The United Arab Emirates is a constitutional federation of seven emirates; Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Qaiwain, Ras al-Khaimah and Fujairah. The federation was formally established on 2 December 1971.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) occupies an area of 83,600 sq km along the south-eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. Qatar lies to the west, Saudi Arabia to the south and west, and Oman to the north and east. The capital and the largest city of the federation, Abu Dhabi, is located in the emirate of the same name.Four-fifths of the UAE is desert, yet it is a country of contrasting landscapes, from awe-inspiring dunes to rich oases, precipitous rocky mountains to fertile plains.The United Arab Emirates, one of the world's fastest growing tourist destinations, has all the right ingredients for an unforgettable holiday, sun, sand, sea, sports, unbeatable shopping, top-class hotels and restaurants, an intriguing traditional culture, and a safe and welcoming environment.

The city of Abu Dhabi is the capital. The land is largely hot, dry desert; in the east is a portion of the Jabal al Akhdar Mts. Oil, first exploited in the 1960s, is critical to the economy; oil exports rank among the world's largest, and oil revenues have made the per capita income one of the world's highest. There are also rich natural-gas deposits, but banking and financial services, regional corporate headquarters, and tourism are increasingly important. Fishing and pearling are traditional occupations. The indigenous population, Sunni Muslim Arabs, is outnumbered by foreign-born workers, mostly from Asia, originally attracted by the petroleum boom. The official language is Arabic, but Farsi and English are widely used. Overall governmental authority is invested in the Supreme Council, which consists of the seven sheikhs.

Geography

The United Arab Emirates is situated in Southwest Asia, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia; it is in a strategic location along southern approaches to the Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil.The UAE lies between 22°50′ and 26° north latitude and between 51° and 56°25′ east longitude. It shares a 530-kilometer border with Saudi

Climate

The climate of the UAE generally is hot and dry. The hottest months are July and August, when average maximum temperatures reach above 48°C on the coastal plain. In the Al Hajar al Gharbi Mountains, temperatures are considerably cooler, a result of increased altitude.Average minimum temperatures in January and February are between 10°C and 14°C .During the late summer months, a humid southeastern wind known as the sharqi makes the coastal region especially unpleasant. The average annual rainfall in the coastal area is fewer than 120 mm ,but in some mountainous areas annual rainfall often reaches 350 mm.

The UAE is eager to gain a slice of this growing market and is quickly moving to bring its health care sector up to international standards.

In the last three years, 14 hospitals in the UAE have been accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI) in the US, one of the world's leading accreditation organisations.

The latest of these is Sheikh Khalifa Medical City in Abu Dhabi, which in July received JCI status for its surgical pavilion, medical pavilion and outpatient speciality clinics.

The emirate has also teamed up with Harvard Medical School to operate Dubai Healthcare City, a 435-acre state-of-the-art 'centre of excellence' for clinical and wellness services, medical education and research aimed at competing with low-cost health care providing countries in Asia.

The UAE's Ministry of Health is at the forefront of developing the necessary infrastructure to attract medical tourists, says Nasser Khalifa Al-Budoor, the Assistant Undersecretary for International Relations and Health Affairs at the MoH.

'We'll be ready to start receiving medical tourists coming here with their families, whether for plastic surgeries, knee replacements or treatment of cardiovascular diseases. We have so many hospitals like John Hopkins, Harvard, where some of the biggest names are working,' Al Budoor noted.

He said in the past the Middle East would 'never have been considered a destination for medical tourists', but the situation in the UAE had completely changed.

'People would go to London for shopping with their families and receive a check up or undergo a small operation. Now Dubai is ready for this. We have so much to offer now, with certified hospitals from international agencies,' he said.

History

Abu Dhabi is the name of both the capital city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the largest of the seven individual emirates which make up the country. The UAE was created as a federation and became a unified independent sovereign state in 1971. In addition to Abu Dhabi, which is the largest constituent in terms of both area and population, its members are Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.

Historically, in such a harsh climate, communities inhabited areas where there was access to water. In the desert interiors, life was sustained by nomadic herding of camels, goats and sheep with date farming and limited cultivation of other crops around the scattered oases. On the coast, trade with neighbouring peoples and fishing became more important, as did the harvesting of pearls in some locations, until its decline in the 1930’s. Early in the19th century, the British gained a foothold in the Gulf and became increasingly more influential until their departure in 1971. This prompted seven leaders of various sheikhdoms in the southern Gulf to form the UAE.

Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the then ruler of Abu Dhabi, became the first President of the UAE. After he passed away in 2004, he was succeeded by his son, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, as the Ruler of Abu Dhabi and President of the UAE.

This unity of the emirates led to an era of security and shared prosperity across the region that had been revolutionized with the discovery of oil and gas in 1958. With the revenue from these, the infrastructure and social services have been dramatically improved and are now amongst the best in the world.

Culture

The United Arab Emirates has a diverse and multicultural society.[132] The countries cultural imprint as a small, ethnically homogenous pearling community was changed with the arrival of other ethnic groups and nationals — first by the Iranians in the early 1900s, and later by Indians and Pakistanis in the 1960s. Dubai has been criticized for perpetuating a class-based society, where migrant workers are in the lower classes.

Emarati culture mainly revolves around the religion of Islam and traditional Arab, and Bedouin culture. Being a highly cosmopolitan society, the UAE has a diverse and vibrant culture. The influence of Islamic and Arab culture on its architecture, music, attire, cuisine and lifestyle are very prominent as well. Five times every day, Muslims are called to prayer from the minarets of mosques which are scattered around the country.

Places To Visit

Dubai is a city geared for tourists, and there's no shortage of things to do and see while you're there. Here's a rundown of the most popular.

BurJuman Centre - A massive shopping mall in the Bur Dubai area. Along with a plenty of shops selling designer brands, you will find a cinema complex and a leisure arcade here. There are plenty of cafes and restaurants to revive your spirits when you're all shopped out.

Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club - If you love fishing, you can hire a 10m boat here for you and your friends to angle in style. The fairly high cost does include a skipper as well as lunch for both you and the fish, and it might seem less costly when the price is divided between the six passengers the boat can hold.

Dubai Museum - Housed in Dubai's oldest standing building, a former fort in Bastakia. Displays include a souk peopled by waxworks, a collection of skeletons and some examples of desert wildlife. Very small charge for admission.

Heritage Village and Diving Village - An enjoyable, interactive look at Dubai's past. Both are found on the Creek. The diving village features displays on pearl diving, as well as scale models of dhows and pearling boats. The heritage village recreates a Bedouin settlement, complete with homes made from barasti (dried palm leaves tied together) and mud. You can also enjoy pottery and weaving workshops as well as visiting a traditional coffee house. A small souk sells a mixture of traditional Bedouin handcrafts and imported items. Admission is free.

Nad Al Sheba Racecourse - This is home to the Dubai World Cup, possibly the world's most famous horse race, and certainly the one with the highest stakes. The club, to be found a short drive south-east of Dubai, is surrounded by stables, and in the early morning during the winter season you can watch the horses being trained. The Dubai Racing Festival meets start in January and last nine weeks, but there are other race meetings between November and April. General admission is free.

Wild Wadi water park - A water park with 23 interconnected rides, to be found between the Burj al Arab and the Jumeirah Beach Hotel Dubai. Brave souls should try the Jumeirah Sceirah (geddit?), a speed slide where you reach heights of 33 metres before being hurtled downwards again at speeds of up to 80km an hour. The whole place is themed around an Arabic legend about Sinbad the sailor, and the shop is built to resemble Aladdin's Cave. However, it is quite expensive to get in, and there isn't much of a discount for children.

Air Transport

The Dubai International Airport is a hub for Emirates Airline and has a large duty-free shopping centre. The airport has won numerous awards for its excellence in design and services.A third terminal was opened in October 2008. The new terminal is dedicated to Emirates Airlines and fully supports the new Airbus A380. The completion of this terminal doubled the capacity of the airport.

Road Transport

Dubai has a very large bus system run by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). The bus system has 193 routes on weekdays and transports over 30 million people weekly[citation needed]. The Public Transport bus system is large and advanced but not large enough to accommodate the volume of people who use it.

Dubai also has an extensive taxi system, by far the most frequently used means of public transport within the Emirate. There are both government-operated and private cab companies. The Dubai Transport Corporation operates cream-coloured taxis. Some of the private cab companies are Cars Taxi, National Taxi, Cititaxi and Metro Taxi.