Information about the United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates is located in Asia. It is situated in the southeast of the Asian continent and in the eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula. It overlooks the Arabian Gulf to the north and northwest, and borders the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the west and south.

Arabic is the official language. In the courts, there are five other official languages ​​namely Chinese, English, French, Hindi and Russian. All road signs and signs at commercial outlets are in Arabic and English. Some of the other widely spoken languages ​​are Bengali, Farsi, Malayalam, Turkish and Urdu.

The United Arab Emirates is a federal constitutional monarchy consisting of a federation of seven hereditary tribal monarchy-style political units called Sheikhdoms. It is governed by a Federal Supreme Council. Islam is the official religion here.

The United Arab Emirates is known for buildings such as the Burj Khalifa and cities such as Dubai. It is also a well-known route to go to Mecca via the United Arab Emirates. Mecca is the most important city in Islam, the journey (pilgrimage) to Mecca is obligatory for every Muslim who is in good health and can afford it.

• It is appreciated if you know the language and can pronounce a few words such as the Arabic words 'Assalaam alaykum' (means: peace be upon you) this is often the traditional Islamic greeting. This greeting is answered with 'wa alaykum assalaam' (means: and peace be upon you too).
• Take plenty of time for a conversation about general topics such as the weather and the health of those involved. Avoid topics such as politics, religion and sex.
• In general, it is expected that you are punctual, although it is quite normal for the business contact to arrive a little late.
• Written contact alone is not enough and therefore personal meetings are essential.
• The saying 'business is personal' applies to the Arabic business culture. This is the opposite of the 'business is business' mentality in many other parts of the world.
• Start by building a relationship of trust with your business partner. do not expect contracts to be concluded immediately, achieving results in the United Arab Emirates takes patience.
• Business gifts include; luxury pens with company logo, agendas, Delft blue and calendars with Dutch scenes. Expensive gifts are allowed, but offering alcoholic beverages is not a good idea.
• in the UAE the dress code for businessmen is formal. Preferably a suit and tie made of light material, because of the heat.

• The GDP of the United Arab Emirates is estimated at 415 billion (2021).
• Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Al Ain, Ajman are the largest cities.
• The area of ​​the United Arab Emirates is approximately 71,023.6 km2 of land, including some islands in the Arabian Gulf, in addition to 27,624.9 km2 of territorial waters.
• The official currency is the Arab Emirati Dirham.
• The United Arab Emirates has a highly industrialized economy, making it one of the most developed countries in the world.
• The most imported goods are; telecommunications equipment, office and automatic data processing machines, electrical equipment, various machines and generators and engines.
• The United Arab Emirates exports the most crude oil and petroleum products.
• Zayed International Airport is the largest in the United Arab Emirates.
• The United Arab Emirates is ranked the 26th best country in the world to do business with.