ABOUT DUBAI

UAE country made up of seven 'emirates' Abu Dhabi (the capital), Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al-Quwain, Ras Al-Khaimah and Fujairah. Dubai is the second largest Emirate in the United Arab Emirates and probably the most well known. Under the guidance of H.H. Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, it has forged a reputation as one of the most important and vibrant cities in the Middle East. The liberal nature of Dubai, coupled with unprecedented investment and year round sunshine has turned the emirate into a popular tourist destination as well as an essential place to do business.

The Country - UAE

THE GEOGRAPHY: The United Arab Emirates is situated on a peninsula 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.

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 its own ruler and each emirate has a degree of autonomy and can make up their own laws. TIME ZONE: The UAE is 4 (four) hours ahead of GMT. LANGUAGE: The official language of the UAE is Arabic. Other languages spoken are English, Hindi, Farsi, 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 and in Dubai you will even find a Hindu Temple.

CLIMATE: Moderate climate is found between October and March when days are sunny and pleasant (Average Temperature - 24¼ 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 2005 was 4.041 million.

ECONOMY: The UAE is a major player in the global oil industry. The emirate of Abu Dhabi alone accounts for 10% 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)