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Once a British protectorate, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) came together as one country when the seven emirates united in 1971. Arabic is the official language, but English is widely spoken. Ranked fourth in the world in oil resources, the UAE has one of the world's fastest-growing economies.
For Western visitors, the UAE is a very sa... read more
Once a British protectorate, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) came together as one country when the seven emirates united in 1971. Arabic is the official language, but English is widely spoken. Ranked fourth in the world in oil resources, the UAE has one of the world's fastest-growing economies.
For Western visitors, the UAE is a very safe destination, with the comforts of home and a taste of the exotic. Spread out over desert and coastland, you can soak up the atmosphere of the heritage areas or the magnificent mountain scenery of Hatta, haggle over souvenirs in the souqs (outdoor markets) of Sharjah, head out to Abu Dhabi's desert sands for a camel ride under a star-filled sky, or dive the coralfilled waters of the Arabian Gulf.
Sharjah promotes itself as the cultural capital of the UAE, and its proliferation of excellent museums, galleries and theatres makes this tag well deserved. Architecturally, the restored central arts and heritage precincts are two of the most interesting neighborhoods in the UAE, and the city's souqs give it the cachet of being the best place for shopping in the country. Less
