United Arab Emirates – All You Need To Know

Who doesn’t about United Arab Emirates (UAE)? And who doesn’t want to know more and more about the United Arab Emirates? Starting from political to economic, history to geography, everyone is curious to know about the country.

Before going too deep into each topic, let’s have a brief look at UAE.

Capital: Abu Dhabi

Total Area: 32,278 square miles (83,600 square kilometers) 

Population: 9,701,315 (2018)

Currency: Emirati dirham (AED)

Official Language: Arabic

Climate: Desert; cooler in eastern mountains

Form of Government: Federation of monarchies

Lowest Point: the Persian Gulf at 0 feet.

Highest Point: Jabal Yibir at 5,010 feet or 1,527 meters

Largest Emirates: Abu Dhabi

Smallest Emirates: Ajman

Richest Emirates: Abu Dhabi

Populous Emirates: Dubai

History

The United Arab Emirates forms originally from a gaggle of organized sheikhdoms that lived on Arabia along the coasts of the gulf and therefore the Gulf of Oman. These sheikdoms were known to own constantly been relevant with each other and as a result, constant raids on ships the world was called the Pirate Coast by traders within the 17th and early 19th centuries.

Geography

The United Arab Emirates is located in the Southeast of the Arabian Peninsula bordering Suadi Arabia and Oman. Today, the UAE takes into account a federation of seven emirates. The seven emirates of the UAE are Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ras al-Khaimah, Ash Shariqah, and Umm al Qaywayn. The capital city, Abu Dhabi is the wealthiest and largest of the seven emirates.

Climate

The climate is hot and humid along the coast and is hotter still, but dry, within the interior. Rainfall averages only 4 to six inches (100 to 150 mm) annually, though it fluctuates considerably from year to year. The typical January temperature is 64 °F (18 °C), while in July the temperature averages 91 °F (33 °C). Summertime highs can reach 115 °F (46 °C) on the coast and 120 °F (49 °C) or more within the desert. During early summer and midwinter, shamāl (norther in Arabic) wind blows from northwest and north, carrying dust and sand.

Ethnic groups

Want to know the total number of citizens? A total of 1/9 of the emirate’s residents are locals. The rest are mostly foreign workers and their dependents, with South Asians constituting the most important of those groups. Arabs from countries apart from the United Arab Emirates and Iranians account for an additional significant slice. Southeast Asians, including many Filipinos, have immigrated in increasing numbers to figure in various capacities.

Plant and Animal Life

Because of the desert climate, vegetation is scanty and largely limited to the low shrubs that provide forage to nomadic herds, but lots of trees, notable mangroves, which plants in Abu Dhabi. Within the oases, date palms cultivate along with alfalfa (lucerne). Fruits also cultivate, and therefore the Al-ʿAyn oases east of Abu Dhabi are famous for mangoes. Animal life includes domesticating goats, sheep, and camels, along with cattle and poultry.

Wildlife consists of predators like the caracal, wildcat (Felis margarita), and therefore the Ruppell’s (Vulpes ruppelli) and red foxes; larger animals like the Arabian oryx and Arabian and Persian gazelles; smaller mammals like the Cape hare, lesser jerboa, and various kinds of gerbil; and a range of snakes and lizards. The gulf waters harbor schools of mackerel, grouper, tuna, and porgies, further as sharks and occasional whales. Within the 1990s the govt initiated a conservation and management program to preserve and protect desert animals and vegetation.

Languages and Religion

The United Arab Emirates’ official language is Arabic. Teacher teaches Modern Standard Arabic in schools, and most native Emiratis speak a dialect of Gulf Arabic that’s generally almost like that spoken in surrounding countries. The expatriate community speaks a variety of languages, such as Hindi, Persian, Balochi, and different dialects of Pashto. Many people communicate in English. Three-fifth of the population is Muslim, among them, the Sunni branch of Islam is around 4/5^th, Shīʿite exists in Sharjah and Dubai. Hindus and Christians number is also increasing gradually.

Agriculture and Fishing

Agricultural production—centered largely within the emirates of Raʾs al-Khaymah and Al-Fujayrah, within the two exclaves of ʿAjmān, and at Al-ʿAyn—has expanded considerably through the increased use of wells and pumps to supply water for irrigation. However, agriculture contributes only a tiny low fraction of gross domestic product (GDP) and employs but one-tenth of the workforce. Dates are a significant crop, as are tomatoes, cucumbers, and eggplants, and also the United Arab Emirates is sort of self-sufficient in fruit and vegetable production. The country also produces enough eggs, poultry, fish, and dairy products to satisfy its own needs but must import most other foodstuffs, notably grains. Most commercial fishing concentrates in Umm al-Qaywayn. Therefore the emirates have one of the biggest fishing sectors within the Arab world.

Political Overview

The President of the UAE is His Highness (HH) Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, also the ruler of the United Arab Emirates’s capital. The Ruler of Dubai, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is that the Vice-President, Prime Minister, and Defence Minister. The prince of the United Arab Emirates’s capital and also the Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE militia is HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The UAE’s federal structure includes a Supreme Council (comprising the Rulers of every Emirate), a Council of Ministers, and a Federal National Council. Each ruler governs their Emirate, with its own authorities, courts, and police forces.

The UAE is an active member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Arab League, the global organization, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, and therefore the World Trade Organization. The International Renewable Energy Agency, established in 2009, has its headquarters in the national capital. The Federal National Council comprises 40 members 1/2 of which are appointed and half elected. Elections were last held in October 2019 and for the primary time, the UAE implemented a requirement for 50 percent of total members to be women. This requirement saw a big increase in the number of female candidates. The Federal National Council has an advisory role and could be a forum during which concerns of Emiratis are raised.

Economic Overview

In short, the production of petroleum primarily dominates the UAE’s economy as well as the Abu Dhabi emirate. The wealthiest of the emirates, Abu Dhabi contains one of the biggest concentrations of the world’s proven oil reserves and contributes a major portion of the national budget. The emirate of Dubai, whose economy centers more on business than on oil, is an ad and financial hub for the region and leads the country in economic diversification. The UAE is additionally developing a civil atomic energy program and plans to make four nuclear energy reactors by 2020. The first, the Barakah atomic power plant was opened in 2020. Renewable energy generation is additional attention for the UAE, both for domestic energy needs and in terms of investment abroad. 

Now, let’s learn in more detail. The UAE is that the Middle East’s second-largest economy, after Saudi Arabia, and one of the wealthiest countries within the region on a per capita basis. Its GDP in 2019 was estimated at US$427.9 billion, a true GDP rate of around 1.6 percent. The UAE has six percent of the world’s oil reserves and therefore the seventh-largest proven fossil fuel reserves. Petroleum exports were US$ 49.6 billion in 2019. Within the medium term, oil and gas (which account for over two-thirds of exports and also the bulk of state revenue) will still underpin the UAE’s economy. However, significant steps towards economic diversification have already been taken, with approximately 70 percent of GDP now generated by sectors apart from oil and gas.

Architecture 

Abu Dhabi, which has the overwhelming majority of oil and gas reserves within the UAE, has made significant investments in establishing aerospace, atomic energy, defense, information technology (micro-processing), petrochemical, and clean-tech industries – the latter most prominently represented by the multibillion-dollar initiative of Masdar City, a zero-carbon city outside the national capital. Abu Dhabi is additionally investing heavily in educational institutions, and cultural and sporting attractions like the Formula One racing track, Ferrari amusement park, and also the Louvre national capital to diversify the economy removed from the oil and encourage tourism. The UAE population of 10.4 million (2018) depends substantially on its expatriate workforce, which made up about 88 percent of the population in 2017.

Dubai has diversified into the exhibitions, events, ICT, re-export, and financial sectors. Taking advantage of its position near the top of the Gulf, it’s consolidated its historical reputation as a regional entrepôt. Dubai has developed luxury hotels, large port facilities (including Jebel Ali), and a spread of trade zones to draw in both manufacturing and services industries. UAE government has increased spending on job creation and infrastructure expansion, including in preparation for hosting the planet expo in Dubai which was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and is scheduled to commence in October 2021. The UAE is additionally opening up utilities to greater private sector involvement.

Several trade zones across the country attract foreign investors, by offering full ownership and nil taxes. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a big impact on the UAE’s economy, particularly because of the reduction in passenger numbers through air hubs, the reduction in tourist arrivals, and therefore the impact of COVID-19 measures on commerce.

Manufacturing

The emirates have attempted to diversify their economy to avoid complete dependence on oil, and manufacturing has played a big part therein effort. A petrochemical industrial complex has been established at Al-Ruways, 140 miles (225 km) southwest of the national capital city, with an oil refinery, a gas fractionation plant, and an ammonia and urea plant. Dubai’s revenues are invested in projects like a dry dock and a trade center; its first airport was expanded within the 2000s, while a second airport was built near the port of Jebel Ali, and extra hotels are built, including the striking Burj al-ʿArabArab (“Tower of the Arabs”), which opened within the late 1990s.

The Burj Khalifa (“Khalifa Tower”) skyscraper in Dubai city became the world’s tallest building and therefore the tallest freestanding structure when it opened in 2010. Sharjah has built a cement plant, a plastic pipe factory, and a paint factory. Manufacturing accounts for fewer than one-tenth of GDP within the country overall.

Trade and Investment

The UAE is Australia’s largest trading partner in the Middle East and 17th largest overall, with two-way goods and services trade worth $10.4 billion in 2018-19. Education is seen as a district of potential growth, with several Australian institutions active within the UAE market, including Wollongong University, which in 1993 was the primary private university to determine a campus in Dubai; Murdoch University, which opened in Dubai in 2007; Curtin University, which opened in Dubai in 2018; the Australian International School Sharjah; the Victorian International School Sharjah; and variety of Australian institutions with partnerships with local institutions to deliver the Australian curriculum in-country.

Dubai will host the following world expo commencing in October 2021. Expo 2020 is a chance for Australia to showcase our culture, ingenuity, and innovation and highlight the standard of our services sector and education system, agricultural products, and credentials as a secure destination for investment. Australia’s commercial profile within the UAE is critical, with UAE-based Australian companies numbering over 300. Many companies use Dubai as a regional base, in sight of its transport, financial, and communications infrastructure.

UAE entities hold significant investments in Australia, including within the agribusiness, tourism, health, and aged care, and resources sectors. The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), the world’s second-largest sovereign wealth fund, has invested in ports, the TransGrid electricity network, and therefore the Queensland Motorway project. Other UAE sovereign wealth funds even have assets and are examining other investment opportunities in Australia.

Petroleum

In the year 1958, Abu Dhabi discovers its hidden liquid gem, petroleum. And the government of the emirate owns a stake in oil-producing companies; within the federation through the Abu Dhabi National company (ADNOC). The national capital, Abu Dhabi is chargeable for about 95 percent of the country’s production of petroleum and gas contributes about one-third of the nation’s GDP. While the oil and gas sector employs only a small fraction of the workforce. The biggest petroleum concessions held through an ADNOC subsidiary, the national capital Marine Operating Company (ADMA-OPCO); which partially owns British, French, and Japanese interests. One of the most offshore fields is present in Umm al-Shāʾif. Al-Bunduq offshore field shares with neighboring Qatar but ADMA-OPCO operates it. A Japanese consortium operates a drilling platform at Al-Mubarraz, and American companies hold other offshore concessions.

Petroleum production in Dubai began in 1969. The emirate long maintained an interest in its oil fields and took full control of drilling in 2007. Dubai produces a total of 1/6 of the country’s petroleum. Production dwindled to a negligible amount, however, because the emirate diversified its economy. Sharjah began producing oil in 1974. Six year later another field, predominantly yielding gas discovered. In 1984 drilling began off the shore of Raʾs al-Khaymah, within the Persian Gulf.

Other Resources

The federation’s fossil fuel reserves are among the world’s largest, and most fields are present in Abu Dhabi. Within the late 1990s, the United Arab Emirates began investing heavily to develop its fossil fuel sector; both for export and to fireplace domestic thermal power plants. Because it relies on energy-intensive technologies like water desalination and air-conditioning. Since subsidies on fuel have encouraged wasteful energy use; the United Arab Emirates has one in all the world’s highest per capita rates of energy consumption.

Despite its large hydrocarbon reserves, rapidly increasing domestic demand driven by growth and industrialization within the first decade of the 21st century forced the emirates to import fossil fuel. In 2009 the emirates contracted the Korean power Company to create four nuclear reactors within the country by 2020. United Arab Emirates’s capital and Dubai also began to take a position in renewable energy. In 2013 national capital opened what, at the time, was one in all the world’s largest alternative energy plants, a 100-megawatt facility capable of powering up to twenty,000 homes.