The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is located in the Arabian Peninsula and was established as a country on December 2, 1971. From a total population of about 9.2 million (2013), only 1.4 million people are local Emirate citizens; the rest of the population is comprised of many people from various countries in South Asia and Europe. The official language in the UAE is Arabic, but English, Hindi and Urdu are also commonly used. The UAE is comprised of seven emirates including Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al-Quwain. The capital is located in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, along with the famous Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.
As a whole, the UAE relies heavily on oil reserves which were discovered in 1966. It has used this money to establish its infrastructure, healthcare and education system. With a recent shift away from oil, the UAE is now heavily focused on the tourism industry. The business and financial sectors are also catching up with the tourism industry. The UAE and specifically Dubai, an international hub of tourism, is home to many hotels, restaurants and extravagant shopping malls. The famous Burj Khalifa tower can be found here in Dubai along with so many other famous attractions.
I will guide you through these emirates, specifically Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ras al-Khaimah and Fujairah. Join me in learning about this incredible part of the world.