United Arab Emirates

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Quick Facts

[edit]

Capital

Abu Dhabi

Population

2,485,000

Government

Federation

Religions

Islam (Shi'a)

Languages

Arabic

Calling Code

+971

Nationality

Local name

Al Imarat al Arabiyah al Muttahidah

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Introduction

Dunes

© All Rights Reserved bobrk607

When the British decided to withdraw their dying imperial reaches from their Trucial states in the Middle East back in 1971, seven sovereign sheikhdoms banded together to form what became known as the United Arab Emirates. Oil handed the UAE a ticket into Modernia and the federation hopped aboard.

Wealth, as it often seems to do, has gone hand in hand with sky-rises. This is most noticeable at Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Dubai, especially, is a shiny assortment of modern buildings, beach resorts and golf courses. If you try hard you can still catch glimpses of the pre-oil days, but we recommend that you simply head to some of the other, poorer cities and towns if you want a more traditional experience. Al-Ain is a particular highlight: located on the border with Oman in the middle of the Buraimi Oasis, it makes for a fascinating trip into Bedouin life, where camel races are the hot entertainment and you can buy a sheep or two at an excellent price at the livestock souk.

The United Arab Emirates shares international borders with Oman and Saudi Arabia.

Brief History

Geography

Regions/Cities/Emirates

The United Arab Emirates is a federation of 7 emirates, each centered around a city.

• Abu Dhabi is the largest emirate and also home to the capital city.
• Ajman
• Dubai
• Fujairah
• Ras al-Khaimah
• Sharjah
• Umm al-Quwain

Sights and Activities

Liwa Oasis

Desert, Dubai

© All Rights Reserved henkrup

Although much of the country is centred around tourism in and around the main cities/emirates, the most beautiful areas are found inland. The Liwa Oasis is in the far south of the country towards the border with Saudi Arabia and can be visited with your own transport or with overnight tours from Abu Dhabi, Dubai or other places. The desert here is very beautiful and consists of sand dunes which are part of the Empty Quarter, the largest unbroken sandy desert in the world. Although getting here is easy with a regular vehicle, you need a 4wd to get a bit off the beaten track. Still, whatever you choose, more remote than this is almost impossible in the United Arab Emirates.

Al Ain

Al Ain is the largest city not on the coastline of the country and is close to the border with Oman. It can easily be reached by buses from Dubai and Abu Dhabi among others and is called the Garden City of the United Arab Emirates. Attractions here include Jebel Hafeet, the second highest mountain of the country which top can be reached by car, the Camel Souq, the Al Ain Museum and Fort and the oasis itself with thousands of date palms.

Dubai

Burj Al Arab

© All Rights Reserved neilcrespi

A visit to the UAE without a visit to Dubai is a shame. This is one of the fastest growing areas anywhere in the world with buildings being erected at an enormous speed. Plans are even more ambitious with hundreds of high rise buildings to be added (including the highest building in the world) and thousands of islands in the form of the world or palms which are for the rich and famous only. Unfortunately, much of the old and original Dubai is hidden away in between, but can still be found in the old quarter of the city.

Burj al Arab

The Burj al Arab (the tower of Arabs) has become a landmark of Dubai virtualy overnight after being finished in 1999. The very recognisable building that is shaped to resemble the sail of a Dhow, a local fishing boat. The structure is 321 meters tall, and stands on an artificial island 280 meters away from the beach. It is connected to the mainland by a bridge. The building serves as a luxery hotel with 202 rooms. A hotel room is not cheap, the cheapest room costs about a thousand US dollars a night, the Royal suits sets you back around 28,000 US dollars. If you want to arrive in style from the airport you can be picked up by a Rolls Royce or a helicopter.

Other sights and activities

• Ajman and Sharjah - 'budget' places and much quieter
• Abu Dhabi - the capital, much less visited but still modern

Events and Festivals

Weather

Weather in the United Arab Emirates generally is warm to hot and dry. The hottest months are between June and September when temperatures can rise up to 45 degrees Celcius or even more. Humidity can be high as well, although this mainly applies to the coastal areas. In the interior, it may be even hotter but the dry air makes things much more comfortably. Still, the best times to visit are from October to April with warm and dry conditions, although some rainshowers are possible during the wintermonths.

Getting There

By Plane

The United Arab Emirates have several international airlines and international airports. The largest airline is Emirates Airlines which has its base in Dubai. It has flights to over 100 cities in about 55 countries, making it one of the biggest airlines in the world. Although Emirates is the largest, the national airline actually is Etihad Airways, based in Abu Dhabi. Although less big, it has flights to many major cities in Europe, Asia and even further away to Sydney and New York.

There is also a major low-cost carrier based in the country which has its hub in Sharjah and that's Air Arabia. It has flights to many destinations in the Middle East and around. Another budget airline is Jupiter Airlines but flights are still limited to a few international destinations. Beginning November 2009, AirAsia X starts its new service connecting Abu Dhabi with Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

By Car

The United Arab Emirates have very excellent roads to and from Oman and Saudi Arabia, but crossing the border with the latter usually is not of any relevance to travellers. You will only do so if you can get a transit visa to cross Saudi Arabia towards for example Jordan. But only if you have prove there is no other way to get there. Having your own vehicle definitely helps. Crossings to Oman are straightforward though and usually hassle free.

By Bus

There are daily connections between Dubai and Muscat, the capital of Oman, taking around 4 to 5 hours.
Buses also go to a number of cities in Saudi Arabia, including Dammam, Jedday and Riyadh, and places further away like Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Cairo. You have to get transit visas to get on a bus, but currently foreigners outside the GCC countries (mainly Middle East) can not get one, unless they have their own transport (car) and prove it's not possible to get to your destination otherwise.

By Boat

Several ferries and fast catamarans travel between Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Destinations include Bandar Lengeh to Dubai , and Bandar Abbas to Dubai and Sjarjah. Check the Iran Traveling Center for more details about schedules and prices.

Getting Around

By Plane

There are no domestic flights.

By Train

Apart from a new metro system in Dubai, there are no regular train links above the ground.

By Car

Most of the country has perfect roads, but within cities it can be very busy and road behaviour can be a big nuisance as well, although most travellers won't have any trouble driving a regular car anywhere in the country.
There are numerous international and local companies offering rental cars at airports, resorts and in all cities. There is no need to rent a 4wd unless you want to go dune-bashing yourself.

By Bus

There are several bus companies offering at least one daily bus on most routes. All emirates are served, including frequent services between Dubai and Abu Dhabi and Dubai and Sharjah.

By Boat

Most travellers only take the watertaxi between Dubai and Deira, but other than that, services are either not useful, limited or just absent.

Red Tape

Citizens of most industrialized countries as well as all Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries will receive a 60 day visa upon arrival in the United Arab Emirates. These include:

Australia, Andorra, Austria, Brunei, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom (including HK/China overseas passports), United States of America and the Vatican.

Visitors of many other countries can only get a visa when they visit on an organised tour or book hotels before they arrive.
Israeli citizens are banned by the UAE government from entering the country. However, as of 2008 Israeli visa stamps are quietly ignored.

Check the nearest UAE embassy/consulate for more information.

Money

See also Money Matters

The currency of the United Arab Emirates is the Dirham (AED). It is pegged to the U.S. Dollar at ~3.68 AED per USD and never varies which means that the AED and USD both float together against other world currencies. I assume this has to do with the USD being the benchmark currency in the purchase of oil.

U.S. greenbacks are sometimes accepted in the local economy, but it is best to exchange the money into AED upon arrival.

The Dirham comes in 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 AED denominations. I suggest looking at the back of a bill before spending it because it has the more recognizable numerals rather than the Arabic numerals on the front which can be confusing. For example the "5" looks like a "0" and the "0" looks like a small dot which makes it easy to mistake a 5 for a fifty. There are metal coins, too: 1AED, 50 Fils, 20Fils and the rare 1 Fil, with a Fil being 1/100th of a Dirham.

Work

Study

Language

The national language is Arabic, but many people speak English.

Eat

Sleep

Drink

Health

See also Travel Health

Safety

See also Travel Safety

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

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