United Arab Emirates

Introduction to United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates (also called the UAE) is an oil-rich Middle Eastern country situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia on the Persian Gulf, comprising seven emirates: Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain. Before 1971, they were known as the Trucial States or Trucial Oman, in reference of a nineteenth-century truce between the British and some Arab Sheikhs. It borders Oman and Saudi Arabia.

Cultural notes about United Arab Emirates

Rooted in Islamic culture, the UAE has strong ties with the rest of the Arab world. The government is committed to preserving traditional forms of art and culture, including via the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation. Change is very apparent in social life however - attitudes towards women are shifting, and new sports are becoming popular alongside traditional camel racing including the world's richest horse race, the Dubai World Cup, held annually in March.