About UAE
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) (Arabic: دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة, Dawlat al-Imarat al –‘Arabiyah al-Muttahidah) is a federation of seven emirates situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman and Saudi Arabia. The UAE consists of the seven states, termed emirates, which are Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Quwain, Ras al-Khaimah and Fujairah. The capital and second largest city of the United Arab Emirates is Abu Dhabi. It is also the country’s center of political, industrial and cultural activities.
The political system of the United Arab Emirates, based on the 1971 Constitution, comprises several intricately connected governing bodies. Islam is the official religion and Arabic is the official language.
On 2 November 2004, the UAE’s first president, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, died. His eldest son, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, succeeded as ruler of Abu Dhabi. In accordance with the constitution, the UAE’s Supreme Council of Rulers elected Khalifa as president.
The United Arab Emirates has the world’s sixth largest oil reserves and possesses one of the most developed economies in the Middle East. It is currently the thirty-sixth largest economy at market exchange rates. The United Arab Emirates is classified as a high income developing economy by the IMF.
Abu Dhabi (Arabic: أبو ظبي Abū ẓabī, literally Father of gazelle) is the capital of, and the second largest city in the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western cost. The city proper, making up an area of 67,340 sq.km (26,000 sq.mi), had an estimated population of 860,000 in 2007.
Abu Dhabi houses important offices of the federal government, and is the seat for the United Arab Emirates Government and the home for the Emirati Royal Family. Abu Dhabi has grown to be a cosmopolitan metropolis. Its rapid development and urbanization, coupled with the relatively high average income of its population, has transformed Abu Dhabi, making the city more Westernized than most other Arab cities. Today the city is the country’s center of political, industrial activities, and major cultural, and commercial centre due to its position as the capital. Abu Dhabi alone generates 15% of the GDP of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi is home to important financial institutions such as the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates and the corporate headquarters of many companies and numerous multinational corporations. One of the world’s largest producers of oil, Abu Dhabi has actively attempted to diversify its economy in recent years through investments in financial services and tourism.
Dubai (in Arabic: دبيّ, Dubayy) is one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula.
Dubai shares legal, political, military and economic functions with the other emirates within a federal framework, although each emirate has jurisdiction over some functions such as civic law enforcement and provision and upkeep of local facilities. Dubai has the largest population and is the second-largest emirate by area, after Abu Dhabi. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are the only two emirates to possess veto power over critical matters of national importance in the country's legislature. Dubai has been ruled by the Al Maktoum dynasty since 1833. Its current ruler, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is also the Prime Minister and Vice-President of the UAE.
The emirate's main revenues are from tourism, property and financial services. Although Dubai's economy was originally built on the oil industry, revenues from petroleum and natural gas currently contribute less than 6% (2006) of the emirate's US$ 80 billion economy (2009). Property and construction contributed 22.6% to the economy in 2005, before the current large-scale construction boom.
Dubai has attracted attention through its real estate projects and sports events. This increased attention, coinciding with its emergence as a global city and business hub, has highlighted labor and human rights issues concerning its largely South Asian workforce. Established in 2004, the Dubai International Finance Centre was intended as a landmark project to turn Dubai into a major international hub for banks and finance, rivaling New York, London and Hong Kong.
Sharjah (Arabic:الشارقة ash-Shāriqa) is one of the emirates of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The emirate covers 2,600 km² (1,003 mi²) and has a population of over 800,000 (2008). The emirate of Sharjah comprises the city of Sharjah (the seat of the emirate), and other minor towns and enclaves such as Kalba, Dibba-Al-Hisn and Khor Fakkan.
Sharjah is the third largest emirate in the United Arab Emirates, and is the only one to have land on both the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Sharjah is ruled by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi of the Supreme Council of the UAE and Sheikh of Sharjah.
In the Persian Gulf, the island of Sir Abu Nu’ayr belongs to Sharjah. The emirate has a total area of 2,590 square kilometers, which is equivalent to 3.3 per cent of the UAE's total area, excluding the islands.
Sharjah is popular for its rich and cultural place in the Arab region as it has won the prestigious UNESCO award of being the Cultural capital of the Arab world for 1998. The seventeen museums in Sharjah played a critical role for obtaining this award.
Sharjah is the only Emirate in which the sale, possession and consumption of alcohol is banned. It also maintains the strictest decency laws in the UAE, introduced in 2001, with a conservative dress code required for both men and women. Mixing between unmarried men and women is illegal: "A man and a woman who are not in a legally acceptable relationship should not, according to the booklet, be alone in public places, or in suspicious times or circumstances.
Sharjah International Airport is a major cargo airport and the main base of Air Arabia. The airport served total 4,324,313 passengers and 51,314 flights in 2007. It also handled 570,363 Tonnes of cargo in the same year.
Ajmān (Arabic: عجمان ‘ajmān), with an area of just 260 sq.km, Ajman is the smallest emirate by area. Its seat of government is Ajman, which is surrounded to its north, south, and east by Sharjah.
Located along the Persian Gulf, Ajman also controls Masfut and Manama, two small, inland enclaves that are primarily agricultural. Approximately 95% of the population of the emirate resides in the city of Ajman. The population was only 36,100 in 1980 but grew considerably in recent years, due to an influx of people from the neighboring emirates of Dubai, Sharjah, and other countries. Ajman is ruled by Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi of the Al Nuaimi tribe. The Crown Prince of the Emirate is Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi. Ajmān has experienced massive development and a construction boom in recent years.
After the success of freehold property in Dubai, Ajman was the second emirate to offer freehold property. Ajman is currently the only emirate in the UAE offering investors of any nationality fully transparent true 100% freehold ownership on real estate, which in turn has attracted a huge number of investors (local and international) to this emirate. This in turn has prompted the Ajman government to initiate a number of development projects.
New Ajman is the name given to the area being developed outside of the current Ajman city, located by the Emirates Road. New Ajman will consist of many new developments & projects envisioned by Chief of Municipality Sheikh Rashid Al Nuaimi. One of the first developments of New Ajman is called "The Emirates City", a brand new city located directly on the Emirates Road to be built from scratch consisting of more than 100 mid- and high-rise buildings. A number of shopping malls, hotels and residential villas are also planned to eventually extend all the way to the 'Al Zoura' area, where beachside developments are planned.
Ajman International Airport hosting about two million passengers per year has also been announced, and construction will start in the second half of 2008 in the Al Manama area of the Ajman, and airport operations are set to start by 2011.
Umm al-Quwain (Arabic: أمّ القيوين, umm al-quwwayn, literally "Mother of two powers") is located in the north of the country. The emirate was ruled until his death by Rashid bin Ahmad Al Mu’alla, who was a member of the UAE's Supreme Council since 1981. The emirate had 62,000 inhabitants in 2003 (making it the least populous emirate in the federation) and has an area of 750 square kilometers. Accepted alternative spellings include Umm al Qiwain (used on its former postage stamps) as well as Umm al-Qawain, Umm al-Qaywayn, Umm el-Qiwain, and Umm al-Qaiwain.
During November to March temperatures average 26C. in daytime and 15C. at night (79F to 59F), but rise over 40C (104F) in the peak of the summer and the humidity levels are high. The rainfall is minimal and averages 42 millimeters a year. The coastline experiences cooling sea breezes during the day.
Ras al-Khaimah (Arabic: رأس الخيمة, rās al-Khaymah, literally "The Top of the Tent") is in the southwest of the Persian Gulf. It is in the northern part of the UAE bordering Oman. The emirate has a population of about 300,000 inhabitants. It covers an area of 656 square miles (1700 km²), mostly desert. The emirate is ruled by Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammad Al-Qassimi.
The capital city and home of most residents is also called Ras al-Khaimah. The city has a population of 263,217 as of 2008. The city has two main sections, Old Ras Al Khaimah and Nakheel, on either side of a creek.
RAK is estimated to have a total population of 300,000. While UAE citizens officially make up less than 20% of the population in the UAE, this figure is higher in RAK. Emiratis are thought to make up at least 50% of the emirate’s population. The official language of the UAE is Arabic, although English is widely used in business circles.
As the emirate will never be a major oil producer, RAK has instead had to concentrate on developing its industrial sector. It opened the UAE's first cement company in the early 1970s and is now the UAE's largest producer of cement. In the 1980s, the emirate formed RAK Ceramics, which has become the world's largest ceramics producer, and Gulf Pharmaceutical Industries - Julphar, the Persian Gulf region's first pharmaceuticals company.
Ras al-Khaimah is slated to host the 33rd America’s Cup in February 2010.
New legislation and regulations adopted by Ras al-Khaimah authorities favor big international interest for offshore business purposes. The combination of security and confidentiality is ensured to entrepreneurs. An International Business Company may only have foreign customers and is not liable for paying local taxes. It can open a local bank account, make investments tax-free, obtain mortgages for investing in UAE assets. Employment visas are available. When approved, this type of company can own property in UAE free trade zones. An International Business Company may be of a 100% foreign ownership.
No income, sales or wealth taxes are payable by individuals. No corporate taxes are charged. In addition, there are no exchange controls, no withholding nor import or export taxes.
Fujairah (Arabic: الفجيرة, al-fuǧayrah) is the only one on the Gulf of Oman in the country's east instead of Persian Gulf (the other six emirates).
The Emirate of Fujairah covers 1,150 km2 (440 sq mi), or about 1.5% of the area of the UAE, and is the fifth largest Emirate in the UAE. Its population is around 130,000 inhabitants.
Fujairah is the only Emirate of the UAE that is almost totally mountainous. Consequently, Fujairah boasts a higher than average yearly rainfall of the UAE, allowing farmers in the region to produce one crop every year.
Power is ultimately held by the ruler of Fujairah, His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, who has been in power since the death of his father in 1974. The Sheikh supposedly makes money himself through his own business, and the government funds are used for social housing development and beautifying the city, although there is little distinction between the state and his personal wealth. The ruler can make any decisions regarding any aspect of law, although federal laws are never repealed.
Foreigners or visitors are not allowed to buy land. Emirati nationals can purchase land from the government, after proving their nationality. If there is no suitable land available via the official government offices, private purchases can also be made, with the eventual price being determined by the market and the individuals themselves.
The federal government employs the majority of the native, local workforce, with few opening businesses of their own. Many of the locals work in the service sector. The Fujairah government prohibits foreigners from owning more than 49% of any business. The free zones have flourished, partly due to the relaxation of such prohibition within the zones, as full foreign ownership is allowed there. Shaikh Saleh Al Sharqi, younger brother to the ruler, is widely recognized as the driving force behind the commercialization of the economy.