UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Lying right at the heart of the Persian Gulf, the United Arab Emirates has become the most westernized country in the Middle East. Buoyed by its two main cities: the capital, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the Middle East's "Las Vegas", and some of the most plentiful oil reserves in the World - the Emirates makes a great "home away from home" for any westerner wanting to venture out into the Arabian Wilderness. A "home away from home" is exactly what Abu Dhabi was for me! As I struggled to make the ends meet in San Francisco, my family was living the "easy life" (read on for more info....) there. I used to pay them annual visits before inevitably deciding to relocate to the UAE myself. The United Arab Emirates is a combination of seven Emirates, or "Sheikdoms". These sheikhdoms are; Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Fujairah, Sharjah, Ras Al-Khaimah, Ajman and Umm Al Qaiwan. Abu Dhabi, the city is the capital of both the Emirate Abu Dhabi as well as the country as a whole. Its leader, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al- Nayhan is also the Sheikh of the UAE.

The UAE is a fairly young nation, formed in 1971. Formerly the heart of the "Trucial Coast", the (what is now known as) Emirates were under British Occupation from 1892-1971. After the British Empire withdrew; the Trucial Coast States were to form one huge nation before both Qatar and Bahrain withdrew from the Federation to form their own independent nations. With Abu Dhabi and Dubai by far the richest of the remaining 7 States; the Emirs of the other five Sheikhdoms - realizing they could never survive independently opted to join the Federation. Oil reserves were found in Abu Dhabi in 1958 and in Dubai in 1966. The Emirates, inevitably soon became an interest for nations all over the world. The oil has brought plenty of wealth and Emiratis, along with their expat neighbors enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the world. With the need for top engineers and consultants to extract the obvious wells of wealth the country had in oil - the UAE turned to employees from overseas. Now this has presented the country with a little problem. Only about a quarter of the population in the UAE today are actually Emirate Nationals. Of the 2.5 million populations, 1.5 million are from Eastern Asia (Pakistan + India being the majority) + other Arabian countries.

Above: the Burj al-Arab Hotel in Dubai is fast becoming a national monument

The proposition to lure westerners to come and work in the Emirates is incredibly lucrative....... Not only is the UAE, especially Dubai and Abu Dhabi the most Westernized cities in the whole of the Middle East but financially, the UAE offers a life that many will never find in their respective country. To a Westerner in the UAE, he/she will not only be making a salary that will at least match that of the one they will make in their respective country but it will also come tax-free and with free air fare home once or twice a year as well as, in many cases, free rent. For a western expat, life in the UAE can be quite gratifying: money to burn, beach resorts, sun (sometime too much) all year round, 4WD trips in the sand dunes, pubs, restaurants, night clubs (yes, you can drink here) and best of all, it really is a "melting pot" of nationalities and cultures. Also, crime in the UAE is almost non-existent (or at least reportedly so) so it certainly does feel safe. With that said there is still a pretty conspicuous social hierarchy system to be found. At the top of the pyramid, you have to locals, who are given virtually everything for free, luxury cars, their own businesses, etc. Next you have the western expats. Your stereotypical westerner here has an SUV, a luxury flat, and generous vacation time to explore whatever region of the world they want to. Below the westerners come the Asians and Western Arabs who may have to same job qualifications as many of their western colleagues but are paid only a fraction for doing the same work. At the bottom of the pyramid are the laborers, often construction workers from the Indian subcontinent who are forced to work and live in appalling conditions. This system works however as the reality is this is a much better alternative than what the individuals will face back home.

The core of the UAE is Abu Dhabi and Dubai so I've focused this website mainly on those two cities. As Lou Callon from the Lonely Planet Guide, The Middle East, pointed out, ".....Abu Dhabi is one of the most modern cities on earth, while Dubai is unquestionably the most vibrant city in the Gulf....." Also , my parents live in Abu Dhabi so you'd better check it out by clicking on the following........... Abu Dhabi Dubai Special thanks to the following books, check them out for more information on the UAE: The Lonely Planet Guide: The Middle East, Oman & the UAE - Dorothy Stammand, Oman & the Arabian Gulf - Dan Boothby, The World: Afghanistan to Zimbabwe - Rand Mcnally, World Desk Reference - Dorling Kinderly Publishing and From Rags to Riches - Mohammed Al-Fahim.

Go To Oman	to go back to travels page	to go back to main page;