United Arab Emirates

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The United Arab Emirates (also the UAE or the Emirates) is a Middle Eastern country situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia on the Persian Gulf, comprising seven emirates: Abu Dhabi, Ajmān, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Quwain. Before 1971, they were known as the Trucial States or Trucial Oman, in reference to a nineteenth-century truce between Britain and several Arab Sheikhs. The name Pirate Coast has also been used in reference to the area's emirates in the 18th to early 20th century.^[1] It borders Oman and Saudi Arabia. The country is rich in oil and, although it lacks other natural resources, it expects recent additional economic diversification to draw more financial and banking firms. The United Arab Emirates is a highly prosperous country after it gained foreign investment funding the desert-and-coastal nation in the 1970s. The country has a relatively high Human Development Index, or HDI, for the Asian continent.

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 3 Administrative divisions 3.1 Exclaves and enclaves 4 Politics 5 Economy 6 Demographics 6.1 Culture and religion 6.2 Education 6.3 Sport 6.3.1 Football 6.3.2 Tennis 6.3.3 Camel Racing 7 Human rights 8 Transportation 9 Internet 9.1 Airlines history 10 Technology, media and telecommunications 10.1 Communication 10.2 Media 10.3 Holidays 11 See also 11.1 Lists 12 References 13 External links 13.1 Government 13.2 General information 13.3 Non-governmental organisations

[edit] History

Main article: History of the United Arab Emirates

[edit] Geography

Main article: Geography of the United Arab Emirates

Thee UAE lies in Southwest Asia, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia. It is a flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert wasteland; with mountains in the east. Desert land covers over 90% of the country [1]. Its strategic location along southern approaches to the Strait of Hormuz makes it a vital transit point for world crude oil.

The border demarcation treaties of 1974 and 1977 between the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia were never made public; the exact border of the two countries is only known to their governments.

[edit] Administrative divisions

Main article: Emirates of the United Arab Emirates

See also: Ranked lists of UAE Emirates, List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, and Category:Towns and villages in the United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates is a federation which consists of seven emirates: Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Quwain.

Five emirates have one or more exclaves, in addition to the main territory:

• Ajman: 1 exclave
• Dubai: 1 exclave
• Fujairah: 2 exclaves
• Ras al-Khaimah: 1 exclave
• Sharjah: 3 exclaves

In addition there are two areas under joint control: Oman and Ajman; Fujairah and Sharjah.

[edit] Exclaves and enclaves

There is an Omani enclave surrounded by UAE territory, known as Wadi Madha. It is located halfway between the Musandam peninsula and the rest of Oman, on the Dubai-Hatta road in the Emirate of Sharjah. It covers approximately 75 square kilometres (29 sq mi) and the boundary was settled in 1969. The north-east corner of Madha is closest to the Khor Fakkan-Fujairah road, barely 10 metres (33 ft) away. Within the enclave is a UAE exclave called Nahwa, also belonging to the Emirate of Sharjah. It is about 8 kilometres (5 mi) on a dirt track west of the town of New Madha. It consists of about forty houses with its own clinic and telephone exchange [2].

[edit] Politics

Main article: Politics of the United Arab Emirates

See also: foreign relations of the United Arab Emirates and military of the United Arab Emirates

The President and Premiership is hereditary to the Al Nahyan clan of Abu Dhabi and the Al Maktoum clan of Dubai. The Supreme Council also elects the Council of Ministers, while an appointed forty-member Federal National Council, drawn from all the emirates, reviews proposed laws. There is a federal court system; all emirates except Dubai and Ras al-Khaimah have joined the federal system; all emirates have both secular and Islamic law for civil, criminal, and high courts.

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan was the union's president from the nation's founding until his death on 2 November 2004. The Federal Supreme Council elected his son, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan, president the next day.

[edit] Economy

Main article: Economy of the United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates has the fifth highest GDP per capita in the world ^[2]. Though current GDP per capita contracted by 42% in the 1980s, successful diversification helped register positive growth of 48% in the 1990s.

The UAE has an open economy with a high per capita income and a sizable annual trade surplus. Its wealth is based on oil and gas output (about 33% of GDP)^[3], and the fortunes of the economy fluctuate with the prices of those commodities. Since 1973, the UAE has undergone a profound transformation from an impoverished region of small desert principalities to a modern state with a high standard of living. At present levels of production, oil and gas reserves should last for over 100 years^[4]. Despite higher oil revenues in 1999, the government has not drawn back from the economic reforms implemented during the 1998 oil price depression. The government has increased spending on job creation and infrastructure expansion and is opening up its utilities to greater private-sector involvement.

Expatriates from India and Pakistan perform a significant role in the local economy. However, to control illegal immigration into the country, on November 9, 2002, the UAE immigration ministry announced that all Indians visiting the country must have a return ticket.^[5]

[edit] Demographics

Main article: Demographics of the United Arab Emirates

UAE has one of the most diverse populations in the Middle East^[6]. Since the mid-1980s, people from all across South Asia have settled in the UAE. In fact, an estimated 85 percent of the population is comprised of non-citizens, one of the world's highest percentages of foreign-born in any nation.^{[citation needed]} The UAE's better living standards and economic opportunities than anywhere else in the Middle East and South Asia have made it an attractive destination for Indians and Pakistanis, Baluchis along with tens of thousands from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. In 2006, there were approximately 1.2 million Indian nationals and 700,000 Pakistani nationals in the UAE, making them the largest expatriate community in the oil-rich nation.^[7] Persons from over twenty Arab nationalities, including thousands of Palestinians who came as either political refugees or migrant workers, live in the UAE.^{[citation needed]}

Emiratis (local Arabs) Other Arabs South Asians Western and East Asian

11% 21% 57% 11%

The most populated city is Dubai, with approximately 1.2 million people. Other major cities include Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Sharjah, and Fujairah. About 88% of the population of the United Arab Emirates is urban.^[8] The remaining live in tiny towns scattered throughout the country or many of the desert oilfield camps.

There are also residents from other parts of the Middle East, Baluchistan, Africa, Europe, Post-Soviet states, and North America. The UAE has developed a small number, but very affluent group of expatriates (Americans, British, Japanese and Australians) from developed countries, attracted to a very warm climate, scenic views (beaches, golf courses, man-made islands and lucrative housing tracts in Abu Dhabi and Dubai), the nation's comparably low-cost of living (but in 2006, thousands of real estate properties are valued over millions of dollars) and tax-free incentives for their business or residency in the UAE. They make up under 5 percent of the UAE population, mainly English-speaking as well learned Arabic and are mainly not Muslims, but adhered to the law and customs of their adopted country.

[edit] Culture and religion

See also: Islam in the United Arab Emirates, Roman Catholicism in the United Arab Emirates, Music of the United Arab Emirates, Cinema of the United Arab Emirates, UAE Public Library and Cultural Center, and Yowla

Rooted in Islamic culture, the UAE has strong ties with the rest of the Arab and Islamic world. The government is committed to preserving traditional forms of art and culture, primarily through the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation.

Nearly all citizens are Muslims, approximately 85 percent of whom are Sunni and the remaining 15 percent are Shi'a. Although no official figures are available, local observers estimate that approximately 55 percent of the foreign population is Muslim, 25 percent is Hindu, 10 percent is Christian, 5 percent is Buddhist, and 5 percent (most of whom reside in Dubai and Abu Dhabi) belong to other religions, including Parsi, Baha'i, and Sikh.^[9]

Dubai is the only emirate of the UAE with a Hindu Temple and a Sikh Gurudwara. Churches are also present in the country. There are a variety of Asian-influenced schools, restaurants and cultural centers. There also exist a growing number of European centers, schools, and restaurants. The first known manuscript in UAE is Al jawaher wal la'li.

[edit] Education

The education system up to the secondary level is monitored by the Ministry of Education. It consists of primary schools, middle schools and secondary schools. The public schools are government-funded and the curricula is created to match the United Arab Emirates development's goals and values. The medium of instruction in the public school is Arabic with emphasis on English as a second language. There are also many private schools internationally accredited. Public schools in the country is free for Emirati (UAE's National). The fees for private schools vary.

The higher education system is monitored by the Ministry of Higher Education. The Ministry also is responsible for admitting students to its undergraduate institutes; including the main three institutes : United Arab Emirates University, Zayed University and Higher Colleges of Technology. There are also many private universities and colleges in the country. Some world-renowned universities have established campuses in the United Arab Emirates.

The country has shown interest to improve education and research. Recent interest includes establishing CERT Research Centers and Masdar Institute of Science and Technology.

[edit] Sport

New sports are becoming popular alongside traditional camel racing. Examples of these new sports include golf, with two European Tour events in the country (the Dubai Desert Classic and the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship) and the world's richest horse race, the Dubai World Cup, held annually in March [3].

Aside from the international circuit events, the UAE has a healthy indigenous sporting environment with the local community participating in a wide variety of clubs and establishments. The seven emirates regularly compete in national leagues and cups in a multiplicity of sports that are controlled by specialized governing bodies. Top sporting venues (both indoor and outdoor) and an all-year-round good climate ensure that the activities continue throughout the winter season.

[edit] Football

Like any other sporting nation, the UAE has a huge interest in football. The UAE FA was first established in 1971 and since then has dedicated its time and effort to promoting the game, organising youth programmes and improving the abilities of not only its players, but of the officials and coaches involved with its regional teams. The U.A.E. football team qualified for the World Cup in 1990 - with Egypt it was the third consecutive World Cup with two Arab nations qualifying after Kuwait and Algeria in 1982 and Iraq and Algeria again in 1986. The UAE team narrowly won the Kirin Cup with a sixty-eighth minute goal against hosts Japan, but campaigns in the Asian Cup Finals, They have on the Gulf Cup with the lead of Ismail Matar who was the best striker in it Matar also was the best youth player in the Youth World Cup 2003. A new manager, Dick Advocat, joined the UAE team in July in time for a four-team friendly in Switzerland, in which they beat both Qatar and Kuwait but lost 5–4 on penalties in the final against Egypt. Despite the disappointment of the national team, football in the UAE has had a successful year. All tournaments for senior and junior teams were completed, and sponsorship deals with Dubai Holding and Emirates airline have been signed. In April, Dubai Holding agreed to provide the national team with Dh20 million (US$5.45 million) sponsorship money over the next four years. The fund will also go towards developing the sport.The UAE also recently won the Gulf Cup soccer championship held in Abu Dhabi January 2007.

[edit] Tennis

The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships (part of the APT Tour World Series at the Aviation Club, Dubai) was bigger than ever in 2005 with no less than six of the top-seeded women’s players taking centre court, a first time appearance by tennis’ golden boy, Andre Agassi, and the return of the celebrated Roger Federer,who was seeking his third title crown, resulting in some dramatic court action. In an unprecedented move, Dubai Duty Free, organisers of the championship,decided to switch the men’s tournament to the first week of the competition so that it ran from 21 to 27 February and the women’s was played from 28 February to 5 March.

[edit] Camel Racing

The inhabitants of the Gulf states have enjoyed a long and productive relationship with the camel, which is held in great admiration and respect. Formalizing camel racing was one way of maintaining its central role in UAE life. The UAE now has no less than 15 race tracks across the seven emirates. Nad Al Sheba, 10 kilometers outside of Dubai, Al Wathba, 30 kilometers south-east of Abu Dhabi, and Al Ain track, which is 20 kilometers west of Al Ain, are all large, well-equipped camel tracks with high-tech facilities. Two smaller tracks are located in Sharjah, one in Ra’s al-Khaimah and one in Umm al-Qaiwain. Others are spread throughout the desert areas

In February 2007 it was announced that Bernie Ecclestone had signed a seven year deal with Abu Dhabi, to host a Formula 1 race there from the 2009 season. The 5.6 km circuit is to be set on Yas Island and it will include street and marina sections.

[edit] Human rights

Main article: Human rights in the United Arab Emirates

Although the UAE government has made some advances in the protection of human rights, the U.S. Department of State notes in its annual report on human rights practices that numerous fundamental practices and policies exist to the contrary. Specifically, the UAE does not have democratically elected institutions (citizens do not have the right to change their government) or political parties; free assembly and association are restricted; and the rights of workers are limited.

[edit] Transportation

Main article: Transport in the United Arab Emirates

[edit] Internet

Internet access is strictly filtered over the local Proxy of the telecommunication company Etisalat. However some facilities such as educational facilities and free zones have unlimited internet access. Additional to that the UAE are the only country in the world where VOIP is blocked which is regularly causing a discussion concerning the freedom of speech and makes it less attractive for international companies. No clear statement concerning the cause of the VOIP block was ever published from officials. The only statement concerning this was that the UAE has no regulation for VOIP. It is well known that the local telecommunication companies which are owned by the government are the reason for this block. Etisalats revenue by the end of 2006 was $2.48 billion.

[edit] Airlines history

The national airline of Abu Dhabi was formerly Gulf Air, operated jointly with Bahrain and Oman. On September 13, 2005, Abu Dhabi announced that they were withdrawing from Gulf Air to concentrate on Etihad Airways, designated as the new national carrier of the UAE, established in November 2003.

In 1985, Dubai established its airline Emirates, which is now one of the fastest growing airlines in the world [4].

[edit] Technology, media and telecommunications

[edit] Communication

Main article: Communications in the United Arab Emirates

[edit] Media

While media is one of the first industries that the emirate of Dubai has sought to develop through a number of micro-cities, there remain major issues concerning freedom of speech throughout the UAE. Dubai Media City has helped to make Dubai the media hub for the region, encompassing both the creation of media, from print through television and new media, and the advertising and marketing industry.

A number of international news organizations, including Reuters, Associated Press, Agence France Press, Bloomberg, Dow Jones Newswires, CNN and the BBC, all have a presence in Dubai Media City, and enjoy complete freedom to report on local and regional events. However, local media operate under a number of restrictions, and are strictly forbidden from criticizing the royal family.

The leading English-language newspapers in the UAE are:

• Gulf News, the highest circulating broadsheet
• The Emirates Evening Post, the only English afternoon daily
• 7DAYS, the highest circulating tabloid
• Khaleej Times, the second-highest circulating broadsheet
• Emirates Today, a government-owned newspaper

[edit] Holidays

Date	English	Arabic
1 January	New Year's Day		رأس السنة الميلادية
variable	Day of the Sacrifice	Eid ul-Adha	عيد الأضحى
variable	Islamic New Year	Ra's Al Sana Al Hijria	رأس السنة الهجرية
variable	The Night Journey	Isra'a wa al-Miraj	الإسراء و المعراج
2 December	National Day	Al-Eid Al Watani	العيد الوطني
variable	End of Ramadan	Eid ul-Fitr	عيد الفطر

[edit] See also

• Dubai Ports World controversy
• Emirates Scout Association

[edit] Lists

• Schools in the United Arab Emirates
• Companies in the United Arab Emirates

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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• United Arab Emirates official site

[edit] Government

• Government of United Arab Emirates official site
• UAE Interact: UAE Ministry Of Information and Culture
• Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi
• Food Control Authority
• Dubai eGovernment Portal
• Ras Al Khaimah eGovernment Portal
• Geographic Information System
• Dubai's Government Supported Real Estate Portal

[edit] General information

• Open Directory Project - United Arab Emirates directory category
• US State Department - United Arab Emirates includes Background Notes, Country Study and major reports
• Columbia University-United Arab Emirates - Information about UAE
• BBC News Country Profile -
• CIA World Factbook - United Arab Emirates directory category
• Dubai FAQs - Information about Dubai and the UAE
• The United Arab Emirates Information Guide - The Emirates Network
• Middle East Public Relations Association (MEPRA)
• Dubai Business Network largest business forum in the UAE
• Abu Dhabi Public Library and Cultural Center
• Online Maps of the United Arab Emirates

[edit] Non-governmental organisations

• Ansar Burney Trust - working on human rights and human trafficking issues in the Middle East; and against the use of children for slavery for camel racing in the UAE

Geographic locale

v • d • e Countries and territories of the Middle East Bahrain · Egypt · Iran · Iraq · Israel · Jordan · Kuwait · Lebanon · Oman · Palestinian territories · Qatar · Saudi Arabia · Syria · United Arab Emirates · Yemen Sometimes included:  Afghanistan · Cyprus · Kurdistan · Turkey v • d • e Countries of Southwest Asia Armenia · Azerbaijan · Bahrain · Cyprus · Georgia · Iran · Iraq · Israel · Jordan · Kuwait · Lebanon · Oman · Qatar · Saudi Arabia · Syria · Turkey · United Arab Emirates · Yemen v • d • e Countries of Asia Afghanistan · Armenia · Azerbaijan1 · Bahrain · Bangladesh · Bhutan · Brunei · Cambodia · China, People's Republic of · China, Republic of (Taiwan)2 · Cyprus · Egypt3 · Georgia1 · India · Indonesia4 · Iran · Iraq · Israel · Japan · Jordan · Kazakhstan1 · Korea, Democratic People's Republic of · Korea, Republic of · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Laos · Lebanon · Malaysia · Maldives · Mongolia · Myanmar · Nepal · Oman · Pakistan · Philippines · Qatar · Russia1 · Saudi Arabia · Singapore · Sri Lanka · Syria · Tajikistan · Thailand · Timor-Leste (East Timor)4 · Turkey1 · Turkmenistan · United Arab Emirates · Uzbekistan · Vietnam · Yemen3 For dependent and other territories, see Dependent territory and List of unrecognized countries. 1 Partly or significantly in Europe.  2 The Republic of China (Taiwan) is not officially recognized by the United Nations; see Political status of Taiwan.  3 Partly or significantly in Africa.  4 Partly or wholly reckoned in Oceania. v • d • e Countries on the Persian Gulf  Bahrain •  Iran •  Iraq •  Kuwait •  Oman •  Qatar •  Saudi Arabia •  United Arab Emirates v • d • e Countries and territories on the Indian Ocean Eurasia: Bahrain • Bangladesh • Christmas Island • Cocos (Keeling) Islands • India • Indonesia • Iran • Iraq • Kuwait • Malaysia • Maldives • Myanmar • Oman • Pakistan • Qatar • Saudi Arabia • Sri Lanka • Thailand • United Arab Emirates • Yemen Africa: Comoros • Djibouti • Eritrea • Kenya • Madagascar • Mauritius • Mayotte • Mozambique • Seychelles • Somalia • Somaliland • South Africa • Sudan • Tanzania Oceania: Australia • Christmas Island • Cocos (Keeling) Islands Islands: Bahrain • British Indian Ocean Territory • Christmas Island • Cocos (Keeling) Islands • Madagascar • Maldives • Mauritius • Mayotte • Seychelles • Sri Lanka

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