UAE

Dubai

Level 41, Emirates Towers
Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai

Email:
dubai@ibng.com

Contact person: George Stevenson 

General Information

Country (name in full):	United Arab Emirates
Capital:	Abu Dhabi
Surface Area:	82,880 sq km
Official Languages:	Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu
Population:	2,602,713 (July 2006 est.)
Exchange Rates:	Real Time Converter
Real GDP Growth:	8.8% (2005 est.)
GDP per capita:	purchasing power parity - $45,200 (2005 est.)
Head of State:	President Sheikh KHALIFA bin Zayid Al Nuhayyan (since 3 November 2004)
Head of Government:	Prime Minister and Vice President MUHAMMAD bin Rashid al-Maktum (since 5 January 2006)

Principal Trading Partners

Export Destinations
Japan 24.6%, South Korea 9.8%, Thailand 5.6%, India 4.3% (2005)

Import Destinations
UK 10%, China 9.7%, US 9.4%, India 9.2%, Germany 5.9%, Japan 5.4%, France 4.7%, Singapore 4.1% (2005)

UAE Overview

Geography & Population
UAE's total population is estimated at 2.6 million in 2006. There is a distinct imbalance in the male to female ratio in the country, which reflects the high proportion of expatriate workers. The Ministry of Planning's population census reports (in 1995) indicate that 67 per cent of the population over 20 years of age are male. Only about 20 per cent of the UAE’s population are local 'Emiratis'. The remaining are expatriates mainly from the South Asia followed by Iran, the Middle East and Europeans.

UAE is in the Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia. 

Language
The official language is Arabic, however, English is widely understood, especially in government and business circles.

Government and Law
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federation of seven sovereign 'emirates' or states. It was established in 1971 and has since enjoyed three decades of rapid economic growth and development following the discovery oil in the late 1960s. UAE’s seven member states are Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.

The federal court system was introduced in 1971. All emirates except Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah have joined the federal system; all emirates have secular and Islamic law for civil, criminal and high courts. 

Climate
The climate in the United Arab Emirates is very hot and humid during the summer months. From May to October, temperatures are consistently above 40ºC and the humidity level is extremely high (up to 95 per cent). Some areas inland and especially in the mountainous areas in the east of the country are a little more pleasant.

During winter, the evening temperature  is usually a minimum of 15ºC and a maximum in the range of 20-25ºC. CNN weather forecasts will give current weather conditions in the UAE.

Religion
Muslim 96% (Shi'a 16%), Christian, Hindu, and other 4%

UAE Calendar

Business travellers to the U.A.E should note that the U.A.E enjoys a wide range of public holidays due to religious, national and other festive events.  

IBN clients are recommended to consult with their regional Business Centres to obtain more specific regional travel advice in relation to public holidays as they may impact upon visit schedules.

Travel Information

Airports at Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Al-Ain, Ras Al-Khaimah, and Fujairah all handle international flights, however Dubai and Abu Dhabi are by far the largest and most commonly used.

Visitors may also use priority reception and immigration procedures called 'Marhaba Service'. This may be arranged through your travel company. The cost of the service is about Dh80. Service subscribers are paged at the entrance of the terminal and personally escorted through immigration formalities on a priority basis.

Dubai airport is located about five kilometres from the centre of the city by taxi for about Dh40. The airport is one of the busiest in the region and check-in times are about two hours prior to departure for long-haul flights or 90 minutes for regional flights.

Abu Dhabi airport is located around 30 kilometres from the city centre. Metered taxis cost about Dh50 and limousines are available for about Dh80. Check-in times are the same as for Dubai.

The following information is provided to assist travellers when planning to visit UAE:

IDD:                                                      +971
Time:                                                    GMT +4
Voltage:                                                 220/240V
Cell Phone System:                                 Dual Band system (GSM and CDMA)
Dress:                                                    Long sleeve shirt and tie
Taxi Fare to city from airport (average):     Various
Departure tax:                                       Yes

Foreign Visa Requirements

Foreign visitors to the UAE require a visa.   Most visas to UAE are subjected to the following conditions:

• the permit is valid for 30 days from the date of entering the country
• the initial permit is free of charge but renewing charges must be paid (currently Dh500 for each additional 30 days)
• arrival and departure cards must be filled in if visitors' lists are not included in the computer system
• you must not work in the UAE (whether on a paid or unpaid basis)
• regulations and rules of foreigners' entry and residence law are applicable to this permit
• this includes holders of diplomatic, special and ordinary passports

For more information on travel and the need for visas for entry into the UAE, contact your local UAE Embassies or Consulates. IBN clients are able to obtain more specific information including Supporting Letters of Invitation for business travel (if required) from their respective IBN Business Centres.

Health Considerations

The standard of hygiene and of the health care system is very high in the United Arab Emirates. Tap water is usually safe to drink, although many travellers prefer to drink bottled water.

If you become ill, four and five star hotels can organise a doctor to visit the hotel on short notice. Hospitals are of a high standard and are located throughout the country.

Local Currency

The local currency is Dirhams and fils, with 100 fils to the Dirham (Dh). The Dirham is tied to the US Dollar at a steady exchange rate of $US 1= Dh 3.671.   Banks usually give the best rates on foreign currency exchange

To use our Real-Time Converter, click here. 

Useful Links

For business, national or regional news as well as current affairs, government and a more in depth view of the UAE today, the following links should prove to be useful.

Government of United Arab Emirates - www.uae.gov.ae  
Dubai Tourism Board - http://www.dctpb.gov.ae
Gulf News - http://www.gulf-news.com

Disclaimer

Whilst IBN Group Pty Ltd (IBN) has taken due care to obtain and provide the country information detailed on this site, it cannot accept any responsibility for the accuracy of the same information and data. As this country information and data has been received from various sources, accepted by IBN as being reliable, IBN itself makes no representation concerning its completeness, truth or accuracy or its suitability for any particular purposes.