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All images on this page are courtesy GULF NEWS. Reproduced with permission.
Dubai and UAE facts
Some useful facts about Dubai
- Business Hours
- Climate
- Clothing
- Credit Cards
- Currency
- Economy
- Electricity
- Ethnic Groups
- Exports
- GDP Growth
- Health Risks
- Holidays
- Imports
- Industries
- Inflation
- Language
- Literacy
- Population
- President and Prime Minister
- Religion
- Teledensity
- Telephone
- The Country
- The Geography
- The Government
- Tipping
- Trading Partners
- Visas
The
country:
The UAE is a country made up of seven 'emirates' Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah,
Ajman, Umm Al-Quwain, Ras Al-Khaimah, Fujairah. It was founded on December 2,
1971.
This is now celebrated as the
annual National Day. This is when the major cities of the emirates are all
brightly lit-up and decorated with lights.
President and Prime
Minister:
The UAE President is His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The Prime
Minister and Vice President is His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al
Maktoum.
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 it's own ruler and
each emirate has a degree of autonomy and can make up their own laws.
Economy:
The UAE is a major player in the global oil industry. The emirate of Abu Dhabi
alone accounts for 10 per cent 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)
GDP Growth Rate
-5%
Inflation
5%
Exports
Crude oil, natural gas, dried fish, dates
Imports
Manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, and food
Trading Partners
Japan, South Korea, Singapore, India, and Oman
Industries
Petroleum, fishing, petrochemicals, construction materials, some boat building,
handicrafts, tourism
Article:
Dubai's economy has been ranked
the 17th most competitive out of 61
top global economies.
Teledensity
2.6 persons per telephone
The
geography:
The United Arab Emirates is situated on a pensinsula 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 (including 200
islands - approximately).
On the map, it is situated at: Latitudes: 22¼ - 26.5¼ North Longitudes: 51¼ -
56.5¼ East
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, the Philippines, Iran, and just about any country. So you will
find people here speaking Urdu, Tagalog, Malayalam, Russian, South African and
languages.
Other information:
Information provided is true and correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of publishing.
- No taxes on income and capital gains
- Freehold title & ownership
- Simplified Purchase, Ownership and
Sale Experience - Residence Visas arranged for purchasers and family
- No EU reporting of income or investments
- Outstanding modern facilities
- Served by one of the worlds best airports, with over 100 airlines connecting to over 140 destinations
- Stable Government committed to the prosperity of the Emirate
- Beautiful pristine beaches overlooking the Palm Islands
- The fastest growing leisure & sporting destination in the World
- Unbeatable tax free shopping
- Modern banking and e-business facilities
- Regional free zones, media and internet hubs
Visas
Travelers to the United Arab Emirates must have passports valid
for at least three months after date of entry. Visas are also required by all
except citizens of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and British
nationals for stays up to 30 days. Transit passengers with valid onward travel
documents who do not leave the airport don't require a visa. Israeli nationals
are not allowed entry into the United Arab Emirates. Visa rules change from
time to time. Please double check this information with the U.A.E. Embassy
nearest to you.
Currency
The United Arab Emirates dirham is divided into 100 fils. Bills come in 1000,
500, 200, 100, 50, 10, and 5 dirham. Coins are minted in 1 dirham, and 50, 25,
10, 5 and 1 fils. Most banks, hotels and legal moneychangers will handle the
exchange of foreign currency. Banks offer the best rates. If you are given
grubby and soiled notes, hand it back as these may be refused by other
establishments. No exchange controls are in place. Click here for currency
conversion.
Credit Cards
American Express, Diners Club, Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted in larger
and more expensive establishments.
Tipping
Hotels and restaurants often include a 10% service charge, which makes tipping
unnecessary. However, if a service charge has not been included to your bill,
tip 10% to 15% of the bill to the service staff. Hotel porters are tipped a
couple of dirhams per luggage. Cab drivers need not be tipped.
Telephone:
The international dialling code for the UAE is 00 971
Police: 999
Fire: 997
Electricity
220 volts AC, 50Hz.
Health Risks
Medical certificates are not required to enter Dubai, unless you come from areas
infected with cholera or yellow fever. Malaria and cholera are not particularly
considered health risks in Dubai and other cities of the UAE. However,
precautions are needed when travelling to rural and mountainous areas of the
northern states-vaccinations against hepatitis, malaria, and typhoid are advised
as well as bringing of mosquito and insect repellants.
In Dubai, hospitals are well equipped and are among the more superior in the UAE.
Health insurance while travelling is recommended, as medical care in Dubai is
rather costly. Tap water in Dubai is safe for drinking, but in rural areas stick
to bottled or boiled water. Always choose well cooked meats and avoid dairy
products, which may be made from unpasteurized milk.
Time Zone
GMT+4, same as Muscat. Dubai is three hours behind Bangkok and eight hours ahead
of New York.
Business Hours
Banks and private offices are open from Saturday to Wednesday, 8:00 a.m. to 1:00
p.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Government office hours are from 7:30 a.m. to
1:30 p.m., Saturday to Wednesday. On Thursdays most offices close earlier at
11:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. During the month of Ramadan, most offices are closed in
the afternoon. Shops are open from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; on Thursdays, shops
close earlier.
Holidays
2007
To be advised
Climate
Dubai has a sub-tropical, arid climate. It is sunny, hot and dry most of the
year. June to September are particularly hot months, with little or no rainfall;
temperatures may shoot up to 45 degrees Celsius. The most pleasant months to
visit Dubai are from November to March, when temperatures are more comfortable
at around 10 to 30 degrees Celsius. The winter months of January and February
may bring rain showers, cooling down the area's temperatures. Click here for a
3-day Dubai weather forecast.
Clothing
Office attire consists of lightweight slacks; long or short sleeved shirts and
ties. Jackets and or business suits are worn for more formal occasions and
important meetings. For women, smart, conservative corporate wear such as long
sleeves blouses, and skirts are appropriate. Revealing outfits such as low
necklines, mini-skirts or tight shirts are not acceptable in public places.
Business entertaining will often be extravagant, a suit or a dinner jacket may
be required of men. Women are expected to wear evening dresses and skirts. Women
are advised to bring shawls or stoles, as air-conditioning in hotels and
restaurants can be chilly.
Lightweight clothes are generally suitable the whole year round including
winter. However, you might want to bring a light sweater or cardigan for winter
nights when temperatures may drop. At the beach or at the pool, trunks,
swimsuits, and bikinis are acceptable.
Population:
The Population of the United Arab Emirates at the end of 2005 was 4.041 million.
Ethnic Groups
Emiri 19%, other Arab and Iranian 23%, South Asian 50%, other expatriates
(includes Westerners and East Asians) 8%
Literacy
77.9%
Religion
Muslim 96% (Shi'a 16%); Christian, Hindu, and other 4%. Non-Muslims aren't allowed to enter mosques.
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