UAE – United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates, federation of seven emirates along the eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula.
The largest of these emirates, i.e., Abu Dhabi which comprises more than three-fourths of the federation’s total land area, is the centre of its oil industry and borders Saudi Arabia on the federation’s southern and eastern borders. The port city of Dubai, located at the base of the mountainous Musandam Peninsula, is the capital of the emirate of Dubayy (Dubai) and is one of the region’s most vital commercial and financial centres, housing hundreds of multinational corporations in a forest of skyscrapers. The smaller emirates of Al-Shariqh (Sharjah), Ajman, Umm al-Qaywayn, and Ras al-Khaymah also occupy the peninsula, whose protrusion north toward Iran forms the Strait of Hormuz linking the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. The federation’s seventh member, Al-Fujayrah, faces the Gulf of Oman and is the only member of the union with no frontage along the Persian Gulf.
Location Details
The United Arab Emirates is bordered by Qatar to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west and south, and Oman to the east and northeast. It is slightly smaller in area than Portugal. Since the timely 1990s the emirates have been in a dispute with Iran over the ownership of three islands: Abu Musa and Greater and Lesser Tunb (Tunb al Kubra and Tunb al Sughra). In addition, the border with Saudi Arabia has never been defined, which was not an issue until Saudi Arabia began production at the Shaybah oil field in the border region in 1998.
Language & Religion
The official language of the United Arab Emirates is Arabic. Modern Standard Arabic is taught in schools, and most native Emiratis speak a language of Gulf Arabic that is generally similar to that spoken in surrounding countries. A number of languages are spoken among the emigrant community, including various dialects of Pashto, Hindi, Balochi, and Persian. English is also widely spoken.
About three-fourths of the population is Muslim, of which roughly four-fifths belong to the Sunni branch of Islam. There are also small but growing numbers of Christians and Hindus in the country.
Culture
The cultural traditions of the United Arab Emirates are rooted in Islam and resonate with the wider Arab world, especially with the neighboring states of the Persian Gulf. The federation has experienced the impact of Islamic reappearance, though Islam in the emirates is generally less rigorous than in Saudi Arabia. Tribal identities in the United Arab Emirates remain fairly strong, despite urbanization and the presence of a large expatriate community, and the family is still considered the strongest and most cohesive social unit. In UAE mens wear the dishdash also referred to as dish-dasha or even gandoora, gandurah or even tawb or taub (long white robe) and the headscarf (keffiyeh). Womens wear the abaya, a long black robe with a hijab (the head-scarf which covers the neck and part of the head). Some women may add a niqab which cover the mouth and nose and only leaves the eyes exposed. Alternatively, some women pull their hijab aver their faces so no part of their face is visible.
Famous Places
There are various renowned places in UAE namely Burj Al Arab, Burj Khalifa, The Dubai Fountains, Atlantis Hotel, Global Village, Palm Island, Dubai Creek, Ski Dubai, Dubai Marina and Wild Wadi. The mall in UAE is not just mall; it’s an entire shopping resort. Mall of the Emirates boasts to be the ultimate destination in Dubai for shopping, leisure and entertainment. After you’ve perused the 466 retail stores on offer there is still plenty left to do. Take the kids to Magic Planet, a family entertainment centre complete with games and rides that rivals any theme park. Check out the fourteen screen multiplex cinemas, complete with full reclining chairs. Each year around 30 million people visit the mall. There are currently plans for expansion in place, with new retail outlets, commuter links and parking spaces to be available at the end of 2010. The renowned shopping malls such as Burjuman Centre, Deira City Centre, Jumeirah Plaza, Jumeirah Plaza, Ibn Battuta Mall, Wafi Shopping Mall, Dubai Mall, Al Bustan Centre, Festival Centre.
Sports Culture
The extensive desert of the UAE has always been an ideal place for tribesmen to indulge in their favourite leisure activities, many of which existed for thousands of years and were passed down through the generations. Although the country has seen remarkable transformation in all walks of life after the discovery of oil and the formation of the UAE federation, people still retreat to the desert to enjoy various types of heritage sports that are well preserved and practiced with equal importance alongside modern day sports. The country’s leadership also pays a great attention to the preservation of these time-honored traditions by organizing various competitions at the national and international level each year. Camel racing, equestrian sports, falconry, hunting with Saluki dogs, and dhow racing are some of the most popular traditional sports in the UAE today.
Cost of Living
As compared to other cities UAE is costlier in all sectors. Such as the rent per month in an Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre is approximately AED 5458.64 and outside of Centre is AED 3264.28 and the rent per month in an Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre will be most probably AED 11,000.00 and outside of Centre AED 8,000.00.
The buying price of an Apartment in City Centre per Square Meter is approximately AED 14,692.00 and outside of Centre per Square Meter is about AED 8,080.60.
As the local transport for one way ticket is roughly AED 4.10 and the regular price of monthly pass for transportation is more or less AED 150.00.
Note : For all Indians who are in process of taking up jobs and employment visas, they need to attest certificate of their Graduation / Diploma certificates from Embassy / Consulate of UAE in India and then their visa can be further processed. Manav Consultants offers assistance for certificate attestation for UAE , please get in touch with our Pune or Mumbai office at +91 22 65012151 in this regard.
by Mr.Joshi