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United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a union of seven sovereign sheikhdoms, formed when the British withdrew from the Gulf in 1971. Abu dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Qaiwain, Ras al-Khaimah and Fujairah. It boasts mountains, beaches, deserts, oases, camel racing, Bedouin markets and the legendary duty-free shopping of Dubai, all packed into a relatively small area. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) occupy a triangle of land and sea on Arabia's eastern flank. It is near to the entrance of the Arabian Gulf with extensive coastlines on its west and north facing shores, together with easterly coastline bordering the Arabian Sea.
The UAE has approximately 700 kilometres of coastline, including 100 kilometres on the Gulf of Oman. Along the Arabian Gulf coast are offshore islands, coral reefs and salt marshes. To the east lie the Hajar mountains, close to the Gulf of Oman, which reach north into the Musandam peninsula, at the mouth of the Arabian Gulf. The western part of the Federation, most of which is Abu Dhabi territory, consists mainly of desert interspersed with oases. One of the largest oases is Al Liwa, beyond which is the vast Rub al-Khali desert, or Empty Quarter.
Travel agents are beginning to promote the UAE as the hyped 'land of contrasts'. There is some truth in the cliché. The country's deep-rooted cultural heritage, accessible in the many cultural centres and at traditional sports such as falconry, camel- racing and horse-racing, has been a powerful attraction for tourists. The UAE has also become a popular venue for conferences, regional and international exhibitions and major sports events such as the Dubai World Cup, the Dubai Desert Classic Golf Tournament as well as polo and cricket competitions. Today, Abu dhabi and Dubai with their impressive skylines are among the most modern cities in the world and the country itself has become one of the world's fastest growing tourist destinations.
It also has the most relaxed entry regulations in the region, the best tourist infrastructure and, despite having a reputation for luxury resorts and shopping, actually has a full range of very reasonable tourist facilities. It need not be expensive.
The best time of the year to visit the UAE is between November and April, when the weather is at its best. The rest of the year you're more likely to be running from one air-conditioned environment to the next instead of getting out and about and exploring. Ramadan, the muslim month of fasting, is strictly adhered to in the UAE; that means no eating, drinking or smoking in public from sunrise to sunset. Places that normally serve alcohol stop serving it during this month.
Abu Dhabi
Everything in Abu Dhabi is modern, sleek and shiny. The United Arab Emirate's capital is often accused of being a rather soulless place, but it does have its attractions. If you're prepared to look below the surface of the modern Abu Dubai, you'll find traces of the pearling village it was such a short time ago. Start at the city's old fort and wander the streets to discover local history, Islamic art both ancient and modern, and the ageless life of wharf and souk. Al-Ain is the main town in the Buraimi Oasis, which straddles the border between Abu Dhabi and Oman. Its sister town, Buraimi, is on the Omani side of the border, but visitors can move freely between the two, making this a good way to get a taste of Oman without the hassle of obtaining a visa. The oasis is probably the longest inhabited part of what is now the UAE, with settlement dating back to the 4th millenium BC. In more recent times, Al-Ain was the birthplace of Shaikh Zayed, the much loved former ruler of Abu Dhabi, who proudly lavished funds on it. Camel safaris can be organised from Al-Ain.
Dubai
Dubai is the epicentre of a world of sand, sun and shopping. A century ago, it was a tranquil town whose coral-and-gypsum huts housed Bedouin traders and pearl divers. Today the merchants have gone international and ultra modern skyscrapers stand alongside the mosques and wind towers of Old Dubai. There are two sides of Dubai to explore - the sleek, futuristic world of mirrored skylines, chilled-air malls and James Bond-style artificial islands; and old Dubai, perhaps most clearly represented by its ancient mosques and countless souks, all of which sell a different speciality.
Sharjah
The third largest of the seven emirates, Sharjah is a place that too many visitors to the UAE either miss or pass through quickly. It has some of the most interesting architecture in the country, the largest mosque in the UAE and plenty of sights to see. Some of its highlights are a natural history museum that's the slickest in the entire Gulf, souks to rival Dubai, and an old souk that offers a window on an older way of life that has now all but disappeared. It's also a great place to purchase Persian carpets.
Ajman
This smallest of the seven emirates with an area of just 260 sq kms is centrally located on the western coast of the UAE. Ajman also includes Masfut and Manama, two small enclaves inland in the Hajar mountains, rich in agriculture and farming. Like the other emirates Ajman too has a pleasant blend of the old and the new, the simple and the sophisticated. You can enter Ajman city from Sharjah which brings you into the Corniche, with a fine sandy beach on one side and the city spread out on the other.
Ajman is noted as the world's largest boat building yard and even more as the biggest dhow building center. Here these ocean-going vessels are built using traditional tools, manual skills with the same techniques that has been handed down throught the generations, all without blueprints. Don't miss a trip to the Souk - it rivals Dubai's and the Museum.
Fujairah
Lying in the south-eastern corner of the Arabian peninsula, Fujairah is the only emirate located on the Gulf of Oman rather than the Arabian Gulf. Unlike other desert emirates, Fujairah has the distinction of being a narrow coastal strip at the edge of its mountainous terrain. The important resort area of Khor Fakkan has excellent beaches and watersport facilities. Against this the majestic Hajar mountains form a magnificent backdrop. Para-gliding, windsurfing, water-skiing, and jet-skiing are popular as are deep-sea fishing.
Ras Al Khaimah
This northernmost of all emirates, lying at the foot of the Hajar mountains and bordering the Sultanate of Oman to its north and east, is an important port, besides being one of the main agricultural centres.
Between the sandy coastal plain to the west and the mountains to the north and east is a fertile land with farms producing a variety of fruits and vegetables including more than 45 different types of date palms.
Umm Al Quwain
Extending 23 kilometres along the coast of the Arabian Gulf, this small peninsular emirate lies between the emirates of Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah. The city of Umm Al Quwain has also witnessed a boom in development activities with modern buildings, roads, parks shooting up. Sprawling over 250,000 sq mts along the coast is Dreamland Aqua Park, a huge entertainment complex, offering a variety of water games and rides, a souk to take care of your shopping needs, and restaurants and fast-food outlets to satiate your growing appetite, an ideal family destination.
Diving:
Go East!
There is diving all along the Gulf coast and many dive centres, particularly in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. You can dive on both sides of the peninsula ie the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The waters are relatively shallow but there are a lot of wrecks, typically cement barges and the like, reefs, and a multitude of fish and turtles. Visibility is much better on the east coast than the west. This is because the west coast is extremely sandy - however, there are a lot of wrecks there.
Diving attractions in Dubai tend to revolve around several excellent wreck sites, which have become a haven for sea-life and are extremely accessible. However, a two-hour drive can also bring you to Fujairah, where there are many beautiful reefs and several established dive centres.
There are a number of wrecks in the area, including three technical wreck sites at 65 metres, 80 metres and 105 metres. Two wrecks at depths of 18 metres and 30 metres also cater for recreational divers. However, the majority of diving in the area is coral reef diving, and the sites offer a huge variety of soft and hard coral teeming with marine life.
The shallow waters around Snoopy Island off the coast of Khor Fakkan in the emirate of Sharjah are also ideal for less experienced divers. There are a number of dive sites in this area, including Shark Island, Dibba Rock and The Pinnacles. Reaching depths of up to 18 metres, reef shark, stingrays, turtles and moray eels can regularly be spotted. Martini Rock, known for its colourful soft ferns and large shoals of fish, is arguably the best dive site on the UAE's east coast. With depths ranging from six metres to 22 metres, the area is home to lionfish, parrotfish, spotted moray eels, triggerfish, stingrays, trumpetfish and large shoals of barracuda.
Quite apart from diving and other watersports, there are plenty of other sporting activities to entertain you in this part of the world. Horse racing and camel racing are extremely popular, golf - there are many courses, fishing, wadi bashing, desert safaris and biking, chess. Another popular activity is an evening visit into the desert to enjoy traditional entertainments under the stars. A holiday in the UAE can be as jam packed as you wish.
Getting There:
Abu Dhabi is accessible by a number of airlines ex U.K. New UAE "National" airline Etihad is operating up to five weekly flights from London Heathrow. This is in addition to the services already on offer from British Airways and Gulf Air. Royal Brunei also have stopovers in Abu Dhabi for their flights between London and Brunei.
Dubai has the most flights of all UAE destinations from the U.K. Emirates have been particularly successful at capturing travellers from the UK regional airports who are looking to reach a variety of destinations in Asia and Australasia and stopover in Dubai. In addition to flights from London Heathrow and Gatwick, Emirates also fly from Birmingham and Manchester. British Airways also fly direct from London Heathrow only to Dubai. Royal Brunei Airlines and Bangladesh Biman stop in Dubai on their way to Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei), and Dhaka (Bangladesh) respectively.
There are international airports at Sharjah and Fujairah and one is under construction at Al-Ain.
Worldwise
Although the UAE is relaxed in its attitude compared to some of its neighbours, you should respect local customs and not wear revealing clothes away from the beach. Bring empty suitcases because the shopping is unbelievable!
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