One of the richest countries in the world
Dubai is part of the United Arab Emirates. It is a tradition based federation consisting of seven Emirates: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ras al-Khaimah, Umm al-Qaiwain, Sharjah, Ajman and Fujairah. Because oil was discovered here in the 1960s Dubai is now one of the richest countries in the World. This gigantic economic growth particularly shows in the development of prestigious real estate projects.
Geographic location
The United Arab Emirates are located south of Iran separated by the Persian Gulf. Qatar is situated to the northwest of the UAE and it borders on the federation of Oman in the east. Dubai has a total surface of 4,114 square kilometers and the United Arab Emirates has a surface of 83,600 square kilometers. (Dubai makes up approx. 4.9% of the total surface of the United Arab Emirates).
Two parts of the city
Dubai is a modern city and sometimes referred to as the New York of the East. Dubai actually consists of two cities that have grown close to each other: Deira in the north and Bur Dubai in the south. These two parts of the city are divided by the Dubai Creek (Khor Dubai). Traditional architecture and busy souks can be found in both parts of the city. The historic city centre is in Deira and the modern part is in Bur Dubai.
Ruler of Dubai
Muhammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum is the sheikh of Dubai. He is als the Vice President and the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates. The President of the UAE is sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed AI Nahyan.
The population
The population of Dubai consists of a large number of different cultures. The original inhabitants of the UAE only make up 25% of the current population. The rest of the population consists of citizens with185 different nationalities. Dubai's population is approx. 1.4 million. The total population of the UAE is 6 million inhabitants, an increase of 46% compared to 2005.
Language
The official language of Dubai is Arabic, but English is spoken everywhere. The many Pakistani living in Dubai speak Urdu and the Persian language Farsi is also widely spoken. Both languages are used in the world of business and commerce.
Temperature
From October to May temperatures range between 14 to 37 degrees centigrade. During the rest of the year the temperature varies between 26 and 41 degrees centigrade.
Currency
The official currency in the United Arab Emirates is AED which stands for the Emirate Dirham.
Notes of 1,000 - 500 - 200 - 100 - 50 - 20 - 10 and 5 AED
Coins of 1 - 50 and 25.
The average exchange rate is 1 Euro : AED 5.05.
Local time
Dubai is 2 or 3 hours ahead of The Netherlands.
The other Emirates
Abu Dhabi
• The largest of the seven Emirates
• Ruled by the Al Nahyan family
• Desert like landscape with some 30 islands in the sea
• Divided into 3 regions: the capital, cities close to the Hajar mountains and the cities near the Liwa oases
Sharjah
• Surrounded by the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman
• Ruled by the Al Qasimi family
• Has become famous because of its port and salt mines, served as a passageway to India
• The cultural capital of the United Arab Emirates in 1998 according to UNESCO
Ajman
• The smallest of the seven Emirates
• Rules by the Al Nuami family
• Surrounded by Sharjah, Ajman and the Hajar mountains
Umm Al Quwain
• The second smallest of the seven Emirates
• Ruled by the Al Mualla family
• Located between Sharjah and Ajman
• The smallest population of the Emirates
Ras Al Khaimah
• The most northern Emirate
• Ruled by the Al Qasimi family
• Unique because of its flora and the waterfall flowing from the Hajar mountains
Fujairah
• The only Emirate without a coastline
• Ruled by the Al Sharqi family
• A unique combination of mountains and plains
• Agriculture because of the rainfall from the Hajar mountains