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about united arabic emirates
The United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) is a country in the Middle East, situated
in the South-East of the Arabian Peninsula, in the South-East of Asia on
the Persian Gulf. The U.A.E. consists of seven emirates:
1) Dubai
Dubai is the most "westernised" of the seven Emirates. Dubai is certainly the most famous and popular of the seven emirates and is probably the most popular investment destination at the moment. Substantial wealth was generated following the discovery of Oil in 1966 but, being conscious of diminishing reserves, the late Ruler HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum created a plan in 2000 to attract both tourism and industry. Therefore, tourism in Dubai is a very important strategy of the government to keep the circulation of the American dollar in the emirates. In contrast to other emirates, the petroleum in Dubai is just a 6% of the GDP. The majority of its benefits derive from the free trade area of Jebel Ali, the JAFZ, and more and more from the tourism industry.
2) Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi the largest emirate of the U.A.E. According to CNN, the city Abu Dhabi, is the richest city in the world. At the head of Abu Dhabi lies Lulu Island, a man-made island, which is for some people the most strategic and valuable piece of property in the Emirate.
3) Ajman
Is the smallest member of the United Arab Emirates. But, due to the fact that Ajman is the only emirate offering investors of any nationally fully 100% freehold ownership on real estate, Ajman has attracted a large number of investors worldwide. Furthermore, the government announced the construction of the Ajman International Airport which will be finished by 2011.
4) Ras al-Khaimah
Ras al-Khaimah may have been overshadowed by its neighbouring emirates in the past, but now, it is the third largest emirate in the UAE and just 50 minutes from Dubai´s international hub. Experts claim that Ras al-Khaimah has re-invented itself lately as an economic powerhouse with multi billion dirham real estate projects and unique investments and is going to be the "future Dubai" in terms of tourism and property investment. See our latest property investment in Dubai located in Ras Al-Khaimah.
5) Umm al-Quwain
Umm al-Quwain is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for early investors to gain a foothold in a fast-emerging market in the Northern Emirates. According to experts Umm al-Quwain is an excellent investment opportunity since it is like buying property in Dubai five-ten years ago.
6) Sharjah
The city is the only one to have land on both the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The city of Sharjah overlooks the Persian Gulf and is known as the Cultural Capital of the UAE.
7) Fujairah
This emirate is not popular for property investment, since foreigners or visitors are not allowed to buy land.
The UAE population
The composition of the society in the United Arab Emirates is very unbalanced, being the highest gender-imbalance worldwide: The male population doubles the female population and about 85% of the society is comprised of non-citizens. Ex patriots are attracted by high standard of living, tax-free environment and a vibrant lifestyle. In order to sustain and support the continuous increases in population and tourism, major improvements to the infrastructure are underway. In Dubai, for example, they are currently spending $50 billion. These include for example a brand new airport at Jebel Ali which will cater, on completion in 2009, 120 million passengers annually.
Economic panorama of the UAE
The U.A.E. has an open economy with one of the highest per-capita income of the world (the 3rd highest worldwide) and an active trade balance. The economic wealth is mainly based on the production of natural gas and petroleum (about 33% of the gross domestic product) and therefore, the benefit depends on the fluctuation of its prices. Since 1973, the society of the U.A.E. has undergone a dramatic transformation; whereas the U.A.E. used to be a miserable nation in the desert, it has become a modern nation with one of the highest standard of living in the world. With the recent production of petroleum, the reserves of petroleum will last about another hundred years. More about investing in the UAE.
The UAE, especially Dubai, has become an international gateway and is now attracting companies, such as Microsoft, General Electric, CNN, IBM, etc. from around the globe who are all benefiting from tax-free zones and incentives. Designated free zones provide up to 50 years tax-free income. The GDP has increased a 25% in comparison with last year, whereas in the EU it was just a 1.9%.
- Agricultural products: Vegetables, watermelon, poultry farming, eggs, dairy products and fishing
- Natural resources: Petroleum, natural gas
- Main industries: Petroleum, fishing, chemical products, building material, shipbuilding and handcraft
- GDP:GDP is the equivalent of the purchasing power: $70.1 thousand million GDP, real growth rate: 3.3%
- Income per-capita: $24.000
- Labour sectors: Agriculture: 2%, Industry: 55%, Services: 43%
- Export value: $25.3 thousand million: petroleum 66%, natural gas, re-export, fishing. Main export countries: Japan 45%, India 6%, Oman 6%, South-Corea 5%, Iran 5% (1994)
- Import: Value: $21.7 thousand million: manufactured products, machinery, transport equipment, principal food. Main providers: Japan 11%, United Kingdom 8%, Germany 8%, United States 8%, Italy 7% (1994)
- Roads: Total km: 3.000
- Ports: V'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Das Island, Khawr Fakkan, Mina' Jabal 'Ali, Mina' Khalid, Mina' Rashid, Mina' Saqr, Mina' Zayid, Umm al Qaywayn
- Airports: Total number: 36
Sample of flights between London and Dubai
Flight connections to Dubai: (several flights a day)
- From London city - Airlines: Lufthansa, KLM, Air France, (return about 300 Pounds)
- From London Heathrow - Airlines: ETIHAD AIRWAYS, British Airways, Alitalia, Royal Brunei Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Air France, Gulf Air, etc. (return about 300 Pounds)
Objects of interest or: Dubai is truly the city of superlatives
The UAE and Dubai in particular, is full of breathtaking objects of interest.
A truly unique project such as the 3 man-made palms is on such a scale that it is visible from space. When completed, the Burj Dubai Tower will be over 800 metres tall, and twice the size of the Eiffel Tower, will be the largest tower in the world.
Dubailand - The World's Largest Theme Park
Dubailand is an innovative, breathtaking development which will take tourism, leisure and entertainment to a new level. Dubailand is divided into six themes, each forming an area which is referred to as a "world". Its going to be divided into:
- Attractions and Experience World,
- Sports and Outdoor World,
- Eco-Tourism World,
- Themed Leisure and Vacation World,
- Retail and Entertainment World,
- and Downtown.
