UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

The official language of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), the most spoken language in the Middle East; however, most of its population speaks Khaleeji dialect [i]. Many variations of Arabic are spoken in the UAE due to the trader throughout the MENA region. MSA is the language used in official documents, news, and government departments [ii]. The Khaleeji dialect is spoken in all of the neighboring Gulf States, including Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. Due to the high number of expatriate workers, much of its population also speaks other languages including Pashto, Balochi, Persian and Hindi [iii].

The UAE is formed by 7 emirates (Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm Al Quwain). The country is mostly composed of Sunni Muslims, and its festivities and practices are driven by Islamic beliefs [iv]. The people value Islamic traditions highly and have many efforts to maintain its heritage [v]. The UAE has conserved various customs of their tribal past, particularly the importance of family, tribal identification, and socialization [vi]. Its nomadic past also made them collectors and a great admirer of the arts, literature, and theatre. The city of Sharjah was voted as Cultural Capital of the Arab World [vii].

Islam is the majority religion in the UAE, with 76% of the population being Muslims. The rest of the population is composed of 9% Christian and a 15% of varied faiths [viii] such as Buddhist, Jewish, Sikhs. The UAE is is considered a tolerant country, especially as its constitution states Islam as the primary religion but allows for other faiths to be practised, and prohibits the dissemination of extremist materials [ix]. The largest mosque in the UAE is Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque [x]. It is located in Abu Dhabi and is the key place of worship and can hold up to 41,000 people.

The UAE is composed of 7 emirates, each with its own ruler and government, making it a federation of absolute monarchies [xi]. According to its constitution, the ruler of Abu Dhabi is named as the President of the UAE, while the ruler of Dubai is named Prime Minister [xii] of the UAE. The current president is Zayed Al Nahyan, and he was elected in 2004. UAE’s presidents are elected by a council made up of all the rulers in the Emirates, with a term lasting 5 years [xii]. Citizens are able to elect half of its legislative through the electoral college [xiv] every 4 years.

The currency of the UAE is the Dirham, which is currently worth 0.27 USD [xv]. The UAE’s leading exports are oil and natural gas, followed by automobile repairs and wholesale. It is one of the top oil and natural gas producers in the world, a member of OPEC, and produces close to three and a half billion barrels a day [xvi]. Its current focus is to diversify their economy to not be solely reliant on oil, particularly towards real estate and finance [xvii]. It is ranked as the 7th most competitive economy and is ranked as the most open market [xviii] in the region.

Initially starting as a separate collection of kingdoms and clans, the UAE was a hotbed for the production and export of pearls during the 16th and 18th centuries. This drew engagement with both the Portuguese and the British [xix], and led to eventual colonization by both these countries. It wasn’t until the 1960s that the concept of unification and independence would be emphasized, with the withdrawal of British forces and the discovery of oil in Abu Dhabi. Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum called for the 6 sheikdoms of the region (eventually seven) to form a union, on December 2nd of 1971 [xx].

The UAE consists of an area of 83,600 square km (32,300 square miles). The UAE is bordered by Saudi Arabia in the south; by Oman in the east, and the Persian Gulf in the north [xxi]. Most of the country is covered by harsh deserts, with some of the world’s largest sand dunes located in ʿArādah and in the oases of Al-Liwā. The UAE also has two major man-made ports, Port Rāshid and the gigantic Port Jebel Ali [xxii] in Dubai. There is a mountain range in the northeast, with the highest mountain of Jabal Yibir [xxiii] measuring 5,666 ft tall.