الإمارات العربية المتحدة
أي إتش إل أي إن دبليو أي Sahlan كما هو يُقالُ إلى مرحباً زوّار
في الإمارات العربية المتحدة نَتمنّى أَنْ نَأْخذَ هذه اللحظةِ لمرحباً أنت إلى هذه
البلادِ المثيرةِ أين أنت يُمكنُ أَنْ تَأخُذَ a مزيج الشرقِ وراحةِ west.It هنا
أين أنت يُمْكِنُ أَنْ تَرى فنادقَ مراكزِ التسوّق جداً الممتازةِ الحديثةِ وثقافةِ
الهند باكستان وإيران أيضاً. مِنْ الفنادقِ الفاخرةِ إلى المقاهي الهنديةِ التي أنت
سَتَحْصلُ على كُلّ شيءِ في هذه البلادِ.
الإمارات العربية المتحدة (الإمارات العربية المتحدة) a إتحاد مِنْ
سبع مشيخاتِ ذات سيادةِ، شكّلَ عندما البريطانيينَ إنسحبوا مِنْ الخليجِ في 1971.
يَفتخرُ بأَنْ يَكُونَ عِنْدَهُ جبالُ، شواطئ، صحاري، واحات، سباق جَملِ، أسواق
بدوية والتسوّق الغير خاضع للضريبة الأسطوري لدبي، كُلّ المكتظون إلى a منطقة صغيرة
نسبياً.
لَهُ تعليماتُ الدخولِ الأكثر إرتياحاً أيضاً في المنطقةِ، أفضل
بناء تحتي سياحيِ، وعوالم أكثر الوسائلِ المتقدّمةِ والأكثر المنطقةِ الآمنةِ
والسلميةِ.
اسم البلادِ الكاملِ: الإمارات العربية المتحدة
المنطقة: 83,600 كيلومتر مربّع
السكان: 2.4 مليون
المدينة الكبيرة: أبو ظبي (البوب 500,000 تخمين)
الناس: عربي (61 %)، آسيوي جنوبي (22 %)، إيراني (8 %)، مغتربون آخرون (9 %)
اللغة: الإنجليزي الفارسي العربي، هندي، أوردو
الدين: مسلم (96 %) آخر ومسيحي وهندوسي (4 %)
الحكومة: إتحاد بالسلطاتِ المحدّدةِ أوفدتْ إلى حكومة الإمارات العربية المتحدة
الإتّحاديةِ وسلطاتِ أخرى حَجزا إلى إماراتِ العضو
السكان: 3 مليون (الأُمم المتّحدة، 2003) رأسمال: لغة أبو ظبي
الرئيسية: الرائد العربي
الدين: متوسط عمر إسلامِ المتوقع: 73 سنة (رجال)، 77 سنة (نِساء) (الأُمم المتّحدة)
وحدة نقدية: درهم 1 = 100 صادرات فلسِ الرئيسيةِ: النفط، يُسمّمُ بالغاز جي إن آي
لكل فرد: الولايات المتّحدة 19,550$ (البنك الدولي 1998) مجال الإنترنتِ: ae رمز
الإتصال الهاتفي الدولي: +971 الرائد
الشركاء التجاريون: الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، الإتحاد الأوربي، اليابان، كوريا
الجنوبية، الهند
Facts for the Traveler
التأشيرات: المواطنون البريطانيون ومواطنون أكثر بلدانِ الخليجِ
لا تَتطلّبُ التأشيراتَ؛ مواطنو خليجِ يُمْكِنُ أَنْ يَبْقوا طالما يُريدونَ،
بريطانيون لمدة أقصاها ثلاثة شهورِ. كُلّ الزوّار الآخرون مطلوب أَنْ يَكُونَ
عِنْدَهُمْ تأشيراتُ. فندقكَ يُمْكِنُ أَنْ يَتبنّاك لمدّة 15 أيام، تأشيرة عبور
غير قابلة للتجديد أَو a تأشيرة زيارةِ شهرِ واحدةِ قابلة للتجديدِ. المُلاحظة التي
إذا يُشوّفُ جوازَ سفركَ دليلَ السفرِ إلى إسرائيل أنت سَتَمْنعُ من الدخول إلى
الإمارات العربية المتحدة.
أخطار صحةِ: إلتهاب الكبد
منطقة التوقيت: توقيت غرينيتش / يو تي سي +4
رمز الإتصال الهاتفي: 971
الكهرباء: 220 في، 50 هيرتز
الموازين والمقايس: متري
When to Go
أفضل وقتِ السَنَةِ لزيَاْرَة الإمارات العربية المتحدة بين
نوفمبر/تشرين الثّاني وأبريل/نيسانِ، عندما الطقس على أحسن ما يمكن. بقيّة السَنَةِ
التي أنت على الأرجح لكي تَرْكضَ من بيئة مكيّفة لآخر بدلاً مِنْ أنْ تَخْرجَ وحول
وتَستكشفَ. رمضان، الشهر الإسلامي مِنْ الصوم، يُلتَزمُ ببصرامة في الإمارات
العربية المتحدة؛ تلك الوسائلِ لا أكل أو شرب أَو تدخين علناً مِنْ شروقِ الشمس إلى
الغروبِ. الأماكن التي تَخْدمُ توقّفَ الكحولِ عادة تَخْدمُها أثناء هذا الشهرِ.
رمضان في يناير/كانون الثّاني ديسمبر/كانون الأولِ للسنتانِ القادمةِ.
Events
العُطَل الدينية تَرْبطُ إلى تقويمِ Hijra الإسلامي، يَتفاوتُ لذا
تواريخَ مِنْ السَنَةِ إلى سَنَةِ. عيد الFitr (نهاية رمضان)، عيد الأضحى (حجّ)،
Lailat الMi'raj (صعود السيد المسيح النبي)، عيد ميلاد النبي والسنة الجديدةَ
الإسلاميةَ الإحتفالاتَ الرئيسيةَ. تَتضمّنُ العُطَلُ العلمانيةُ أول يوم من السنة
الجديدةُ (يناير/كانون الثّاني 1) ويوم وطني (ديسمبر/كانون الأول 1).
Money & Costs
Currency: UAE Dirham
Meals
- Budget: US$3-5
- Mid-range: US$5-10
- High: US$10+
Lodging
- Budget: US$15-40
- Mid-range: US$40-80
- High: US$80+
The UAE is not a low-budget country, but it is possible to keep costs
under a semblance of control. Plan on spending around US$50 a day for budget to mid-range
travel; perhaps half that in Dubai and Fujairah, which have good youth hostels, and
perhaps double that in Abu Dhabi, which has no cheap hotels.
You can change money at moneychangers or banks; moneychangers sometimes
offer better rates than banks but they can be fussy about changing traveller's cheques.
The best currency to bring is US dollars, followed by British pounds. Credit cards are
widely accepted and there are plenty of ATMs connected to one or more of the global ATM
systems.
Tips are not generally expected in the UAE, but they are certainly
appreciated as most waiters earn extremely low salaries. The service charge added to your
bill usually goes to the restaurant, not the serving staff. Most hotels are willing to
negotiate discounts but virtually all other prices in the UAE are fixed.
Attractions
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 that's going a
bit too far: it's not exactly buzzing, and it may have more sheen than atmosphere, 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
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 fine 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 current ruler of Abu Dhabi, and he has lavished funds on
it. Buraimi has not received the same largesse and remains a comfortable provincial town.
The resulting contrast between the two communities makes this an interesting spot to
visit. The other drawcard in summer is the dry heat of the oasis, a welcome relief from
the humidity on the coast.
The Al-Ain Museum and Eastern Fort share the same compound in south-east
Al-Ain. The museum contains exhibits on life in pre-oil days, Bedouin jewellery, weaponry,
musical instruments and the interior of a Bedouin tent. An eclectic display of the
decorations received by Shaikh Zayed includes the Order of Isabel the Catholic and a
bullet from a Palestinian commando leader who hijacked three aircraft to Jordan in 1970.
There's not a lot to see in the fort apart from an old cannon in the courtyard.
If you're in the market for a sheep or goat, stroll over to the nearby
livestock souk, which attracts Bedouin and townspeople from all over southern UAE and
northern Oman. It's an interesting place to wander around, especially early in the morning
when trading is heaviest. There's also a small camel market in the morning close to the
centre of town. When you tire of the stench of animal dung, head north across the border
to the atmospheric Buraimi Souk, which is full of fruit and vegetable stalls and is backed
by the Al-Hilla Fort. Nearby is the impressively restored, 400 year old Al-Khandaq Fort;
it's well worth prowling around the fort's courtyard and climbing the battlements.
Camel racing takes place about 20km (12mi) from Al-Ain, on the road to Abu
Dhabi, on Friday mornings during the winter months. You can also arrange camel safaris,
ranging from one hour jaunts to overnight treks that include a night in a Bedouin tent.
Al-Ain is a two hour drive east from Abu Dhabi; the two settlements are connected by a
tree-lined freeway plied by buses and service taxis. It's roughly the same distance south
of Dubai, accessible by service taxi.
Dubai
Dubai is the quintessential home 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 science-fiction 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, an interesting
archaeological museum, a pocket-sized Disneyland, plenty of watchtowers, 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. Though Sharjah has long been seen as Dubai's
poorer cousin, in the 1980s it took the lead in the development of the country's tourist
development and became the main point of entry for people arriving in the UAE on package
tours. Sharjah is on the northern coast, adjacent to Dubai.
Off the Beaten Track
Dibba
Dibba's name features large in Islamic history as the site of the great
battles of the Ridda Wars between Muslim armies and a number of tribes and towns that had
sworn allegiance to the Prophet but changed their tune after his death. The victory of the
Muslims at Dibba in 633AD traditionally marks the end of the Muslim reconquest of Arabia.
Today, Dibba is a quiet set of three seaside villages - each belonging to a different
ruler (Fujairah, Sharjah and Oman). Dibba is a really nice spot, though perhaps not quite
as nice as the Italian fishing villages to which it has fancifully been compared. Dibba is
approximately 50km (30mi) north of Fujairah and 145km (90mi) east of Dubai, accessible
from both by service taxi.
Fujairah
The youngest of the UAE's seven emirates fronts the Gulf of Oman and makes
a good base for exploring the eastern coast, regarded as the prettiest part of the
country. It boasts a museum showcasing archaeological and ethnographic displays, a spooky
old town and a 300 year old fort. Bithna, 12km (8mi) north-west of Fujairah, has several
archaeological sites, including the Long Chambered Tomb, thought to have been a communal
burial place, and an impressive fort.
Ras al-Khaimah
The northernmost of the UAE's emirates, Ras al-Khaimah is one of the most
beautiful spots in the country. It's an area of carefully irrigated abundant greenery
surrounded by sea, desert and mountains. The relaxing city of Ras al-Khaimah welcomes
tourists but doesn't bend to them. Its attractions include an interesting museum, an
atmospheric old town, souq and fishing port, and the best camel racing in the country.
There are several interesting archaeological sites nearby, including the Queen of Sheba
Palace in Shimal 5km (3mi) to the north. Ras al-Khaimah is approximately 100km (60mi)
north-east of Dubai, accessible by service taxi.
Activities
Watersports are popular along the UAE's coast, and the tourist industry is
keen to promote the country as a winter 'sea & sun' destination for Europeans
suffering seasonal chills. Most watersports facilities, like dive centres or jetski
hire operations, are part of upmarket hotels and are not generally accessible to
independent travellers. Camel safaris can be arranged in Al-Ain. Desert safaris
or 'wadi bashing', which involves zooming around the desert in a 4WD, can be organised in
Dubai or Sharjah. For a rather more timid but highly surreal experience, there are a
number of golf courses with real grass in Dubai, though you'll have to be a guest
at a swanky hotel or be invited by a member to play. There are also dress regulations to
meet, high fees to pay and water conservation issues to wrestle with.
History
The earliest significant settlements in the UAE date from the Bronze Age.
In the 3rd century BC, a culture known as Umm an-Nar's arose near the site of modern Abu
Dhabi and its influence extended well into the interior and along the coast of what is now
Oman. The Greeks were the next major cultural influence and ruins showing strong
Hellenistic features have been found at Meleiha, about 50 km (30mi) from Sharjah, and at
Al-Dour, in the emirate of Umm al-Qaiwan. During the Middle Ages, much of the region was
part of the kingdom of Hormuz, which controlled the entrance to, and most of the trade in,
the Gulf.
The Portuguese arrived in 1498 and by 1515 had occupied Julfar near Ras
al-Khaimah, building a customs house that taxed the Gulf's flourishing trade with India
and the Far East. The Portuguese stuck around until 1633 and were followed by the Brits,
who began exercising their naval power in the Gulf in the mid-18th century. The British
came into conflict with the Qawasim tribal confederation, who were a seafaring clan whose
influence extended to the Persian side of the Gulf. The British dubbed the area the Pirate
Coast and launched raids against the Qawasim. In 1820, a British fleet systematically
destroyed or captured every Qawasim ship it could find, imposed a General Treaty of Peace
on nine Arab shaikhdoms in the area and installed a garrison in the region. As life
quieted down, Europeans took to calling the area the Trucial Coast, a name it retained
until 1971.
Throughout this period, the main power among the Bedouin tribes of the
interior was the Bani Yas tribal confederation, made up of the ancestors of the ruling
families of modern Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The Bani Yas were originally based in Liwa, an
oasis on the edge of the Empty Quarter, but moved to Abu Dhabi in 1793. They engaged in
the traditional Bedouin activities of camel herding, small-scale agriculture, tribal
raiding and extracting protection money from caravans passing through their territory.
After the British outlawed slavery along the coast, the Bani Yas took over the slave trade
and Buraimi became eastern Arabia's main slave market - a position it held right up until
the 1950s.
The British were not particularly interested in what the Bedouin got up
to; they were focussed on securing their line of communication to India and keeping
European competitors, such as France and Russia, out of the region. They formally
established a protectorate over the Trucial Coast in 1892 but let the area remain a
backwater of fisherpeople, pearl divers and Bedouin until the early 20th century. For most
of this colonial period, Sharjah was the most populous and powerful of the emirates but it
lost influence to Abu Dhabi as the 19th century drew to a close; Abu Dhabi was later
overshadowed by Dubai.
The prospect of oil eventually changed the Brits' laissez-faire approach.
Before oil concessions could be granted, boundaries between the various shaikhdoms had to
be determined. Since none of the local rulers could agree, it was left to the Brits to
demarcate the borders of the seven emirates that would eventually make up the UAE. The
first oil concessions were granted in 1939 but oil wasn't found for another 14 years.
Exports from Abu Dhabi began in 1962, eventually turning the poorest of the emirates into
the richest. Meanwhile, Dubai concentrated its energies on cementing its reputation as the
region's busiest trading post. It was already a successful entrepôt in 1966, when it was
found to have oil of its own. The other shaikhs were not so lucky and began to turn to Abu
Dhabi for subsidies.
Britain's announcement in 1968 that it intended to leave the Gulf in 1971
came as a shock to most of the ruling shaikhs. The Brits original plan was to form a
single state consisting of Bahrain, Qatar and the Trucial Coast, but this collapsed almost
immediately. Negotiations eventually led to the independence of Bahrain and Qatar and the
formation of a new federation - the United Arab Emirates - in 1971. At the time many
outsiders dismissed the UAE as a loosely assembled, artificial and largely British
creation. While there was some truth to this, it was also true that the emirs of the
smaller and poorer shaikhdoms knew their territories had no hope of surviving as
independent states. Despite the doomsayers, the UAE became a major international business
centre and one of the most stable and untroubled countries in the Arab world.
Not that political life in the UAE has been devoid of controversy. Border
disputes among the emirates continued throughout the 1970s, and the degree to which
integration among the seven shaikhdoms should be pursued has been a subject of constant
debate. The UAE contributed troops to the anti-Iraq coalition in 1990-91, and foreign
soldiers were stationed here during the months prior to the liberation of Kuwait. The
result was a strengthening of the countries already strong ties with the West, though this
has not stopped the UAE - Dubai in particular - from maintaining good relations with Iran.
In early 1998, the UAE had to cope with plummeting oil prices. The price of the black
sticky stuff fell 35% in the first three months of the year, affecting the UAE's
government revenues, 70% of which come from oil.
In a fairy-tale solution to rivalry between the shaikhdoms, the crown
prince of Dubai married the daughter of Abu Dhabi's sovereign (and president of the UAE)
in 1999, bringing the two emirates together publicly and privately. The federation has
resolved to shape its future using undeniably modern methods, however: a stock market and
other economic reforms are in the works, and 2000 marked the fifth anniversary of the
Dubai Shopping Festival, where shoppers from all over the world can peruse souks and
squares of stuff on sale.
Most Emiratis are Sunni Muslims subscribing to the Maliki or Hanbali
schools of Islamic law. Many of the latter are Wahhabis, though UAE Wahhabis are not
nearly as strict and puritanical as the Saudi variety; the UAE is probably the most
liberal country in the Gulf but it is still very conservative by Western standards. There
are also smaller communities of Ibadi and Shiite muslims. The oddest thing about the UAE's
population is that only 500,000 of the 2 million people living in the country are UAE
citizens; the rest are expatriates from other Gulf countries, and from Pakistan, Iran and
India.
Arabic is the official language but English is widely understood. In
Dubai, you can also get by practicing your Farsi, the Persian language spoken in Iran.
Urdu is spoken by the large number of Pakistani expatriates living in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
The UAE's cuisine is the staple Middle Eastern fare of fuul (paste
made from fava beans, garlic and lemon), felafel (deep fried balls of chickpea
paste served in a piece of Arabic flat bread), houmos (cooked chickpea paste served
with garlic and lemon) and shwarma (usually lamb or chicken served on a flat bread
or pita). The standard range of non-alcoholic drinks are widely available; alcohol is only
sold in restaurants and bars attached to three-star hotels or better and prices are pretty
outrageous. Alcohol is not sold at all in Sharjah.
Environment
The United Arab Emirates occupies the rhinoceros horn that protrudes into
the Persian Gulf from the north-eastern tip of the Arabian peninsula. It's bordered by
Saudi Arabia in the south and west, and Oman in the east. Its northern coast faces Iran
across the Persian Gulf, while Qatar is just 50km (30mi) to the north-west. The seven
emirates are Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al
Qaiwain. Combined, they cover an area roughly the same size as Portugal. The Emirate of
Abu Dhabi represents 85% of this total; the smallest of the emirates, Ajman, measures only
250 sq km (100 sq mi).
Much of the interior of the UAE is featureless desert, running to the
edges of the Empty Quarter, the largest sand desert in the world, which occupies
south-eastern Saudi Arabia. The UAE's coastal areas are marked by salt flats, while the
northern and eastern sections of the country are green and inviting with striking mountain
scenery. Fauna includes the Arabian leopard and ibex, but you're unlikely to see more than
camels and wild goats. In spring and autumn flocks of birds migrating from Central Asia
and East Africa can sometimes be seen in the country's north. Outside of the mountainous
areas of Fujairah and Ras al-Khaimah, much of the UAE's vegetation is the result of the
government's 'greenery' programme: even the natural groves of date palms in the Buraimi
Oasis on the country's eastern border have been supplemented by acres of grass and trees
planted in municipal parks.
From May to September humidity is high and daytime temperatures commonly
hover around 40°C (105°F) in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. In the eastern coastal cities of
Fujairah and Khor Fakkan, the climate is slightly less hostile thanks to occasional
breezes; the mountains above Ras al-Khaimah also provide some relief. Average daily high
temperatures drop to the more comfortable 22-30°C (70-85°F) range for the rest of the
year, though it can be very windy in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah and very cold in the
desert areas around Al-Ain. Rainfall is non-existent between May and October, and
negligible for much of the rest of the year - though it can turn foul in December and
January, which can make getting around tricky.
Getting There & Away
The country's main international airports are in Dubai and Abu Dhabi,
though an increasing number of carriers are servicing Sharjah as well. Smaller
international airports serve Ras al-Khaimah, Fujairah and Al-Ain. There are daily services
to most major European cities from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and also to major Middle Eastern
and Gulf cities. There are also connections to the USA, North Africa, the Indian
Subcontinent and Australia. There's no airport departure tax.
There's a daily bus service between Dubai and Muscat in Oman, though the
lack of a UAE border post on the road used by the bus can present visa problems for
travellers. Regular bus services operate between both Dubai and Abu Dhabi and Saudi
Arabia's Eastern Province, though there are no bus or taxi services to Qatar. Boats ply
between Sharjah and Bandar-é Abbas in Iran; the voyage takes 12 hours each way.
back to top
Getting Around
There is no inter-city air or bus service between the seven emirates, so
if you don't have your own car the only way to travel between emirates is by service taxi.
These can be cramped but they're cheap and a great way to meet locals. The main problem is
that they take a while to fill up, except on the main Abu Dhabi-Dubai route. Between these
two cities, you also have the choice of slightly cheaper minibuses.
The UAE is one of those countries where having your own wheels can often
mean the difference between having fun and spending much of your time planning transport
options from A to B. Car rental is only slightly more expensive than in the West, and is
relatively easy to arrange in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Main roads are in pretty good shape
and, in theory, you should drive along them on the right. Driving standards are not
particularly high and fatalism reigns supreme; if you have the slightest inclination
towards self preservation, be sure to drive defensively - especially at roundabouts.
Only Dubai and Al-Ain have public bus networks useful to travellers. Note
that taxis in Abu Dhabi and Al-Ain have meters, as do most in Dubai. The other emirates do
not.
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