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Cheap Hotels in the United Arab Emirates
Hotels in the United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates is a Middle Eastern federation of seven states/ emirates; Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al-Quwain. The official language of the country is Arabic, and the capital is Abu Dhabi. The bordering countries are Oman and Saudi Arabia.
History of the United Arab Emirates
After the 16th century the region was known as the Pirate Coast as raiders based there and harassed the shipping industry.
Before 1971 the UAE were known as Trucial States due to a 19th century truce between Britain and several Arab Sheikhs. In accordance with the truce, the Sheikhs agreed not to dispose of any territory except to the UK and no to enter into relationships with any foreign government other than the UK without its consent. In return, the British promised to protect the Trucial coast from all aggression by sea and to help in case of land attack.
In 1971 the UK ended the treaty relationships with the seven trucial Sheikhdoms. Bahrain and Qatar, (also under British protection) joined with the seven other trucial states to attempt to form a union of Arab Emirates but an agreement of terms was not reached. The rulers of Abu Dhabi and Dubai formed a union between their two emirates independently. By 1972 5 other emirates had joined.
The UAE is rich in oil and natural gas, which has lead to substantial foreign direct investment funding in the 1970s.
Population of the United Arab Emirates
The 2006 census showed the UAE has a population over 4.5 million. There is also an unnatural sex distribution, consisting of more than twice as many males as females.
The high living standards and economic opportunities make the UAE an attractive destination for migrants from surrounding areas. Persons from over 20 Arab nationalities including have arrived in UAE as political refugees or migrant workers. There is also a large number of Somali nationals who have arrived in the early 80’s and 90’s as a result of the Somali civil war.
Economy of the United Arab Emirates
The highly industrialised economy makes the country one of the most developed in the world. The GDP per capita is currently the 5th in the world. The economy is also one of the fastest growing in the world; in 2006 the GDP rose by 35% from 130 to 175 billion dollars.
The UAE is becoming less dependent on natural resources as a source of revenue. There has been a massive construction boom and there is an expanding manufacturing base and a thriving services sector.
Sports in the United Arab Emirates
New sports are becoming popular in the UAE alongside the more traditional camel racing. Golf has gained popularity, due to the two European tour events in the country; the Dubai Classic and the Abu Dhabi Golf championship). The world’s richest horse race, (The Dubai world cup) is also held annually in March.
Cricket is one of the most popular sports in the UAE. The Sharjah cricket association stadium has hosted 5 international test matches so far. The national cricket team qualified for the Cricket world cup in 1996.
The UEA also has a huge interest in football and are currently ranked 97th in the FIFA world rankings.
In 2007 it was announced that Formula 1 will be held in Abu Dhabi in the 2009 season. The 5.6km circuit is set to be on Yas Island.
United Arab Emirates Embassies
For your convenience we have listed British embassies below. Embassies can provide you with information regarding visas and other important travel information.
