The United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven emirates, each with its own unique character and personality but yet united with a common goal and destiny.

The federation consist of Abu Dhabi (capital city of the federation), Dubai, Sharjah, Fujairah, Ajman, Ras Al-Khaimah and Umm Al-Quwain.

The National Day or the day of formation of the Federation of the United Arab Emirates is 2nd of December 1971 and is celebrated generally every year.  National holidays are declared on 2nd, 3rd & 4th December, the major cities of the emirates are all brightly lit-up and decorated with lights.  Celebrations take place with great joy and pride.

The official language of the UAE is Arabic. Other languages spoken are English, Hindi, Farsi and since large number of the expatriate population are from the sub-continent, Philippines, Malaysia, quite often Tagalog, Malayalam, etc.

The United Arab Emirates currency is called the Dirham.  Arab Emirate Dirham (Dhs or AED)100 Fils equals 1 Dirhams.

Denominations:
Notes of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000; Coins of 1 and smaller Fils 0.25, 0.50 

Exchange Rate Dhs 3.675 = US$ 1.00 
 
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi is one of the most modern cities in the world. It is the center of government and business life in the UAE, headquarters of the emirates oil operating companies and embassies are based here. The architecture of its modern buildings and sky scrapers is the finest in the Middle East.

The Ruler of Abu Dhabi and the President of the federation is H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan.

Abu Dhabi's oil wealth has been wisely utilized to encourage a healthy trade and commerce atmosphere apart from oil industries too. The promotion of tourism and various tourism related projects will elevate Abu Dhabi to a Singaporean status in the region.

Large gardens and parks, green boulevards lining all the streets and roads, sophisticated high-rise buildings, state-of-the-art communication services and transport, the presence of all the international luxury hotel chains, rich shopping malls, cultural centers and events provide tourists a one-of-a-kind experience all the year round.

A few of the important ones are listed below:
The Abu Dhabi International Exhibition Centre has hosted some of the most prestigious international events like IDEX (International Defense Exhibitions) etc..

The Abu Dhabi Shopping Festival held every year in early March is filled with fantastic bargains, sale and prizes from all the shopping malls.

The Abu Dhabi Duty Free is one of the finest duty free shopping centers in the world and its prize draw is popular throughout the world

Dubai
Dubai is the second largest emirate in the U.A.E. Its total area is around 1000 square miles.  

The city of Dubai is divided by the famous Dubai creek or Khor. This natural harbour, and Dubai's strategic location on the international trading map has made it one of the world's leading trading and commercial centers. 

The Ruler of Dubai, H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, succeeded his father in 1990. 

His father, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum was one of the founding fathers of the UAE together with H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahayan and was the Vice-President and Prime Minister until his death in 1990. Now, Sheikh Maktoum has taken the mantle of the above positions. 

The Maktoum family is also a part of the Baniyas tribe who first settled in Abu Dhabi but then later took control of Dubai in 1833. Dubai's growth can be traced back to the early years of the century when the grandfather of H.H. Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum persuaded the British shipping line plying between Britain and India, to make Dubai their main port of call in the 1940s. 

To further consolidate its position as a major port, H.H. Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum took an active interest in the development of Dubai, he established a Police Force, a customs service and developed trade connections with India. 

Soon, in the 1960's, with the discovery of oil, money started to pour in and Dubai's prominence and prosperity  increased. But aware of the risks of oil-dependency, Sheikh Rashid actively promoted new industrial ventures. The Aluminium and Cement factory are the result of this endeavour. 

The Jebel Ali Free Trade Zone - the fifth largest in the world within a short span of ten years, has attracted over 900 international companies that include global giants - a few of these are General Motors, AEG, Aiwa, BP, Ciba, Geigy, Daewoo and Heinz. 

Dubai's attractiveness not only lies in its trade. Like the rest of the U.A.E., it has also been actively promoted as a tourist destination.

A few of its notable achievements are :
The gold prize for the best destination in the Middle East in the 1996 World Travel prizes ceremony held in June 1996 in Las Vegas, USA.

Dubai also won the silver medal for the best tourism and conference centre in the Middle East.
The Dubai Shopping Festival, held every year is a major attraction for tourists worldwide.

Dubai World Trade Centre has emerged as the best Exhibition and Conference centre in the Gulf Region by hosting innumerable International Fairs and events like the Gitex and Index, that attracts buyers, sellers and customers from all over the world.

Dubai International Airport considered as the world's second best transit airport, currently handles 7.3 million passengers per year with a growth rate of 12% that is double that of any other airport in the world.

Dubai Air Show is currently ranked third as the most significant international air-shows on a global scale. The first being Farnborough in Britain and the second Le Bourget in Paris. 

Dubai Summer Surprises is an innovative tourist attraction, aimed at increasing tourism in the usually inactive summer months. The peak summer months of July, August upto mid September are filled with shopping bonanzas, entertainment for children, Ice circus, with entertainment and educational programs held daily at all the major shopping complexes. 

Sharjah
Sharjah is situated between Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah interrupted by the small enclave of Ajman. 

Its coastline runs to approximately thirty kilometers along the Arabian Gulf. Sophisticated highways connect it to the other emirates. 

Sharjah was once part of a single emirate along with Ras Al Khaimah ruled by the Al Qawasim family. H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qassimi took over as Ruler in 1972 - a scholar in History, he has been conferred with a PhD (Doctorate in Philosophy) for his outstanding work. 

Under his able guidance, Sharjah has made rapid progress. Today, it is known as the Cultural capital of the U.A.E. Sharjah is the headquarters for the UAE Authors' and Writers' Union which has over a hundred publications to its credit. 

In 1971, the discovery of the Mubarak oilfield near the island of Abu Musa changed the fortunes of the emirate. In 1981, after Mubarak's reserves started dwindling, Saja's onshore gas and liquid gas field was discovered which gave a further boost to its revenues. 

Sharjah was also the first port in the entire middle east to possess fully equipped container facilities at the Sharjah Container Terminal. Its impressive port at Khorfakkan provides important facilities for ships that do not need to enter the Gulf. 

Sharjah is also the capital of Cricket in the U.A.E. It is now famous in the sub-continent and throughout the cricketing world as a major venue for One Day Internationals. 

Sharjah was one of the first emirates to promote tourism. The peaceful hamlets of Khorfakkan and Kalba are a major tourist attraction and provide a getaway from the hustle bustle of the city life.

Fujairah
Fujairah holds an unique position in the UAE. It is the only emirate that lies on the eastern  side of the UAE, along the Gulf of Oman, while all the six other emirates are along the Arabian Gulf. 

The Hajar mountain range that divides the UAE in two, from Ras Al Khaimah to Al Ain has kept Fujairah separated from the rest of the country. 

Fujairah's main occupation in the past were fishing and agriculture. Pearl fishing was non-existent because the waters of the Gulf of Oman were much deeper and colder than the Arabian Gulf, not suitable for the growth of pearl oysters. 

The Ruler of Fujairah, H.H. Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, succeeded his father in 1974.

He has ably administered the land and has been instrumental in the commissioning of several industries. 

The Fujairah port is an important port for container liners and for the world's largest livestock shipping companies which have set up their main holding station for sheep and cattle for the entire Arabian peninsula here. 

Its clean beaches, the numerous water sports like swimming, yachting, water surfing and deep sea fishing attract tourists all round the year. The Fujairah Tourism Bureau has the specific task of promoting in bound tourism.

Three new hotels are being constructed in the scenic coastal strip between Rol Diba and Al-Faqueet. Installation of a cable car system in the mountainous area of Al-Wareeah. The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries are planning to build a dam in this area where there is a famous waterfall. 

Ajman
The Emirate of Ajman is situated on the coast of the Arabian Gulf, extending over a distance of 16 km, between the emirates of Umm Al-Quwain and Sharjah. The area of the emirate is 259 square kilometers, equivalent to 0.3% of the country's total area, excluding the islands. The population was estimated to be 80,000 in 1992. 

The town of Ajman, the capital of the emirate, lies on the coast of the Arabian Gulf. lt comprises the Ruler's office, companies, banks and commercial markets. The port of Ajman is located along a natural creek (Khor) which penetrates the town. 

The two major regions in the emirate are Masfout, an agricultural area, lying at a distance of 110 km long at the South east, and Manama located 60 to the east.

Ras Al-Khaimah
Ras Al Khaimah is the northern most emirate of the UAE. The Ruler since 1948 has been H.H. Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qassimi .  

Ras Al Khaimah's history extends into antiquity. Archeological excavations reveal that a settlement with an advanced civilization that carried on trade with the Indian sub-continent existed in this region. Later historical records cite that the town of Ras Al Khaimah , then known as Julfar, 

belonged to early Muslim Caliphs. In the 18th century, after the invasions of the Persians, Portugese and the Dutch, it finally became a part of the Al Qawasim State. It was also once the center of the naval strength of the southern Gulf states. 

The traditional occupations of this emirate are mainly fishing, trading and agriculture which have been heavily modernized to meet the demands of the UAE's economy. 

Digdagga, a town close to the main city of Ras Al Khaimah, has a very big modern agricultural farm. 

Fruits, vegetables, milk, poultry are supplied to the other emirates from here. The sea around Ras Al Khaimah too abounds in tuna fish. The mountains have enabled the set up of stone quarries and a cement factory. Also the oilfield of Saleh, has boosted up the revenues of the emirate. 

Mina Saqr, located next to the town of Ras Al Khaimah, is a deepwater port with heavily utilised bulk handling facilities where major amounts of transhipment takes place. It can handle vessels upto 260 metres long and 11.5 metres maximum draught and is ideal for low cost general cargo and container handling.

Umm Al-Quwain
Umm Al Quwain is situated between Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah on the West coast. The traditional occupation of this emirate has been fishing and date cultivation.

The Ruler of Umm Al Quwain is H.H. Sheikh Rashid bin Ahmed Al Mu'alla. He succeeded his father in 1981. 

Umm Al Quwain's attraction lies in its long clean beaches, an enclosed lagoon and public horse riding stables. Located 50 kilometres south of Umm Al Qaiwain is Falaj Al Mulla, the agricultural part of the Emirate. Seneyah Island, one kilometre away from the town of Umm Al Quwain, is a natural reserve for a large species of birds, deer and Al Qaram trees. Now tourism in Umm Al Quwain will receive a further boost with "Dreamland" - the world's largest aquapark.