As one of countries starting with U, the United Arab Emirates is a country in the Middle East that was created after a partnership between seven emirates. It was originally intended to also accommodate the emirates of Oman, Qatar and Bahrain in this country, but no definitive agreements could be made about this. Today, the United Arab Emirates is one of the richest countries in the world and one of the fastest growing economies.
This region has been inhabited for many thousands of years and the first permanent habitation occurs here before 5,000 BC. The people who lived here were mainly known for their trading spirit. In the seventh century AD, the prophet Mohammed converted most of the country’s inhabitants to Islam and since then virtually all inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula have been Muslim. It was the Portuguese who were the first Europeans to occupy and rule parts of the country here in the fifteenth century. Later, the British ruled this region.
The United Arab Emirates was created in 1971 through the collaboration of the emirates of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras al-Khaimah, Umm al-Qaiwain and Fujairah.
The emirates may together form one country, but there is a lot of rivalry among each other. The emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai in particular are involved in a kind of competition, which means that increasingly larger and more expensive construction projects are started.
Oil extraction is the country’s main source of income. The income from this is so high that residents of the country do not have to pay taxes and that education and medical facilities are free.
Sights
The largest and most famous landmark of the United Arab Emirates is the city of Dubai. This city is full of sights such as the Burj Khalifa, the Dubai Museum, the Burj Al Arab (according to their own words the only 7 star hotel in the world) and the immense ski hall in the Mall of Emirates. There are also several beautiful neighborhoods in the city, each with its own character.
A must-see activity when visiting the United Arab Emirates is a desert safari. This is also known as dune bashing. In the emirate of Umm Al Qaywayn, the Dreamland Aqua park is the largest water park in the United Arab Emirates.
In the capital Abu Dhabi, the Sheikh Zayed Mosque is the largest mosque in the country. In the different emirates there are numerous museums such as the National Museum of Ras al-Khaimah and the National Museum Zayed. There are even advanced plans to build a Guggenheim Museum in Abu Dhabi.
Near the city of Al Ain you will find the largest and most beautiful zoo in the country. Among the biggest attractions of the United Arab Emirates are its many immense shopping centers. Especially in Dubai, there are several huge shopping centers to be found. The Dubai mall is the largest of these. However, if you want to taste the atmosphere of the country, you will have to visit a local market or souq. The spice market in the Diera district is especially popular.
UNESCO
Since 2011, the United Arab Emirates has had one entry on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The official entry reads ‘Al Ain Cultural Sites (Hafit, Hili, Bidaa Bint Saud and Oasis Areas)’. These are some historical places that are located in the city of Al Ain and in the vicinity of the city. This city is located on the border with Oman and is called Al Buraimi in Omani part of the city.
Climate
The United Arab Emirates has a warm desert climate with many warm hot days throughout the year. In the summer months the average daytime temperature here is above forty degrees Celsius and temperatures above fifty degrees Celsius are no exception. In the evening and night it cools down considerably, but the mercury rarely falls below twenty-five degrees Celsius in these months.
The average annual rainfall here is negligible. Only in the northeast in the higher parts of the Hadjar Mountains the average precipitation can be a bit higher. In rare cases even snowfall is possible here.
Despite the fact that there is almost no precipitation in the United Arab Emirates, there is still a very high humidity here. This has everything to do with the presence of the Persian Gulf and the temperature of the sea water.
The solar power in the United Arab Emirates is quite high even on the days when only a watery sun comes out.
Geography
De Verenigde Arabische Emiraten liggen in het Midden-Oosten in het noordoostelijke deel van het Arabisch schiereiland. Het land bestaat uit de zeven emiraten Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras al-Khaimah, Umm al-Qaiwain en Fujairah. Hiervan is Abu Dhabi verreweg de grootste. De Verenigde Arabische Emiraten hebben landsgrenzen met Oman en Saoedi-Arabië en ligt aan de Golf van Oman en de Perzische Golf.
Het overgrote deel van de Verenigde Arabische Emiraten bestaat uit woestijn. De Rub al Khali is de grootste en bekendste woestijn van de Verenigde Arabische Emiraten. In het noordwesten liggen de uitlopers van het Hadjer-gebergte. Hier vind je met 1910 meter het hoogste punt van het land. Deze berg heeft echter geen naam en heeft zijn hoogste piek net over de grens met Oman waar hij Jabal Bil Ays. De berg Jabal Yibir is met 1.527 de hoogste berg met een naam in de Verenigde Arabische Emiraten.
Er zijn in de Verenigde Arabische Emiraten geen rivieren te vinden. Er zijn alleen enkele wadi’s die het grootste deel van het jaar droog staan. Deze wadi’s lopen vanuit het Hadjar-gebergte naar de Perzische Golf toe.
Dubai verreweg de grootste stad van het land dit is tevens de populairste vakantie bestemming binnen de Verenigde Arabische Emiraten. Andere grote steden in het land zijn Abu Dhabi, Sharjah,Al Ain, Ajman en Ras al-Khaimah.
Reisadvies
The travel advice for the United Arab Emirates has been on ‘be vigilant’ status for some time now. This is mainly due to the various hot spots in the Middle East and these could possibly spill over to the United Arab Emirates.
It should be taken into account that the United Arab Emirates have different standards and values than in Europe. If necessary, try to adapt yourself to the local culture and customs to avoid problems.
When sailing in the United Arab Emirates, avoid the islands of Abu Musa and Thumbs. Iran has claimed ownership of this and anyone sailing around here could be charged with espionage.
It is not wise for a woman to walk alone on the street in the evenings. Photographing government buildings and government agencies is prohibited here.
Travel documents
In order to travel to the United Arab Emirates, you must be in possession of a passport that is valid for at least six months at the time of departure from the country. You do not need a visa or other documents to visit the United Arab Emirates.
It is prohibited to import pornographic material into the United Arab Emirates. It is also prohibited to take narcotics across the border.
Info table
| Capital city | Abu Dhabi |
| Phone (country code) | 971 |
| Internetdomein | .ae |
| Language(s) (official) | Arabic |
| Language(s) (colloquial) | Arabic and English |
| Religion(s) | islam |
| Time zone(s) | UTC+4 |
| Time difference summer | In the United Arab Emirates it is 2 hours later than in the Netherlands |
| Time difference winter | In the United Arab Emirates it is 3 hours later than in the Netherlands |
| Daylight Saving Time Control | nee |
| Currency | VAE-Dirham |
