The 'United Arab Emirates' ('UAE') is a
Middle Eastern
federation of seven countries situated in the southeast of the
Arabian Peninsula in
Southwest Asia on the
Persian Gulf, bordering
Oman and
Saudi Arabia. The seven countries, termed
emirates, are
Abu Dhabi,
Ajman,
Dubai,
Fujairah,
Ras al-Khaimah,
Sharjah, and
Umm al-Quwain.
The UAE is rich in
oil and, although it lacks other natural resources, it expects recent additional economic diversification to draw more financial and banking firms. It has become highly prosperous after gaining
foreign direct investment funding in the
1970s. The country has a relatively high
Human Development Index for the
Asian continent.
Before 1971, the UAE were known as the 'Trucial States' or 'Trucial Oman', in reference to a
nineteenth-century truce between
Britain and several Arab
Sheikhs. The name 'Pirate Coast' has also been used in reference to the area's emirates in the
18th to early
20th century.
[1]
History
Main articles: History of the United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates was formed from the group of tribally organized Arabian Peninsula sheikhdoms along the southern coast of the
Persian Gulf and the northwestern coast of the
Gulf of Oman. The area accepted
Islam in the
7th century; it was famous for being home to many companions of the
Islamic Prophet
Muhammad.
Later, portions of the nation came under the direct influence of the
Ottoman Empire during the 16th century. Thereafter the region was known as the Pirate Coast, as raiders based there harassed the shipping industry, despite both
European and
Arab navies patrolling the area from the
17th century into the
19th century. British expeditions to protect the
Indian trade from raiders at
Ras al-Khaimah led to campaigns against that headquarters and other harbors along the coast in
1819. The next year, a peace treaty was signed to which all the sheikhs of the coast adhered. Raids continued intermittently until
1835, when the sheikhs agreed not to engage in hostilities at sea. In
1853, they signed a treaty with the
United Kingdom, under which the sheikhs (the "Trucial Sheikhdoms") agreed to a "perpetual maritime truce." It was enforced by the United Kingdom, and disputes among sheikhs were referred to the British for settlement.
Primarily in reaction to the ambitions of other European countries, the
United Kingdom and the Trucial Sheikhdoms established closer bonds in an 1892 treaty, similar to treaties entered into by the UK with other Persian Gulf principalities. The sheikhs agreed not to dispose of any territory except to the United Kingdom and not to enter into relationships with any foreign government other than the United Kingdom without its consent. In return, the British promised to protect the Trucial Coast from all aggression by sea and to help in case of land attack.
In 1955, the United Kingdom sided with
Abu Dhabi in the latter's dispute with
Oman over the
Buraimi Oasis and other territory to the south. A 1974 agreement between Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia would have settled the Abu Dhabi-Saudi border dispute; however, the agreement has yet to be ratified by the UAE Government and is not recognized by the Saudi Government. The border with
Oman also remains officially unsettled, but the two governments agreed to delineate the border in May 1999.
In 1968, the UK announced its decision, reaffirmed in March 1971, to end the treaty relationships with the seven Trucial Sheikhdoms which had been, together with
Bahrain and
Qatar, under British protection. The nine attempted to form a union of Arab emirates, but by mid-1971 they were unable to agree on terms of union, even though the termination date of the British treaty relationship was the end of 1971. Bahrain became independent in August and Qatar in September 1971. When the British-Trucial Shaikhdoms treaty expired on
December 1,
1971, they became fully independent. On
December 2,
1971, six of them entered into a union called the United Arab Emirates. The seventh, Ras al-Khaimah, joined in early
1972.
The UAE sent forces to liberate
Kuwait during the
1990–
91 Gulf War.
On
November 2, 2004, the UAE’s first and only president,
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, died. His eldest son
Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan succeeded him as Ruler of
Abu Dhabi. In accordance with the Constitution, the UAE’s Supreme Council of Rulers elected Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan as UAE Federal President.
Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan succeeded Khalifa as Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
Administrative divisions
Main articles: Emirates of the United Arab Emirates
Administrative map of the United Arab Emirates.
The United Arab Emirates is a
federation which consists of seven
emirates:
Abu Dhabi,
Ajman,
Dubai,
Fujairah,
Ras al-Khaimah,
Sharjah, and
Umm al-Quwain, largest of which is the
emirate of Abu Dhabi which contains the nation's capital city
Abu Dhabi.
Five emirates have one or more
exclaves, in addition to the main territory:
★ Ajman: 1 exclave
★ Dubai: 1 exclave
★ Fujairah: 2 exclaves
★ Ras al-Khaimah: 1 exclave
★ Sharjah: 3 exclaves
In addition there are two areas under joint control. One is jointly controlled by Oman and Ajman, the other by Fujairah and Sharjah.
Exclaves and enclaves
There is an Omani
enclave surrounded by UAE territory, known as
Wadi Madha. It is located halfway between the
Musandam peninsula and the rest of Oman, on the
Dubai-
Hatta road in the Emirate of
Sharjah. It covers approximately 75 square kilometres (29
sq mi) and the boundary was settled in 1969. The north-east corner of Madha is closest to the
Khor Fakkan-
Fujairah road, barely 10 metres (33 ft) away. Within the enclave is a UAE
exclave called
Nahwa, also belonging to the Emirate of Sharjah. It is about 8 kilometres (5
mi) on a dirt track west of the town of New Madha. It consists of about forty houses with its own clinic and telephone exchange.
[2]
Politics
UAE Military vehicle offloading
The Presidency and Premiership of the United Arab Emirates is hereditary to the Al Nahyan clan of Abu Dhabi and the Al Maktoum clan of Dubai respectively. The Supreme Council, consisting of the rulers of the seven emirates, also elects the Council of Ministers, while an appointed forty-member Federal National Council, drawn from all the emirates, reviews proposed laws. There is a federal court system; all emirates except Dubai and Ras al-Khaimah have joined the federal system; all emirates have both secular and Islamic law for civil, criminal, and high courts. Sheikh
Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan was the union's president from the nation's founding until his death on
2 November 2004. The Federal Supreme Council elected his son,
Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan, president the next day.
Demographics
Main articles: Demographics of the United Arab Emirates
The UAE population has an unnatural sex distribution consisting of more than twice the number of males than females. The 15-65 age group has a male(s)/female
sex ratio of 2.743. UAE's
gender imbalance is the highest among any nation in the world followed by Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and Saudi Arabia - all of which together comprise the Gulf Cooperation Council
(GCC).
[3] The GCC states are also what most South and Southeast Asians refer to as the
Gulf especially in context of
emigration.
[4]
UAE has one of the most diverse populations in the
Middle East.
[5] Since the mid-
1980s, people from all across
South Asia have settled in the UAE. In fact, an estimated 85 percent of the population is comprised of non-citizens, one of the world's highest percentages of foreign-born in any nation. The high living standards and economic opportunities in the UAE are better than almost anywhere else in the Middle East and South Asia. This makes the nation an attractive destination for
Indians and
Pakistanis, along with tens of thousands from
Bangladesh and
Sri Lanka. In
2006, there were approximately 1.2 million
Indian nationals and 700,000
Pakistani nationals in the UAE, making them the largest expatriate community in the oil-rich nation.
[6] Persons from over twenty Arab nationalities, including thousands of
Palestinians who came as either political refugees or migrant workers, also live in the UAE.
★ Emiratis (local Arabs)
★ Other Arabs
★ South Asians
★ Western and East Asian | 11%
21%
57%
11%
|
An Emirati woman at a
Dubai shopping mall
The most populated city is
Dubai, with approximately 1.5 million people. Other major cities include Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Sharjah, and Fujairah. About 88% of the population of the United Arab Emirates is urban.
[7] The remaining inhabitants live in tiny towns scattered throughout the country or in one of the many desert oilfield camps in the nation.
There are also residents from other parts of the
Middle East,
Baluchistan,
Africa,
Europe,
Post-Soviet states, and
North America. The UAE has attracted a small number of very affluent
expatriates (Americans, British, Canadians, Japanese and Australians) from developed countries who are attracted to a very warm climate, scenic views (beaches, golf courses, man-made islands and lucrative housing tracts in Abu Dhabi and Dubai), the nation's comparably low-cost of living (but in
2006, thousands of real estate properties are valued over millions of dollars) and tax-free incentives for their business or residency in the UAE. They make up under 5 percent of the UAE population, with these residents mainly English-speaking and non-Muslim, though these expatriates adhere to the law and customs of their adopted country.
Culture and religion
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in
Abu Dhabi under construction
Rooted in
Islamic culture, the UAE has strong ties with the rest of the
Arab and
Islamic world. The government is committed to preserving traditional forms of art and culture, primarily through the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation. The first known
manuscript produced in the UAE was ''
Al jawaher wal la'li'', a text which discusses the emirates of the nation.
Nearly all citizens are Muslims, approximately 85 percent of whom are
Sunni and the remaining 15 percent are
Shi'a. Although no official figures are available, local observers estimate that approximately 55 percent of the foreign population is Muslim, 25 percent is
Hindu, 10 percent is
Christian, 5 percent is
Buddhist, and 5 percent (most of whom reside in Dubai and Abu Dhabi) belong to other religions, including
Parsi,
Baha'i, and
Sikh.
[8]
Dubai is the only emirate of the UAE with both a
Hindu Temple and a
Sikh Gurdwara. Christian churches are also present in the country. There are a variety of Asian-influenced schools, restaurants and cultural centers. Finally, there also exist a growing number of European centers, schools, and restaurants.
Economy
Main articles: Economy of the United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates has a highly industrialized economy that makes the country one of the most developed in the world, based on various socioeconomic indicators such as
GDP per capita, energy consumption per capita, and the
HDI.
At $168 billion in 2006, the
GDP of the UAE ranks second in the
CCASG (after
Saudi Arabia), third in the Middle East — North Africa (
MENA) region (after Saudi Arabia and
Iran), and 38th in the world (ahead of
Malaysia).
[9]
There are various deviating estimates regarding the actual growth rate of the nation’s GDP, however all available statistics indicate that the UAE currently has one of the fastest growing economies in the world. According to a recent report by the Ministry of Finance and Industry, real GDP rose by 35 per cent in 2006 to $175 billion, compared with $130 billion in 2005. These figures would suggest that the UAE had the fastest growing
real GDP in the world, between 2005 and 2006.
[10]
Although the United Arab Emirates is becoming less dependent on natural resources as a source of revenue,
petroleum and
natural gas exports still play an important role in the economy, especially in
Abu Dhabi. A massive construction boom, an expanding manufacturing base, and a thriving services sector are helping the UAE diversify its economy. Nationwide, there is currently $350 billion worth of active
construction projects.
[11] Such projects include the
Burj Dubai, which is slated to become the world's tallest building,
Dubai World Central International Airport which, when completed, will be the most expensive
airport ever built, and the three
Palm Islands, the largest artificial islands in the world. Other projects include the
Dubai Mall which will become the world's largest shopping mall when completed, and a man-made archipelago called
The World which seeks to increase Dubai's rapidly growing tourism industry.
Education
The education system up to the secondary level is monitored by the Ministry of Education. It consists of primary schools, middle schools and secondary 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.
The higher education system is monitored by the Ministry of Higher Education. The Ministry also is responsible for admitting students to its
undergraduate institutions, including the five largest centers of higher education:
United Arab Emirates University,
Zayed University,
Gulf Medical College,
University of Sharjah and
Higher Colleges of Technology. There are also many other private universities and colleges in the country, including the
American University of Sharjah. Finally, other universities based in foreign countries have established campuses in the United Arab Emirates.
The UAE has shown a strong recent interest to improve education and research. Recent enterprises include the establishment of the CERT Research Centers and the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology.
Human rights
Main articles: Human rights in the United Arab Emirates
Although the UAE government has made some advances in the protection of
human rights, the U.S. Department of State notes in its annual report on human rights practices that numerous fundamental practices and policies exist to the contrary. Specifically, the UAE does not have democratically elected institutions (citizens do not have the right to change their government) or political parties;
free assembly and association are restricted; and the rights of workers are limited.
There are many instances of severe human rights violations in the UAE. Guest workers are bought in from South Asia. They are severely underpaid and their passports are held by their employers. There have been many reports of unskilled workers not getting paid. Also discrimination in wages based on ethnicity and color is wide spread in the UAE. Europeans and people with fair skin are preferred and paid higher wages than people who are of darker skin color.
There have been several widely publicized reports about outright racism when darker skinned individuals attempt to enter many of Dubai's night clubs.
The UAE remains one of the most heavily segregated countries in the world. The white and Arab communities are financially much better off on average than people from other parts of the world.
The UAE also does not allow individuals past the retirement age to stay within the country without a job. Once a middle income individual staying in the UAE for a long period of time reaches retirement age and decides to retire from his/her job, he or she must return back to their home country. They may choose to stay in the UAE if they have enough money to purchase a house (which comes with a residency visa). Since property prices in Dubai and other parts of the country are very high most people who retire are forced to leave the country after spending a long part of their lives there.
Transportation
Main articles: Transport in the United Arab Emirates
Inside the Dubai International airport terminal
Dubai has a public transport system called the
Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). This authority is responsible for the bus network currently in operation. Recently, the RTA purchased 300 buses from Germany's MAN AG in an effort to reduce the city's growing traffic problem. RTA is also developing the Dubai Metro system. The first line (Red Line) is expected to complete by September 2009. The yellow lines, currently in development will go through the man-made
Palm Islands.
Lately, Emirate of Dubai has created new electronic toll collection system in July 2007, which emphasizes the system’s congestion management objectives as well as the choice of technology for the toll system. The new system, which is called
Salik meaning in Arabic clear and smooth, utilizes the latest technology to achieve free flow operation with no toll booths, no toll collectors, and no impact to traffic flow, allowing vehicles to move freely through the tolling point at highway speeds.
Each time one passes through a Salik tolling point, the toll of AED 4 will be deducted from her or his prepaid toll account using advanced Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. The new system has introduced and executed by Roads and Transport Authority of Dubai.
[12]
Airline history
The
national airline of Abu Dhabi was formerly
Gulf Air, operated jointly with
Bahrain and
Oman. On
September 132005, Abu Dhabi announced that they were withdrawing from Gulf Air to concentrate on
Etihad Airways, designated as the new national carrier of the UAE, established in November 2003.
In
1985,
Dubai established its airline
Emirates, which is now one of the fastest growing airlines in the world.
[13]
Technology, media and telecommunications
Main articles: Communications in the United Arab Emirates
Media
Media is one of the first industries that the emirate of Dubai has sought to develop through a number of micro-cities.
Dubai Media City has helped to make Dubai the media hub for the region, encompassing both the creation of media, from print through television and new media, and the advertising and marketing industry.
A number of international news organizations, including Reuters, Associated Press, Agence France Press, Bloomberg, Dow Jones Newswires, CNN and the BBC, all have a presence in Dubai Media City, and enjoy complete freedom to report on local and regional events.
The leading English-language newspapers based in the UAE are:
★
Gulf News, the highest circulating broadsheet
★
7DAYS, the highest circulating tabloid
★
Khaleej Times, the second-highest circulating broadsheet
★
Emirates Today, a government-owned newspaper
★
Xpress, a tabloid published every Thursday, by Gulf News
From late 2007, the international editions of ''
The Times'' of London and its sister paper
''The Sunday Times'' will be printed in Dubai for local distribution.
Internet
Internet access is strictly filtered over the local
proxy server of the telecommunication company
Etisalat [1]. However some facilities such as educational facilities and free zones have unlimited internet access.
VOIP is blocked,
[2] prompting discussion concerning the freedom of speech and making the country less attractive for international companies. Officials have never released a clear statement concerning the reason for the VOIP block. The only statement released was that the UAE has no regulation for VOIP and only the local telecommunication companies are allowed to use this technology
[3]. It is argued by some that the government's ownership of the local telecommunication companies is the reason for this block. Etisalat's revenue by the end of 2006 was $2.48 billion
[4]
Sports
New sports are becoming popular alongside traditional
camel racing. Examples of these new sports include golf, with two
European Tour events in the country (the
Dubai Desert Classic and the
Abu Dhabi Golf Championship) and the world's richest horse race, the
Dubai World Cup, held annually in March.
[14]
Aside from the international circuit events, the UAE has a healthy indigenous sporting environment with the local community participating in a wide variety of clubs and establishments. The seven emirates regularly compete in national leagues and cups in a multiplicity of sports that are controlled by specialized governing bodies. Top sporting venues (both indoor and outdoor) and an all-year-round good climate ensure that the activities continue throughout the winter season.
Football (soccer)
Like most other sporting nations, the UAE has a huge interest in
football. The
United Arab Emirates Football Association was first established in 1971 and since then has dedicated its time and effort to promoting the game, organising youth programmes and improving the abilities of not only its players, but of the officials and coaches involved with its regional teams. The
U.A.E. football team qualified for the
World Cup in
1990 - with
Egypt it was the third consecutive World Cup with two Arab nations qualifying after
Kuwait and
Algeria in
1982 and
Iraq and
Algeria again in
1986.
The UAE team narrowly won the
Kirin Cup with a sixty-eighth minute goal against host country
Japan.
A new manager,
Dick Advocaat, joined the UAE team in July in time for a four-team friendly in Switzerland, in which they beat both
Qatar and Kuwait but lost 5–4 on penalties in the final against
Egypt.
In April, Dubai Holding agreed to provide the national team with Dh20 million
(US$5.45 million) sponsorship money over the next four years. The fund will also go towards developing the sport.
The UAE also recently won the Gulf Cup soccer championship held in Abu Dhabi January 2007.
Tennis
A
tennis match during the Dubai Tennis Championships.
The
Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships (part of the
ATP International Series Gold at the Aviation Club, Dubai) was bigger than ever in 2000 with no less than six of the top-seeded women’s players taking centre court, a first time appearance by tennis’ golden boy,
Andre Agassi, and the return of the celebrated
Roger Federer, who was seeking his third title crown, resulting in some dramatic court action. In an unprecedented move, Dubai Duty Free, organisers of the championship, decided to switch the men’s tournament to the first week of the competition so that it ran from 21 to 27 February and the women’s was played from 28 February
to 5 March.
Cricket
Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium in
Sharjah has hosted 4 international Test matches so far.
Sheikh Zayed Stadium and
Al Jazira Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium in
Abu Dhabi also hosts international cricket.
Dubai also has two cricket stadiums (Dubai Cricket Ground No.1 and No.2) and is now home to the
International Cricket Council.
[5]
Camel racing
The inhabitants of the Gulf states have enjoyed camel racing for many years as it is considered a traditional sport.
[15] Formalizing camel racing was one way of maintaining its central role in UAE life. In the past, UAE had a reputation for exploiting South Asian
children as jockeys. However,
Robot jockeys are now used after strict government regulations were passed prohibiting underage jockeys from racing.
[16]
The UAE now has no less than 15 race tracks across the seven emirates. Nad Al Sheba, 10 kilometers outside of Dubai, Al Wathba, 30 kilometers south-east of Abu Dhabi, and Al Ain track, which is 20 kilometers west of Al Ain, are all large, well-equipped camel tracks with high-tech facilities. Two smaller tracks are located in Sharjah, one in Ra’s al-Khaimah and one in Umm al-Qaiwain. Others are spread throughout the desert areas.
F1
In February 2007 it was announced that
Bernie Ecclestone had signed a seven year deal with Abu Dhabi, to host a
Formula 1 race there from the 2009 season. The 5.6 km circuit is to be set on
Yas Island and it will include street and marina sections similar to
Monaco's course.
Rugby Sevens
U.A.E. hosts
Dubai Sevens round of the
IRB Sevens World Series at
Dubai Exiles Rugby Ground.
Falconry
The U.A.E. is well-known for its
falconry as it is also considered a traditional sport.
[17] Many of UAE's rulers were enthuastists in falconry as the nation imports falcons from all across the globe.
Holidays
See also
★
★
Companies in the United Arab Emirates
★
Geography of the United Arab Emirates
★
ADNOC
References
1. Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition; XXI:188; II:255 (1911)
2. geosite.jankrogh.com
3. cia.gov
4. http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/display.article?id=5992
5. http://www.arabnews.com/?page=7§ion=0&article=53888&d=3&m=11&y=2004
6. arabwideweb.com
7. Table 3.10 Urbanization (link to HTML page with the PDFs)
8. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2005/51612.htm
9. imf.org
10. khaleejtimes.com
11. wam.org.ae
12. Salik - United Arab Emirates Roads & Transport Authority
13. emirates.com
14. dubaiworldcup.com
15. Dubai By Terry Carter, Lara Dunston, pg. 17
16. The United Arab Emirates Yearbook 2007 By Ibrahim Al Abed, Peter Vine
17. Folklore and Folklife in the United Arab Emirates By Sayyid Hamid Hurriez, Sayyid Hurreiz, pg 143
External links
Government
★
Government of United Arab Emirates official site
★
UAE Interact: News & Information on the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
★
Geographic Information System
General information
★
Open Directory Project - ''United Arab Emirates'' directory category
★
CIA World Factbook - ''United Arab Emirates'' directory category
★
BBC News UAE Country Profile
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