About the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
Overview
Less than 50 years ago the Emirate of Abu Dhabi was little more than empty
desert, rarely visited and unpopulated, except by a few Bedouin tribes and a
sprinkling of villages in the more hospitable areas. The capital, Abu Dhabi,
was located on the northern side of Abu Dhabi island and consisted of a couple
of hundred palm (barasti) huts, a few coral buildings and the large, white
Rulers fort. Looking at the modern city and Emirate of Abu Dhabi this is hard
to reconcile, since so much has changed in the intervening years.
It was in 1958 that huge oil reserves were discovered offshore by an
Anglo-French consortium. Four years later exports began and by the 70s Abu
Dhabi had become a major supplier of oil to world markets.
The United Arab Emirates, earlier known as the Trucial States, was formed in
1971 and comprises seven emirates: Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras Al
Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm Al Qaiwain.
The ruler of the Emirates is His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan,
Ruler of Abu Dhabi, who was elected as the new President of the United Arab
Emirates on 3rd November, to succeed his father, the late HH Sheikh Zayed bin
Sultan Al Nahyan. Under their guidance the leadership of the UAE has achieved
great prosperity and a stable economy. Citizens now have a high standard of
living and level of education, and the country is investing a great deal in
transforming the desert into a green and pleasant land.
Geography
The UAE is located in the northeastern part of the Arabian Peninsula, bordered
by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the south and west, and Sultanate of Oman to
the east and the north. It has a coastline on both the Gulf of Oman and the
Arabian Gulf and is south of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
The total area of the country is approximately 83,600 square kilometers, 67,000
(86%) of which lies in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi - making it roughly double the
size of Belgium)
The UAE has 700 kilometers of coastline of which 100 kilometers is on the Gulf
of Oman. The Arabian Gulf coast is scattered with offshore islands, coral reefs
and sabkha (salt-flats) with stretches of gravel plain and desert
characterizing much of the island region. To the east of the country rise the
Hajar Mountains; lying close to the Gulf of Oman, they form a backbone through
the country, from the Mussandam Peninsula in the north and through the eastern
UAE and into Oman.
Visitors to Abu Dhabi will find a land of startling contrasts from the endless
stretches of desert to the green paradise of irrigated farmland and vast tracks
of sabkha. The city itself is a modern garden city, graced with tree-lined
streets, futuristic skyscrapers and surrounded by the sparkling turquoise
waters of the Arabian Gulf.
Climate
Abu Dhabi has a sub-tropical arid climate with sunny blue skies; high
temperatures can be expected throughout most of the year. Rainfall is
infrequent and irregular, falling mainly in winter months between November to
March (12 cm per year). Temperatures range from a low of around 10 degrees C
(50 degrees F) to a high of around 48 degrees C (118 degrees F) in the summer.
The most pleasant time to visit is in the cooler winter months when
temperatures are around 24 degrees C (75 degrees F) during the day and 13
degrees C (56 degrees F) at night. During the duration of the conference
delegates can expect temperature around the 24 degree C (75 degrees F) to 30
degrees C ( 95 degrees F) range with little to no humidity.
Religion
Islam is the religion of the UAE. The people live their lives according to the
teachings of the Prophet Mohammed, who lived in the early years of the 7th
century AD. The Quran is the Holy Book containing God's work as revealed to the
Prophet Mohammed by the Angel Gabriel.
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi is the largest of all seven emirates comprising the United Arab
Emirates (UAE), with an area of 87,340 square kilometers, equivalent to 86.7
per cent of the country's total area, excluding the islands.
The city of Abu Dhabi is the capital of the emirate and also the federal capital
of the UAE.
HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, resides in Abu
Dhabi city. The Parliament buildings, most of the federal ministries and
institutions are located here, as are the foreign embassies, state broadcasting
facilities, and most of the oil companies.
Major infrastructural facilities include Port Zayed, Abu Dhabi International
Airport, extensive cultural, sport and leisure centres, together with the
wonderfully engineered Abu Dhabi Corniche which offers many kilometers of
risk-free walking, cycling, jogging and roller-blading along the seashore of
Abu Dhabi island.
Architecturally speaking the city is also a fascinating place where older
buildings sit comfortably in the shade of futuristic modern skyscrapers.