COUNTRY OVERVIEW Provided by Wikipedia.com

The United Arab Emirates i/juːˌnaɪtɨd ˌærəb ˈɛmɪrɨts/ (Arabic: دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة‎, Al-ʾImārāt al-ʿArabiyyah al-Muttaḥidah), sometimes simply called the Emirates or the UAE,[7] is an Arab country situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman to the east and Saudi Arabia to the south, as well as sharing sea borders with Qatar to the west and Iran to the north. The UAE is a federation of seven emirates (equivalent to principalities), each governed by a hereditary emir, with a single national president. The constituent emirates are Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujiwara, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Quwain. The capital is Abu Dhabi, which is also the state's center of political, industrial, and cultural activities.[8]

Prior to independence in 1971, the UAE was known as the Trucial States or Trucial Oman, in reference to a 19th-century truce between the local sheiks, hereditary rulers of the territories, and the United Kingdom. The term Pirate Coast was also used by some to refer to the emirates from the 18th to the early 20th century, owing to the preponderance of pirates operating from Emirati ports.[9]

The UAE's political system is based on its 1971 Constitution, which is composed of several intricately connected governing bodies. As a federation of seven monarchies, whose rulers retain absolute power within their emirates, but with a UAE president, it is neither a constitutional monarchy nor a republic. The emirs choose one of their members to be the president of the federation, but this does not alter the monarchical character of the government of the individual emirates. The constitution is concerned solely with the relations between the emirates as members of the federation, and does not prescribe a constitutional system of government. Islam is the official religion of the UAE, and Arabic is the official language.[10]

UAE oil reserves are ranked as the world's seventh-largest[11] and it possesses one of the most developed economies in Western Asia. It is the thirtieth-largest economy at market exchange rates. Per capita income is the world's seventh-highest.[12] UAE has a relatively high Human Development Index among Asian continent, ranking thirtieth globally.[13] The country has been classified as a high-income developing economy by the IMF.

LASTING IMPRESSIONS

This is a good example of some of the spectacular things to see here. I have been to Yas Island, Ferrari World, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi. The video is strange enough to make you realize the once you come over here, "your definitely not in Kansas anymore". Its not a bad thing, but you definitely want to do your research about customs and courtesy. Even though the United Arab Emirates has an insatiable hunger for Western consumerism that does not mean they don't adhere to Islamic and Middleastern societal rules.

You will see many traditional Muslims in (hijab clothes- Islamic meaning to cover) with Bluetooth, iphones, and ipads. Some of the women even have Gucci and Louis Vuitton heels on.  It is a very surprising site for many Westerners. Overall this is an excellent place if you want to see Middle Eastern culture while remaining relatively safe in this region of the world. I say "relatively" because the of Geo-political factors of the area. I have been into town at least a half dozen times and have seen many Western families walking around here. I felt comfortable in the public as well.

With all that being said, I would strongly recommend visiting here. Not because I am a huge fan of Middleastern culture, or the daily temperatures of 130+ degrees, or the barren expanse of desert outside the cities. I would recommend it because most Westerners have had little to absolutely zero first hand interaction with an Arabic society. Relying on American news agencies as your knowledge base does not paint an accurate description of the complexities of this part of the world.