Our Trip To The UAE ~
Dubai and Abu Dhabi

 

UAE stands for United Arab Emirates

 

The United Arab Emirates comprises seven emirates and includes Abu Dhabi ~ The Capitol, Dubai, Fujairah, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain.   The UAE lies at the north-eastern part of the Arabian Peninsular, bordered by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the south and west , and the Sultanate of Oman to the east and north.  It has a coastline on both the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Gulf.  The UAE has 700 km of coastline, of which 100 km are on the Gulf of Oman.  

The largest city is Abu Dhabi (73,441 sq. km.) & a population of 1,000,000 and is the capital.  The next largest is Dubai (3,900 sq. km.) population 740,000.  These are the only 2 we visited this trip.  They were really beautiful.  They were so green and had soooo many trees.  Boy, coming back to Bahrain from there made me feel like Bahrain was just a desert ~ haha ~  BUT the traffic in both of those places is much  worse than Bahrain. 
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Mike had to be there for a meeting, so we flew over to Dubai on Saturday morning, June 9th 2001.  We drove around and did some sightseeing.

This is Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House
SheikhSaeedAlMaktoumHouse-Dubai.jpg (27995 bytes)  
The house is located in Al_Shindagha area, between the banks of the creek and the Arabian Gulf.  Overlooking the creek it is situated at the very heart of the city and was once the ruler's residence a.  The house was the seat of government and the center of development of modern Dubai till the era of the late Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum.  
This is a sign with the history of the house.  It will take a bit to download ~ It is large so you can read it.
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This is a photo of Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum
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It was the starting point of the development of the Emirates.  With its Arab architecture and ornamentation, the house represents the finest of the traditional building and original Arab and Islamic art.    In 1996 it was declared a national museum. 
ARCHITECTURE
The house is a symbol of Arab architecture.  It is square shaped with two floor and two entrances, one of them leads to the meeting room and the other overlooks the courtyard of the house inside.  The yard is surrounded by different rooms including a meeting room, living rooms, stores, and kitchens.
This is in the court yard.
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  The rooms which are rectangular with engraved walls and shelves for various purposes are good examples of traditional Arab houses.  The upper floor with its many room and balconies which overlook the sea and creek, provide a spectacular view and also provide good ventilation.  Above the house are 4 wind towers or Al Barajeel.  The wind towers were a traditional way of keeping the house cool during the summer months.  From the upper floor and its huge balconies, a wonderful view of the Dubai creek can be seen.  At this point the waters of the Arabian Gulf flows into the city for a distance of abut 10km, dividing the city into 2 parts; Deira and Dubai.  From atop the house you can view the skyline dotted with tall building along the creek and marvel at the enormous development that has taken place in Dubai in recent years.
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This is the outside and some of the architecture of the house.
The house is divided into many wings and each is allocated for a certain part of the history and heritage of the Emirate.  
AL Maktoum Wing
Mike enteringmike_bydooratshhouse.jpg (15563 bytes)the room.  Look how short the people must have been!
The exhibits of this wing show the development of political and social life and foreign relations chronologically.  During the periods of the different Sheikhs since the establishment of the Emirates, in the era of Sheikh Maktoum Bin Buti Al Bloflas in 1833, to the era of Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum the founder of modern Dubai.  
Restoration Wing
The various stages of the restoration exercise undertaken are shown in this wing.  The restoration, which began in 1981, transformed the old house into what it is today. 
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This is the doorway to Maktoum Wing depicting typical Arab architecture and Islamic art.
This is another typical Arab Doorway
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This is one of the four wind towers used to circulate air in the house.  They had no AC and this seems to work fairly well.  The rooms were cool.
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This is a room below the wind tower.  There are cushions all around the room on the floor for sitting.

The Diving Village is next to the Sheikh's house.

Heritage and Diving Village
Located next to Sheikh Saeed’s house this newly constructed site focuses on the marine heritage of the region, with its pearl diving traditions. Displays include a tented Bedouin village with traditional weapons, chests and household utensils. Shops sell handicrafts and at times camel and donkey rides are available. There are cafeterias and a seafood restaurant. Folk dance and music performances are staged from time to time.

For some reason I am fascinated with different phone booths in different parts of the world.  Here are three in Dubai.

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This is a distant photo of the house from the creek with Dhows in front.
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These are some of the photos I took while driving around Dubai.
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buildings-dubi-1.jpg (32922 bytes)  buildings-dubi-golf.jpg (24317 bytes)  Dubai_downtownbuildings.jpg (37943 bytes)

This is a reallyDubai_neathotel.jpg (19704 bytes)neat hotel.  Look at the architecture..     JumairahBeachHotel_Dubai.jpg (205056 bytes) This is an aerial view of the hotel. JumairahBeachHotel_skyview-dubai.jpg (56892 bytes) dubi_tourboatoncreek.jpg (26846 bytes)To the left is a tour boat the next is a camel market. camelmarkedubai.jpg (42090 bytes) This is the clock roundabout. clockroundabout_dubai.jpg (19950 bytes)

Driving thru Dubaidrivingindubi_palmlinedstreet.jpg (24612 bytes) In the center medial are these large Incense Burners that are all over the Gulf.  insenseholders_medianofroad.jpg (18061 bytes)We have one also.  They are really big into incense and perfume oils here and burn a lot of Frankincense  and Mir. This is a photo of our Incense Burner.
 
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Walking along  lookingacrosscreektodubi.jpg (22838 bytes) the Cornish.lookingacrosscreektodubi-boatsinh20.jpg (21644 bytes)

 
 We encountered some camelsme_camel_afraidyes.jpg (24881 bytes) along our way ~ I was a little leery but finally decided they would not bite me and petted them. me_camel_dubi.jpg (34893 bytes) me_camel_dubi-petting.jpg (34333 bytes)

Mike at the Bedouin Villagemike_bedowinvillage_dubi.jpg (24966 bytes)
This was the mosque near the village and museum.  Notice this one is for Muslims only. outsidemosque_novisitors.jpg (17996 bytes)  

All over Saudi and the UAE these are the restroom signs( I don't see these in Bahrain)  Or as they say here as well as England "toilet"publictoiletman-r.jpg (11705 bytes) publictoiletwoman-r.jpg (12329 bytes) It took me a while to figure out which one is the woman's ~ they are not usually anywhere near each other and I thought since that one was all in Black it was a woman with her Arab attire.

While driving thru a residential part of Dubai we came across some sheep.  I am not sure what the woolly thing is ~ I guess some type of sheep or goat?

Then on another street they 
darted out in front of us.

We came across these camels in another part of the residential area.  I guess they are someone's' pets.

Dubai trafficindubai.jpg (26066 bytes) traffic.  Yuck, but not as bad as Houston.

This is going thru the tunneltunnelundercreek_dubai.jpg (19944 bytes)under the creek.  

After eating lunch and driving around some we headed for Abu Dhabi.  Very shortly out of the city it started to look like I pictured ~  a desert. 

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Follow the Camel On to Abu Dhabi

 

 

 

 

POPULATION
 
The United Arab Emirates, also known as the UAE, or just 'the Emirates', has a population of over 3 million people. It is a federation composed of seven emirates: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Qaiwain, Ras al-Khaimah and Fujairah.

UAE PRESIDENT
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan has provided leadership to his country for over fifty years. He became Ruler of Abu Dhabi in 1966 and has been President of the whole UAE since its establishment in 1971.
 Vice President Shaykh MAKTUM bin Rashid al-Maktum (since 8
October 1990), ruler of Dubai
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Supreme Council of Rulers:

composed of the seven emirate rulers, the council is the highest constitutional authority in the UAE; establishes general policies and sanctions federal legislation, Abu Dhabi and Dubai  rulers have veto power; council meets four times a year



GEOGRAPHY - COASTLINES
 
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has over 700 kilometres of sea-coastline. From the low coastline and islands of Abu Dhabi, along the Gulf shoreline, where Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Qaiwain and Ras al-Khaimah each have coastal cities, harbours and extensive shoreline; to the eastern side of the UAE, where Fujairah is situated and where Sharjah has a number of enclaves.

WOMEN - THEIR STATUS
 
There are more women in higher education in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) than there are men. The equal status of women is enshrined in the UAE Constitution. The UNDP's 'Human Resources Development Report for 1997 states that women in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have achieved the highest rate of development in all Arab countries.

AID WORK
 
The United Arab Emirates supports a vigorous foreign aid programe, providing emergency supplies, infrastructure facilities and personnel to troubled areas of the globe, such as Kosovo. Over 50 countries have benefited from the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) assistance programe. The Zayed Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation, established in 1992, also plays an important role in the country's aid work. The UAE Red Crescent Society also plays an active role as part of the UAE's efforts to assist countries in need.

OIL RESERVES
 
The UAE has the third largest proven oil reserves in the world. Oil and gas production has been the mainstay of the economy of the United Arab Emirates and will remain a major revenue earner for the UAE long into the future. At the current rate of utilization, and excluding any new discoveries, these reserves will continue to provide energy for the United Arab Emirates for more than 150 years.

ECONOMY
 
The non-oil sector of the United Arab Emirates' economy contributes more than twice the oil sector's contribution to GDP (Gross Domestic Product, providing greater stability to the UAE economy, and protecting it from the full impact of oil price fluctuations.

  The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the third most important re-export centre in the world (after Hong Kong and Singapore).

CURRENCY
 
The Emirati currency, known as the Dirham (Dh) has a fixed rate of exchange with the US dollar whereby US $1.00 = Dh 3.671.

HOTELS - BEST EVER
 
The Jumeirah Beach Hotel, next to the towering structure of the 'Arabian Tower Hotel' or Burj al Arab, located in Dubai, within the United Arab Emirates, was recently voted 'best in the world'.

FREE TRADE
 
Jebel Ali, part of Dubai's free-zone, is the largest man-made port in the world. There are a number of other important Free Zones in the United Arab Emirates, including the Saadiyat Free Zone, under development in Abu Dhabi; the Dubai Airport Free Zone; Fujairah Free Trade Zone; and Sharjah's Hamriyyah Free Zone.

DATE PALMS
 
Over 30 million date palms are cultivated in the UAE. Thanks to the determination and leadership of Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's agriculture has undergone a remarkable transformation.

WILDLIFE ACTION & TECHNOLOGY
 
The Arabian oryx, which gave rise to the legend of the unicorn, is a native of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and has been saved from extinction by a vigorous programe of captive breeding with a total figure of around a thousand of these enigmatic animals now in the UAE.

  United Arab Emirates based scientists have applied satellite tracking technology to the migration of the houbara, traditional quarry of Arab falconers, recording an individual bird's flight from Abu Dhabi in the UAE, all the way to China ­ and back again!

HORTICULTURE
 
Abu Dhabi Municipality produces 1.5 million sapling trees, 20 million flowers and 30,000 plants every year, as part of this emirate's urban horticultural work. The environment plays a key role in planning and implementation of all development projects throughout the UAE.

HERITAGE
 
The UAE has a rich archaeological heritage that has been traced back more than seven thousand years, towards the beginning of the Late Stone Age.

SPORT
 
The UAE hosts some of the world's premier sporting events including the world's richest horse race, the Dubai World Cup. Sports such as football, cricket, horse racing, sailing, powerboat racing, golf, tennis, bowling, athletics, and ice-hockey are complimented by more traditional sports such as camel racing and traditional boat racing.
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Links :  Tour the Emirates:  http://www.uaeinteract.com/uaefrm.html

http://www.uaeinteract.com/uaefrm.html
  http://www.uaeinteract.com/uaefrm.html

WEB CAMS of the UAE ~  neat you can see what is going on NOW!  http://www.uaeinteract.com/uaefrm.html

CHECK OUT DUBAI'S WEATHER"  http://dubai-online.com/weather/

Large Map of dubai-lg_map.jpg (147308 bytes)Dubai

Street Map of mapofdubai.jpg (142670 bytes) Dubai

Continue on to Abu Dhabi


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