About Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The information below is a compilation from a variety of online sources.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), transliteration: Dawlat al-Imârât al-‘Arabîyah al-Muttahidah) is a federation of seven states situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman and Saudi Arabia. The seven states, termed emirates, are Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Quwain.

UAE Fast Facts

Motto:                  “Allah, Nation, President”

Anthem:                Ishy Bilady

Capital:                 Abu Dhabi

Largest City:        Dubai

Official Language: Arabic

Nationality:         Emirati

Government:       Federal constitutional monarchy

President:              Khalifia bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Prime Minister:    Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

Establishment:     December 2, 1971

Total Area:         83,600 km2 (116th) or 32,278 sq mi

Population:              2010 estimate: 8.26 million according to the National Bureau of

Statistics

Currency:                   UAE Dirham (AED), which is pegged to the US Dollar

Time Zone:           GMT+4 (UTC+4)

Politics & Religion

The Presidency and Premiership of the UAE is de facto hereditary to the Al Nahyan clan of Abu Dhabi and the Al Maktoum clan of Dubai. The Supreme Council, consisting of the rulers of the seven emirates, also elects the Council of Ministers, while an appointed 40-member Federal National Council, drawn from all the emirates, reviews proposed laws. There is a federal court system; all emirates except Ras Al Khaimah have joined the federal system; all emirates have both secular and Islamic law for civil, criminal and high courts.

The UAE has one of the most diverse populations in the Middle East, with just 11.42% being Emirati. An estimated 73.9% of the population is comprised of non-citizens, one of the world’s highest percentages of foreign-born in any nation.

The most populated city is also the largest – the capital city Abu Dhabi – which 42 percent of the country’s residents call home. The majority of citizens across the UAE are Muslim, approximately 85% of whom are Sunni and the remaining 15% Shi’a. Dubai, the second most populated city, is the only emirate with both a Hind temple and a Sikh Gurdwara. Christian churches are also present in the country.

The Holy Month of Ramadan is observed throughout the UAE. The word Ramadan means “scorcher” in Arabic. Fasting during Ramadan is the fourth of the five pillars of Islam, the essential religious duties of all adult Muslims. These pillars are described in the Qur'an. Fasting, according to the Qur'an, begins each morning when “the white thread can be distinguished from the black thread of dawn.” It continues until sunset. The time when they break the fast is called Iftar.

Eating, drinking, and smoking in public during the daylight hours of Ramadan is not allowed and non-Muslim residents of the UAE are asked to respect this rule.

Economy

The UAE has an open economy with one of the highest per capita incomes in the world and a sizable annual trade surplus. The GDP per capita is currently the third in the world and second in the Middle East, after Qatar and Kuwait as measured by the CIA World Factbook, or the 17th in the world as measured by the International Monetary Fund.

With almost US$1 trillion in foreign invested assets, some argue the UAE to be the richest, with the highest average income in the world. Over half of this money is generated by the nation's capital; Abu Dhabi.

As a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the UAE participates in the wide range of GCC activities that focus on economic issues. These include regular consultations and development of common policies covering trade, investment, banking and finance, transportation, telecommunications, and other technical areas, including protection of intellectual property rights.

Education

The education system through secondary level is monitored by the Ministry of Education. It consists of primary schools, middle schools and high schools. The public schools are government-funded and the curriculum 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 which are internationally accredited. Public schools in the country are free for citizens of the UAE, while the fees for private schools vary.

Many private international schools in the UAE are accredited by international bodies with more than 17 International Baccalaureate schools operating in the country, all of which have obtained approval from the International Baccalaureate Organization in Geneva to run their programs.

The higher education system is monitored by the Ministry of Higher Education. The ministry also is responsible for admitting students to its undergraduate institutions.