Dubai UAE

Description: Dubai, meaning “Gulf” in Arabic, is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the country’s seven emirates.

Population: 3,331,420

Demographics: As of 2013, only about 15% of the emirate’s population was made up of UAE nationals, with the rest comprising expatriates, many of whom either have been in the country for generations or were born in the UAE. Approximately 85% of the expatriate population (and 71% of the emirate’s total population) was Asian, chiefly Indian (51%) and Pakistani (16%); other significant Asian groups include Bangladeshis (9%) and Filipinos (3%). A quarter of the population (local and foreign) reportedly traces their origins to Iran. In addition, 16% of the population (or 288,000 persons) living in collective labour accommodation were not identified by ethnicity or nationality, but were thought to be primarily Asian.

History: The history of human settlement in the area now defined by the United Arab Emirates is rich and complex. It points to extensive trading links between the civilizations of the Indus Valley and Mesopotamia, and even as far afield as the Levant. The area was covered with sand about 5,000 years ago as the coast retreated inland, becoming part of the city’s present coastline. Pre-Islamic ceramics have been found from the 3rd and 4th centuries. Dubai is thought to have been established as a fishing village in the early 18th century and was, by 1822, a town of some 700–800 members of the Bani Yas tribe and subject to the rule of Sheikh Tahnun bin Shakhbut of Abu Dhabi. In 1822, a British naval surveyor noted that Dubai was at that time populated with a thousand people living in an oval-shaped town surrounded by a mud wall, scattered with goats and camels. The main footpath out of the village led to a reedy creek while another trailed off into the desert which merged into caravan routes. In 1901, Maktoum bin Hasher Al Maktoum established Dubai as a free port with no taxation on imports or exports and also gave merchants parcels of land and guarantees of protection and tolerance. Throughout the 1970s, Dubai experienced continued growth fueled by revenues generated from oil and trade, even as the city witnessed an influx of immigrants fleeing the Lebanese civil war.

Elevation: 16 m

Climate: Tropical hot desert climate. Average annual temperature in Dubai is 20 C (68 F), the average for July is 36 C (96 F), the average for January is 19 C (66 F).

Attractions: Dubai Fountain, Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall, Aura Skypool, Burj Al Arab, Dubai Aquarium And Underwater Zoo,Dubai Creek, Dubai Ski

Airports: Dubai International Airport DXB, Dubai World Central Al Maktoum International DWC

Distance To City Centre: 18 km

Commute Length: 35 min

Average Transportation Cost: 55 USD

Traffic Hours: 6:30 am – 8:30 am, 5:30 pm – 8 pm