Contents

Overview

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federation consisting of seven sheikhdoms located on the Arabian Gulf. The seven sheikhdoms -- also called emirates -- are Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ras al-Khaimah, Umm al-Qawain, Ajman and Fujairah. There are borders with Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman. The borders between the different sheikhdoms are not always precisely defined.

Land area

83,600 sq km (32,278 sq mi)

Population

2,522,315 (1992 est)

Population density

30.1 per sq km
78.1 per sq mi

Distribution

81% urban
19% rural

Type of government

federation of emirates

Government leader

Sheikh Zaid bin Sultan al Nahayan, President

Legislature

Federal National Council

Political subdivisions

7 emirates

Official language

Arabic

Major religion

Islam
Unlike Saudi Arabia, the UAE allows the practice of other religions and, consequently, there are churches in the country.

Life expectancy (1992)

Women, 74
Men, 70

Infant mortality (1992)

23 per 1000 live births

GDP (1989)

$33.7 billion
$14,100 per capita

Foreign trade

Imports $11 billion
Exports $21.3 billion

Currency

UAE dirham, divided into 100 fils
($1 = 3.66 dirhams)

Railroads

None

Major ports

3

Major airfields

5

International dialling code

+971

Time zone

GMT + 4 hours

History

In the early 19th century, the area that is now the UAE was known as the "Pirate Coast" because of the occupation of its inhabitants.

Beginning in 1820, Great Britain entered into treaties with various leaders in the area out of a desire to protect its ships in the Gulf and the Indian Ocean. In addition, Britain was allowed to handle foreign relations for the area known as "Trucial Oman" or "the Trucial States" because of the Perpetual Maritime Truce which the Arab rulers signed with the British in 1853.

The United Arab Emirates became fully independent on 2 December 1971, although Ras al-Khaimah did not join until 1972.

From that time, it has attracted attention -- first because of its oil reserves and its strategic location but now in addition to those, because of its programme of economic and social development. In the last quarter of the twentieth century, the UAE has witnessed the creation of a truly modern welfare state. Education, health care and social services are available to all citizens.

Geography

In the south and west of the country, the land is mainly sand dunes and salt flats with the occasional traditional desert oasis. The largest oases are at Al Ain, 160km east of Abu Dhabi, and the Liwa in the southwest.

In the northern part of the country, the sand dunes yield to gravel plains formed by the Hajar Mountain range, dating back about 200 million years. The mountains themselves rise to a height of over 3000 m and run from the UAE south into Oman.

The east coast is essentially a fertile plain where rainfall and subterranean water have allowed agriculture to be practised for thousands of years. Along the coast, there are long, unspoiled beaches stretching for kilometres. On the Arabian Gulf, over 100 islands and numerous shallow inlets add to the scenery; mangrove trees are common as are spawning fish and birds.

Climate

The climate is hot and dry. The mean January temperature is 18°C (65°F.) and the mean temperature in July is 33°C (92°F). The average annual rainfall is 152mm (6in). The major natural resource is petroleum.

Temperatures from May to September are frequently in the low 40s C with high humidity common in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. In the cities of Fujairah and Khor Fakkan the climate is more pleasant and also in the mountains above Ras al-Khaimah.

During the winter, the entire country generally experiences very good weather though it is often quite windy. Cold weather is not unknown and in the desert around Al-Ain, temperatures sometimes drop as low as 10°C. Winter in the inland desert is usually pleasantly brisk.

Environment

To a casual observer, the environment of the UAE may seem so forbidding that there is little to study and less to conserve. The reverse, however, is the case. Precisely because of its forbidding environment, great care must be taken to preserve it, for on such terrain as this life itself is very delicately balanced.

In the past few years, knowledge of the UAE's environment and of its natural history has grown by leaps and bounds. Both scientists and dedicated amateurs have studied the country's flowers, animals, birds and the very land itself, from desert to mountain valley, from gravel plains to coastal beaches and inlets.

Much of the vegetation of the UAE originated in Africa millions of years ago before the formation of the Red Sea. The various kinds of plants have managed to survive despite the harsh climate -- though of course they have adapted over the years.

Over the centuries, they developed new techniques in order to conserve water and stay alive. In some, the annual life cycle has been condensed into a few weeks. After a slight rain they rush to complete the transformation from seeds to flowering to the casting of seeds for another season before the soil once again grows dry.

Flowers are often small but they bloom in profusion for a short time, adding a welcome splash of colour to the monochromatic desert landscape.

Along the coast of the UAE stands of mangrove provide breeding places for fish and birds. In the Arabian Gulf, the wood was used for the building of both houses and boats.

In the UAE, unlike in many other countries, the mangrove forests are increasing in size due to an extensive programme of planting and cultivation and to the careful monitoring of marine pollution and coastal development. One large stand of mangroves adjacent to the island of Abu Dhabi has been declared a nature reserve and can no longer be visited except for scientific study.

With the help of the Al Ain-based Emirates University, areas of the desert have been fenced to protect vegetation from being grazed by livestock. At the same time, this will increase awareness and understanding of the country's vegetation and of the effect of man and his animals on the environment.

Almost as soon as the oil revenues began to pour into the UAE, the government began a programme of afforestation and planting of gardens and parks. Always an oasis, the city of Al Ain, for example, now has greenery covering over a hundred square kilometres.

Abu Dhabi itself is so well endowed with parks and gardens that it has earned the name "Garden City of the Gulf". This programme is slowly changing the face of the country and also providing new habitats for plants, animals and birds.

Business

The oil industry

First exported in 1962, petroleum dominates the economy of the UAE. At one time an underdeveloped area, by 1985 the region had the highest per capita income in the world -- $19,120.

The immense wealth has been invested in capital improvements and social services in all seven of the emirates. Petroleum production is centred in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Industrial development is essentially petroleum related and is limited by a lack of trained personnel and raw materials. The desert supports limited irrigation for agriculture; in addition, fishing, sheep herding and poultry provide domestic food sources. The UAE enjoys a large trade surplus because of its petroleum exports.

The seven constituent parts of the UAE are Abu Dhabi, the largest and richest in terms of oil, Dubai, the commercial centre, Sharjah, Ras al-Khaimah, Fujairah, Umm al Qawain and Ajman. The main cities and towns of each emirate are all on the southern shores of the Arabian Gulf except for Fujairah which is a coastal strip on the Gulf of Oman outside the Strait of Hormuz.

Abu Dhabi is the only one of the seven emirates to qualify as an oil state in the same sense as Kuwait or Qatar. Like those two, Abu Dhabi has diversified into petrochemicals and other oil-related industries. Dubai is the second-richest emirate. Its oil income is now about one-quarter of Abu Dhabi's; however in the years before Abu Dhabi became rich, Dubai supported itself as the main trading and smuggling port in the region. In addition to being one of the main business centres of the Gulf today, it also has a huge dry-dock complex, one of the Middle East's busiest airports and a large free trade zone at Jebel Ali.

Sharjah receives a modest income from oil and it also has a very busy airport, Dubai's nearness notwithstanding. It is the main entry point for tourists visiting the UAE. Sharjah's airport and its seaport derive considerable income from cargo.

The most northern of the emirates, Ras al-Khaimah, is also dependent upon its oil income. It has also invested heavily in tourism. Fujairah, the only one of the seven emirates without a coastline on the Gulf, is also seeking tourists but it remains primarily a cargo port. Fujairah, Umm al-Qawain and Ajman all receive substantial subsidies from the federal government.

Agriculture

Lying in the heart of the world's arid zone, the UAE has little rainfall and one would expect it to be a barren place. Barren places there certainly are, but the process of desertification has very largely been arrested in the country. It is now possible to see forests, fields of grass and wheat where once there were only desert sands and winds.

The UAE has a long tradition of agriculture in its oases where crops have been grown for 5000 years. Underground water was channelled to palm groves and small fields and the technique is still used today. Since the formation of the UAE in 1971, this small scale traditional farming has been complemented by investment that has seen thousands of hectares being cultivated.

In the past 25 years, the country's population has increased ten-fold and agricultural production has kept pace with this growth. The country is self-sufficient in salad crops and poultry for much of the year and even exports crops to markets in Europe. Most of the UAE's agricultural production comes from four areas: from in and around Al Ain, from a narrow but fertile strip along the east coast, from the oasis of Dhaid east of Sharjah and from the gravel plains in Ras al Khaimah.

According to figures from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, agricultural production stands at over Dh 2 billion per year. An average crop season yields over 600,000 tons of crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers, aubergines, lettuce, cabbage and animal feed.

Studies have shown that much of the country's soil can be cultivated provided there is water and as a result, there has been an extensive programme to drill water wells. The government will prepare land for local farmers which they are then given free along with seeds, machinery and advice on pest control.

There is also government-funded research on different crops to see how they adapt to the local climate.

In an attempt to conserve and use as much water as possible in as many ways as possible, the government has embarked on a three-part programme designed to make the most advantageous use of this scarce resource.

First, farmers are given advice on how to reduce their consumption of water, mainly through trickle irrigation. Desalinated water as well as recycled and purified sewage effluent is used.

Second, with the help of the United States Geological Survey, the government is searching for new aquifers and monitoring current rates of extraction.

Third and last, to prevent the waste of valuable rainwater, retention dams have been constructed in many areas. These store the water until it can be used for irrigation. Tens of millions of gallons of rainwater are being retained by the dams already built throughout the Emirates.

In the long run, of course, it is realized that desalinated water will provide the bulk of agricultural water.

There is more to agriculture than simply growing crops. One area that has seen dramatic growth is the keeping of poultry for meat and eggs. The same is true of dairy products. Herds of imported cattle have adapted to the climate and are now producing milk, cheese and yoghurt for the local market.

The presence of trees and gardens in the UAE is always noticed and commented upon by visitors. Over 10 million trees have been planted plus more than 18 million palm trees. In all the cities and towns of the UAE, there have been beautification campaigns with the creation of parks and gardens for the local people. Any householder, even those in flats, can get free plants from the Municipality under a programme that distributes thousands of plants annually.

Besides the greening of the cities and towns there has also been a massive programme in the desert and it is here that most of the trees have been planted. Flying over the desert, one now sees great patches of green where formerly there was only sand. All kinds of arid region plants, both local and imported, have been planted and as they grow to maturity, their roots reach down to the natural water supply. When this happens, they will be able to survive with little care and attention.

The face of the land and the environment too have been changed. Wildlife flourishes as do native plants and animals.

The UAE was never purely and simply a desert. Today it has become a place where greenery can be seen in both urban and rural areas. Twenty years of dedicated commitment have made the point that the process of desertification is reversible. And given time and money, that is exactly what has happened and is continuing to happen.

People

As a result of the oil boom, less than 50% of the inhabitants of the UAE are Arabs. There are large groups of Indians, Pakistanis, Iranians and Southeast Asians. The population is, however, 95% Muslim. The capital is Abu Dhabi and the second most important city is Dubai. In the UAE, six years of primary education is free and compulsory. Because of the income from petroleum, health services and social services are provided virtually free.

The people of the UAE are Arab, descended from the tribal confederations dominating the peninsula since before recorded history. Arabic is of course the official language but English is widely spoken as are Urdu, Malayalam and from the Philippines, Tagalog. All these groups add to the diversity of the UAE's cosmopolitan society.

Religion    

The state religion is Islam which reached the area during the lifetime of the Prophet Mohammed. The country's laws and practices are founded upon Islam and the Holy Qur'an.

Government

There are no elections or legal political parties in the UAE. Power rests with the seven hereditary sheikhs -- also known as emirs, and hence the area ruled by an emir is known as an emirate -- who control the seven traditional sheikhdoms (Abu Dhabi [picture 1], Dubai [picture 2], Sharjah [picture 3], Ajman, Umm al-Qaiwain, Ras al-Khaimah and Fujairah -- each emirate is named after its principal town) and choose a president from among themselves. Since 1971, the ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Zaid bin Sultan al-Nahayan, has been president.

He was re-elected to his fourth consecutive term in late 1991 by his colleagues on the Supreme Council of Rulers -- the highest body in the country -- which usually meets informally. The Vice President and Prime Minister is the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid al Maktoum. The Deputy Prime Minister is Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan. There is also a Cabinet, and its posts are distributed among the seven emirates. (The members of the Cabinet are the government ministers, such as Minister of the Interior, etc.)

The Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces is the President while the second in command (Deputy Supreme Commander) is Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. The Minister of Defence is Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

The parliament is known as the Federal National Council (FNC). It was established on 13th February 1972 and is considered a landmark in the country's constitutional and legislative process. The FNC advises the Cabinet and the Supreme Council but cannot overrule them. According to the constitution, the FNC consists of 40 members who are drawn proportionately from each of the seven emirates. Each ruler appoints the members for his emirate.

Distribution of FNC members is as follows:

The FNC is structured as follows:

The FNC has powers to amend and review all legislation and also to summon Ministers to review and criticize the work of their ministries.

Despite the fact that there is a federal government, each ruler is completely sovereign in his domain. Abu Dhabi has a National Consultative Council whose members come from some of the oldest families and tribes making up the population. In fact, most of the UAE government's money comes from Abu Dhabi and Dubai, which contribute a share of their oil revenues. As a result, they hold most of the important Cabinet posts.

The UAE was a founding member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) created at a summit conference in Abu Dhabi in 1981. The members of the GCC include Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the Sultanate of Oman as well as the UAE. The country is also a member of the League of Arab States, the Islamic Conference Organization, the United Nations and most of the UN's affiliate bodies.

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