The United Arab Emirates, one of the world's fastest growing tourist destinations, has all the right ingredients for an unforgettable holiday -sun, sand, sea, sports, unbeatable shopping, top-class hotels and restaurants, an intriguing traditional culture, a safe and welcoming environment.
Where is the UAE!
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is situated along the south-eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula between 22° 50 and 26° north latitude and between 51° and 56° 25 east longitude. Qatar lies to the north-west, Saudi Arabia to the west, south and south-east and Oman to the south-east and north-east. Occupying a total area of about 83, 600 sq. km (32,400 sq. miles) - roughly the size of Portugal - the UAE has 700 km of coastline, 600 km along the Arabian Gulf and 100 km bordering the Gulf of Oman.
General Information
The best time to visit the UAE is from October up until May. In October the weather may still be quite hot (up to 35C), blue skies are the norm and the evenings are warm. At this stage the tourist season is well under way.
Daytime temperatures are ideal during November, December, January and February (around 24C) although the evenings may be a little cool. Most of the annual rainfall occurs between December and March, but this tends to be in the form of short heavy downpours that rapidly clear away. Indeed some winters are totally dry.
June-September period hot (high 40s) and humid (100 per cent), however hotels and golf clubs and other facilities offer very good deals during the summer months and it is worth remembering that hotels, shops, in fact all buildings, cars, buses etc are air-conditioned.
Ramadan
You have to take some special care while visiting UAE during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. During Ramadan, Muslims do not eat or drink between sunrise and sunset. Visitors are requested not to eat, drink or smoke in public places during this time. Most restaurants are closed during the day, although you will generally be served food in your hotel, either in your room or in a secluded area of the hotel. In general, the sale of alcohol is prohibited during Ramadan; however alcohol is served in some emirates after sunset.
Despite these restrictions, there are certain advantages in visiting the UAE during at this time. You may be able to obtain discount rates on some hotels and once the daily fast is broken (by the Iftar meal after sunset) the streets are a hive of activity which lends a carnival atmosphere to the towns.
About 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 harbor, and Dubai's strategic location on the international trading map has made it one of the world's leading trading and commercial centers.
The Maktoum family is 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.
Soon, in the 1960's, with the discovery of oil, money started to pour in and Dubai's prominence and prosperity increased.
