United Arab Emirates - Các Tiểu vương quốc Ả Rập Thống nhất

United Arab Emirates[1] is a federation of 7 emirates located in the eastern part of the Arabian peninsula, at the entrance of the Persian Gulf. It has coastlines in the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, bordering Saudi Arabia to the west and southwest, and Oman southeast as well as the eastern end of the Musandam peninsula. It is a country rich in history and culture and an easy first place to visit Middle East.

overview

History

From the 16th century, Portuguese colonists occupied the Strait of Hormuz, then extended their influence to the surrounding areas. During the 17th, 18th and early 19th centuries, the Gulf became a place of competition for influence between Dutch, French and British colonialists...

In 1806, Britain invaded the Emirate of Ras Al-Khaimah, forcing the Emir to sign a Peace Treaty so that Britain could establish their rule there. In 1833, the Buklab Tribe established Dubai. Britain divided the two countries of Qawassem and Dubai into five Emirates (UAE): Ras Al-Khaimah, Sharjah, Ajman, Dubai and Fujaira. In 1892, Britain again signed with the Gulf lords separate Agreements confirming separate agreements. its sole patronage for countries in this region. By the middle of the 20th century, Britain continued to consolidate and expand its influence in the region. In 1966, Britain set up a military base in Sharjah. On December 1, 1971, Britain announced that it renounced all agreements signed with Gulf countries and withdrew its troops from the area. December 2, 1971 , the United Arab Emirates was established with Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Umm Al-Qaiwam, Ajman and Fujairah. It was not until February 1972 that Ras Al-Khaimah joined the Federal State.

Geography

The United Arab Emirates is located in southwestern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia. The country has flat coastal plains interspersed with sand dunes moving within vast expanses of barren land; with mountainous terrain in the east. Deserts cover more than 90% of the country's land area [1]. The United Arab Emirates' strategic location with its territory along the southern entrance to the Strait of Hormuz makes it an important transit point on the world's oil route. The United Arab Emirates is considered one of the fifteen countries that possess the so-called "Cradle of Mankind".

The 1974 and 1977 border demarcation treaties between the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have never been publicly declared. Therefore, the exact border of these two countries is known only by their respective governments.

Climate

The climate in the UAE is desert climate, hot and dry, the temperature is colder than in the eastern region. From September to March next year, the climate is relatively cool and pleasant, the evenings are a bit cold. Summer from April to September is hot, the temperature can reach 42⁰C. As a result, most cars and buildings have air conditioning. The UAE has very little rain, showers only appear a few times a year in the winter months with an average rainfall of about 110mm/year. The winter months (from November to January next year) have occasional showers and sandstorms.

Politic

The United Arab Emirates is a constitutional monarchy consisting of 7 emirates (UAE). The supreme authority is the Supreme Council of the 7 emirs. This Council elects the President and Vice President from among its members. The President appoints the Prime Minister and the members of the Council of Ministers. All decisions are passed by majority. As the two richest emirates providing up to three-quarters of the national budget, Abu Dhabi and Dubai have veto power.

Political parties are banned.

Economy

The United Arab Emirates is currently the second richest country in the Muslim world and ranks 17th out of 61 highly competitive economies in the world, the aviation industry ranks 8th in the world, the tourism industry ranks first. 2nd in the area. The United Arab Emirates mainly exports crude oil, gas, re-exports, dried fish, dates, imports machinery, transport equipment, chemicals, food...

Since 1973, the UAE has undergone a major transformation transforming a barren desert into a modern country with a high standard of living. With the current production level, oil and gas reserves can be exploited for more than 100 years. The government could invest more to create jobs, expand infrastructure and boost the private sector.

Natural resources are mainly oil and gas (oil reserves of 98 billion barrels, accounting for about 10% of the total identified oil reserves of the world), gas reserves: 5,892 billion m3, ranked second 4 worlds (after Russia, Iran, and Qatar). The main industry is oil extraction and processing. Oil production is about 3.046 million barrels per day. The main agricultural industries are livestock and date cultivation. Cultivation develops in the eastern oases of Liwa, Al Ain, Falaj Al Mualla. Agricultural products include dates, vegetables, poultry, eggs, milk, fish (self-sufficient almost 100% of the demand for fish).

People and culture

Indigenous population as of July 2006 is 3.55 million people, the average population growth rate is 1.5%. The population here is mainly immigrants, most of them Indians and neighboring Arab countries. The population distribution by nationality is as follows: 19% are of UAE ancestry, 23% are of other Arab and Iranian ancestry, 50% are of South Asian descent and 8% are from Asian countries. About 80% of the population of the United Arab Emirates is urban. It is a Muslim country. Muslims make up 96% of the population, the rest are Catholics, Hindus and other religions (4%).

Housed in Islamic culture, the United Arab Emirates has close ties to the rest of the Arab world. The government is committed to preserving traditional art and cultural forms, primarily through the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation. However, it is easy to see a change in social life - views about women are growing more open, and new sports such as golf, with two tournaments are held periodically (Dubai) Desert Classic and Abu Dhabi Golf Championship) and the Dubai World Cup horse race taking place in March every year have gradually become familiar to the public besides the traditional camel racing sports. Because of the absolute preponderance of the Muslim faith, pork and alcohol are rarely found in the region.

Holidays

Ramadan Day 2013 (1434 AH): July 9 – August 7 2014 (1435 AH): June 28 – July 27 2015 (1436 AH): June 18 – July 16 Eid ul-Fitr is celebrated after the end of Ramadan and can last several days. Exact dates depend on astronomical observations and may vary from country to country.

Weekends in United Arab Emirates for most government and public services as well as businesses start from Friday to Saturday, many others, Thursday may be half days (although usually all day Saturday). In nearly every city, commercial activity will cease on Friday mornings, but after noon services at large mosques businesses open and Fridays can be crowded.

The main exception is during the fasting month of Ramadan, when the rhythm of life changes dramatically. Restaurants (outside tourist hotels) are closed during the day, and while most offices and shops are open in the morning 08:00-2:00 or so, they usually close in the afternoon. while everyone waits (or sleeps) in the final hours of fast. After sunset, people gather to eat a meal known as Iftar, usually held in open-air tents, which traditionally begins with the day and a sweet drink. Some offices reopen after 8:00 or so and stay open after midnight, due to many people staying up late until morning. Just before sunrise, a meal called sohoor is eaten, and then the cycle repeats again.

Regions

The 7 emirates include:

City

• Abu Dhabi - Capital of the UAE
• Ajman - smallest emirate.
• Al Ain - city located inland near the town of Oman Buraimi.
• Dubai
• Fujairah
• Hatta
• Khor Fakkan
• Sharjah

Other destinations

Arrive

Citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) do not need a visa.

Citizens of most industrialized countries will receive a free 30-day visa upon arrival in the United Arab Emirates. This can be extended up to 90 days upon collection of the DHS 500. Countries are listed below:

Australia, Andorra, Shirt, Brunei, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, virtue, Greek, Hong Kong, Iceland, Irish, IDEA, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK (except BN passport BN(O)), USA and Vatican.

Some other countries are eligible for free hotel/tour sponsored tour visas. All nationals of other countries will be required to apply for a visa in advance, which will require a sponsor from outside the UEA. Your travel agent will usually be able to or arrange this for you if you book hotels through them.

Israeli citizens are prohibited by the UAE government from entering the country. However, despite a lot of misinformation online to the contrary, an Israeli visa seal is - by official policy - silently ignored. [2]

Customs regulations

Every non-Muslim adult can bring four wine objects, for example, four bottles of wine, or four bottles of spirits, or four instances of beer (regardless of alcohol content).

The UAE has a strict regulation on medicine, with many common drugs, especially anything that contains codeine, diazepam (Valium) or dextromethorphan (Robitussin) is banned, unless you have a notarization and attestation according to doctor's prescription. Guests who broke the rules, even accidentally, have found themselves deported or jailed. The US Embassy in the UAE maintains an unofficial list [3] of what may not be imported.

Don't even think about giving drugs: possession of even a small amount leads to a minimum of four years in prison. Use of Khat/qat (a plant containing an alkaloid known as cathinone) is common in neighboring countries (especially Yemen) is also illegal, potentially punishable by life imprisonment.

By plane

The main hub for air transport United Arab Emirates is the airport Dubai, served by some of the major airlines, most notably in Dubai, Emirates [4]. Direct flights connect Dubai to Durban, Johannesburg, London, Sydney, Melbourne, Karachi, Iran, Riyadh, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hong Kong, Paris, Zurich, Frankfurt, Milan, Madrid, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Toronto, Sao Paulo and many other major cities in Europe, Asia, Australia and Fly.

Emirates has a direct flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Dubai. After Dubai airport, the airport at Abu Dhabi have the next best international connections. Abu Dhabi is based on Etihad Airways [5] now offers direct flights from New York, Toronto and many other airports in Europe and Asia. Other major airlines serving Abu Dhabi include British Airways [6] from London-Heathrow, KLM [7] from Amsterdam, Lufthansa [http://www.lufthansa.de] from Frankfurt and Singapore Airlines [8] from Singapore and Jeddah.

Low cost flights, Air Arabia [9] established a center in Sharjah airport (very close to Dubai), and flights are available from many cities in Middle East and India.

Presently

By car

There are roads to the United Arab Emirates from Saudi Arabia in the south and Oman in the east. All highways in the UAE are in excellent condition, but there is a great deal of traffic between Sharjah and Dubai, as well as an AED 4 toll to pass the Salik window. A prepaid Salik Tag is required for this.

By waterway

There is a ferry service twice a week from Iran's Bandar Abbas to the port of Sharjah by shipping company Iranien Valfajre-8. This is an overnight ferry with a duration of 10-12 hours, departing early evenings on Sundays and Thursdays. Prices start at Dh160 for the economy class.

In addition to regular services, there is an extensive network of traditional sailing trade routes that transport goods throughout the Gulf and even India. It may be possible to buy a pass on one of the boats. Depending on what type of sailboat you end up on, they can call in all coastal cities in the UAE, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Visit

Distances in the UAE are relatively short, and there is a Dubai Metro rail service that connects you to a number of stations just in and around Dubai. Dubai Metro peak times are early morning and early evening. There are 3 classes of seats offered by Dubai Metro: Silver class, used by everyday working class people, women class, only for women and children; and gold grade. You can buy a monthly pass for the class if you are a frequent traveler. The metro also connects to public buses when you exit the station. You can also plan your route online on www.rta.ae. Traveling by metro has its own perks as it is relatively cheap, fast and in the meantime you can see most of it on Dubai Road. The roads are usually in excellent condition, however, the sea is poor in some of the emirates.

Public transport

Public transport in the city is still rudimentary. Dubai is building an extensive train track and train system, but the other emirates offer very little public transport. Abu Dhabi has a network of city buses that cost Dh2 per trip within the city and DH4 per trip outside the city and are fairly reliable, but can be packed with male passengers. Intercity bus service is fast, comfortable and reasonably frequent.

In the cities of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, taxis are widely available. They are relatively cheap in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. A trip to anywhere in the city of Abu Dhabi will cost around 2 USD, as they charge only by distance traveled. A US$3 night surcharge may be added after 10pm, depending on your driver.

By car

The UAE has a modern road system. Hiring a car or driving in the UAE requires an international driving license, which is simply a translation of your standard license and can be purchased at a local auto association. If you have UAE residency status, you must obtain a local driver's license. This can be a simple process that must be completed and can be done in 20 minutes but only if you are from a specific list of countries (mostly Western). If you're from an Asian country, you're going through 40 classes at a local driving school and getting through a rather difficult licensing exam. This is changing, though, and it could apply to all countries soon.

Car rental is cheaper than in the US. There is a flat fee per day to rent a car, based on the size of the vehicle. Gasoline (petrol) is, by American and African standards, inexpensive. The road system is based on British or European standards, with many turns and transfers. But the signs are easily understood and, in most places, clear and coherent. Drivers in the UAE, especially in urban areas, tend to be very aggressive and frequently employ strange tactics ranging from stupid looks to disaster. This could perhaps stem from traffic, which can be extremely congested in urban areas, or from other factors.

People in people drive very fast, and some are completely reckless: right-pass regulations, speed limits are ignored by many people, even heavy trucks. Unexpected lane changes seem to be a national sport. The UAE has the third highest death rate from traffic accidents in the world (after Saudi and Oman).

Be especially careful when you spot an SUV window color at night: black windows make it impossible for drivers to see you and change lanes. Theoretically banned, window tinting is common among young Arabs and is often associated with poor driving skills and fast driving.

There are some good local city maps available now, especially for Dubai (the Explorer series of books). Be aware that construction is underway, sometimes rapidly changing road systems, so map capture is just a "moment." Sharjah is rarely mapped. A website that provides the first online map of the UAE. Google Earth does not provide solid satellite imagery but at a good level of detail mainly for broad reference purposes. The lack of good maps or signs makes using a compass or GPS sometimes useful if you want to get off the highway.

Desert cruises or "wadi bashing" are good attractions in the vicinity of Dubai, but be careful when choosing a rental car, it should be a four-wheeler. Desert safaris are also often pre-designed with travel agents and can give you good deals well on quantity.

Language

The official language is Arabic, but it is safe to say that the majority of the population does not speak this language (Iranians, Indians, Asian and Western expats far more than Arabs in Dubai, and often have very limited knowledge of Arabic). English is the lingua franca since the UAE is already a British protectorate, most locals will learn English in schools and will know at least basic English.

Other languages ​​widely spoken in the UAE include Hindustan (Hindi and Urdu), Malayalam/Tamil, Farsi (Persian), and Tagalog (Philippines). Most people have at least a basic command of English, although it is not uncommon to meet people whose English is limited.

In Dubai, most shops, hotels, and commercial businesses do business in English. Generally, Arabic is spoken by government agencies and the police, however, in Abu Dhabi and in the northern emirates, Arabic is much more widely used.

Shopping

Expense

Food

Dubai, and to a lesser extent, Abu Dhabi offers a wide range of cuisines from most of the world's major cuisines. By western standards the restaurant is reasonably priced although it is easy to find extremely expensive food. Most of the upper class restaurants are located at the hotel.

Due to the large expat population, Indian and Pakistani restaurants abound, offering affordable and succulent choices. Also popular are Lebanese, Syrian and Jordanian cuisine restaurants.

A popular favorite is the grilled chicken, available at most roadside outdoor eateries that can be enjoyed with other accompaniments such as Khubz (Arabic Bread), appetizers, etc., and rice dishes The most popular is Biriyani, with grilled chicken or fish or lamb. Traditional shawarma and falafel bread are available and quite cheap and delicious.

Very few traditional Emirati dishes are served at the restaurant, and the closest is Yemeni Mendi-style dishes, in which platters of fragrant rice are topped with lamb, chicken or fish that have been slow-roasted in a pit.

Drinks

Dubai has a burgeoning nightlife scene and even previously the overly demanding Abu Dhabi has loosened up and struggled to catch up. Alcohol is available in liquor stores, 5-star hotel restaurants and bars in all emirates except Sharjah, where you can only drink it in your home or in a place frequented by foreigners. outside called Wanderers Sharjah. As a visitor, you are allowed to buy alcohol in bars and restaurants to drink there. If you are a resident, you must have a liquor license (never asked in bars) which also allows you to buy alcohol at liquor stores (they check).

During the month of Ramadan, alcohol is not served during daylight (fasting). Dubai and Abu Dhabi allow bars to serve alcohol at night, but bands stop playing, background music is off or quiet, no dancing is allowed, and nightclubs are generally closed. On certain holidays in the Islamic calendar, no alcohol is openly served in any of the UAE.

Drinking and driving is not allowed under any circumstances in the UAE. If you happen to be in an accident, if they check your friend for alcohol, you could end up in jail - especially during Ramadan. Taxis are widely available if you are already drinking and are a safer and wiser alternative to the crazy driving habits in the area.

Accommodation

Learn

Do

Safe

There can be heavy penalties for homosexuality, travelers to gays and lesbians should be self-aware. There are a few things you need to be aware of about drug laws in the UAE. Some of the popular pain relievers in Western countries are illegal drugs in the UAE such as codeine. Do not bring any with you unless you make a copy of your prescription or you could be jailed. In contrast, antibiotics are freely available over the counter. If you receive a controlled prescription in the UAE, such as some pain relievers and antidepressants, be sure to keep copies of the prescription with you when traveling abroad.

A trap for the unwary is that if you are suspected of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol, a blood test may be performed, and if it shows evidence the substance is illegal in the UAE. , then you'll probably end up in jail even if the substance is consumed in the country you've been in before. In addition to testing your blood, they will likely check your belongings. People have been jailed for possession of finding drops in them with highly sensitive equipment. One cause of concern is the very high rate of auto accidents: in addition to care due in When driving, crossing a pedestrian crossing can be quite dangerous.

Medical

To respect

The Emiratis are a proud but considerate ethnic people and, when not in their car, are generally extremely civil and friendly. Like most of the world's peoples, they welcome visitors that show respect and can be extremely generous. (Some expats and visitors don't understand that revealing clothing can be quite uncomfortable for some people, even if nothing is told to the offender.) Their culture is anomalous and there are They can be very conservative, but generally they are quite attuned to the ways, customs, events, media, and manners of the world.

The local men usually wear a "Kandoura", a long robe (usually white), and the ghutra, a red or white checkered hat. Local women wear a black-like robe (abaya) and a black shawl (shayla).

The UAE is more conservative than Western societies, although not as much as some of its neighbours. Travelers should be aware of and respect traditional UAE views, as behavior typical in the West (for example, making "rude and offensive gestures") will result in arrest in the UAE. On the other hand, Western travelers will find most of the UAE quite comfortable.

Although women are not legally required to wear a headscarf, revealing fashions such as tops and shorts should be avoided. Knee-length skirts are somewhat acceptable, although you will still be stared at. However, there are some tourist areas where foreigners are so dominant that even "provocative" attire can be seen, though not necessarily respected. These include many areas of the Emirate of Dubai and, for example, beach resorts in Ajman or Fujairah. Public nudity anywhere is strictly prohibited and will be punished. Sharjah is the most conservative of the Emirs with a statute of public decency (i.e. prohibiting overly revealing clothing or certain types of beach wear), but few of them are enforced (albeit with variations).

The country is not gay-friendly, and consensual homosexual activity carries the potential to carry the death penalty. However, prudence is key: many things like in social Emirati, what happens behind closed doors no one knows still happens. On the other hand, it is not uncommon for Emirati men or women to show physical affection but not cross the line. cheeks and can hold hands or put arms around.

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