centers.

The Ruler of Dubai, H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, succeeded his father in 1990.

His father, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum was one of the founding fathers of the UAE together with H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahayan and was the Vice-President and Prime Minister until his death in 1990.

Now, Sheikh Maktoum has taken the mantle of the above positions.

The Maktoum family is also a part of the Baniyas tribe who first settled in Abu Dhabi but then later took control of Dubai in 1833. Dubai's growth can be traced back to the early years of the century when the grandfather of H.H. Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum persuaded the British shipping line plying between Britain and India, to make Dubai their main port of call in the 1940s.

To further consolidate its position as a major port, H.H. Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum took an active interest in the development of Dubai, he established a Police Force, a customs service and developed trade connections with India.

Soon, in the 1960's, with the discovery of oil, money started to pour in and Dubai's prominence and prosperity  increased. But aware of the risks of oil-dependency, Sheikh Rashid actively promoted new industrial ventures. The Aluminium and Cement factory are the result of this endeavour.

The Jebel Ali Free Trade Zone - the fifth largest in the world within a short span of ten years, has attracted over 900 international companies that include global giants - a few of these are General Motors, AEG, Aiwa, BP, Ciba, Geigy, Daewoo and Heinz.

Dubai's attractiveness not only lies in its trade. Like the rest of the U.A.E., it has also been actively promoted as a tourist destination. A few of its notable achievements are :

• The gold prize for the best destination in the Middle East in the 1996 World Travel prizes ceremony held in June 1996 in Las Vegas, USA. Dubai also won the silver medal for the best tourism and conference centre in the Middle East.
  

• The Dubai Shopping Festival, held every year is a major attraction for tourists worldwide.
  

• The Dubai World Trade Centre has also emerged as the best Exhibition and Conference centre in the Gulf Region by hosting innumerable International Fairs and events like the Gitex and Index, that attracts buyers, sellers and customers from all over the world.
  

• The Dubai International Airport considered as the world's second best transit airport, currently handles 7.3 million passengers per year with a growth rate of 12% that is double that of any other airport in the world.
  

• The Dubai Air Show is currently ranked third as the most significant international air-shows on a global scale. The first being Farnborough in Britain and the second Le Bourget in Paris.
  

• The Dubai Summer Surprises is an innovative tourist attraction, aimed at increasing tourism in the usually inactive summer months. The peak summer months of July, August upto mid September are filled with shopping bonanzas, entertainment for children, Ice circus, with entertainment and educational programmes held daily at all the major shopping complexes.