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Abu Dhabi is the name of both the capital city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the largest of the seven individual emirates which make up the country. The UAE was created as a federation and became a unified independent sovereign state in 1971. In addition to Abu Dhabi, which is the largest constituent in terms of both area and population, its members are Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. |
| Historically, in such a harsh climate, communities inhabited areas where there was access to water. In the desert interiors, life was sustained by nomadic herding of camels, goats and sheep with date farming and limited cultivation of other crops around the scattered oases. On the coast, trade with neighboring peoples and fishing became more important, as did the harvesting of pearls in some locations, until its decline in the 1930’s. Early in the19th century, the British gained a foothold in the Gulf and became increasingly more influential until their departure in 1971. This prompted seven leaders of various sheikhdoms in the southern Gulf to form the UAE. |
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Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates are for the most part an undiscovered jewel on the tourist map. Dubai is now well known but the rest of the emirates is unfamiliar to most and yet have a treasure trove of attractions to offer. The country is ancient but modern, traditional yet cosmopolitan. The cities are teeming with life but the desert appears to be empty. Barren desert landscapes give way to lush green oases. Majestic mountains plunge to a coastline of powder soft sand and azure waters. In the cities, traditional souks vie for trade with large modern shopping malls. Futuristic skyscrapers tower over traditional mosques. The streets are bustling with pedestrians but luxury cars are very much in evidence. In the vast desert, camel farms are still a major feature, whereas in other parts modern technology has taken over in support of the oil industry. Desert sand dunes reach up to mountains that have some first-class roads but many areas are impassable. Wooden dhows still ply the trade routes to exotic places but modern luxury yachts and container ships now share the same waters. |
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| The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is one of the world's youngest and most dynamic countries. It has an open, liberal, pro-business regulatory climate, with no taxes on profits or incomes, complete freedom of capital movement, and 100 per cent foreign ownership allowed within free zones. It was founded on the 2nd December 1971, when the seven Emirates of the UAE previously known as the Trucial States decided to form a federation following the withdrawal of the British forces from the Gulf region. |
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The late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan was the driving force behind the creation of the federation, consisting of Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain. His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler of Abu Dhabi and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces is the President of the UAE and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai, is the Vice President and Prime Minister. The UAE occupies an area of 82,880 sq km along the south-eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. Qatar lies to the west, Saudi Arabia to the south and west, and Oman to the north and east. The capital and the largest city of the federation, Abu Dhabi, is located in the emirate of the same name. The UAE has an estimated population of 4.1 million and a GDP of $ 87.9 billion (2004.). |
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| The UAE has capitalized on its convenient location on the trade routes between Asia and Europe by building a fine tradition of being a good host and trade partner since time immemorial. |
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| Its oil wealth and the hard work of its people headed by the President HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has turned it into a bustling advanced nation with one of the world's highest per capita income within 34 years of its formation. Although the UAE's GDP is highly dependent on oil, the country has recently begun reform programs to diversify its economy with a focus on tourism, services and real estate development. |
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Today, the UAE is at the center stage of the modern Middle East with around 9.5 percent of the world's proven crude oil reserves and 3.5 percent of natural gas reserves that make it a critically important source of energy.
The UAE is serviced by more than 65 international airlines, and has air links to over one hundred cities in the world. |
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Since the discovery of oil in the UAE more than 30 years ago, the UAE has undergone a profound transformation from an impoverished region of small desert principalities to a modern state with a high standard of living. There are substantial opportunities for doing business in the UAE. The country has an open economy with a high per capita income. It also supports a liberal economy and is committed to free trade, since it's a signatory of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. There are no restrictions on profit transfer or capital repatriation. Import duties are low (4 percent) and in the case of foodstuffs, medicine, agricultural products, and items imported for use in the free zones are non-existent. Labor costs are competitive and corporate tax and personal taxes are nil. In addition every effort is being made to reduce the paperwork involved in establishing a business in the UAE. These factors combined with a strategic, accessible location, an excellent reliable infrastructure and an extremely pleasant and safe working environment promise well for future investment. |
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| Abu Dhabi - Capital of the United Arab Emirates |
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| The city of Abu Dhabi is one of the most modern cities in the world. It is the federal capital of the UAE. Abu Dhabi is the center of government and business life in the UAE, headquarters of the emirate's oil operating companies and the base for embassies. Abu Dhabi has 94 per cent of the country's oil reserves, covers around 87 per cent of the UAE's total land area and is home to 38 per cent of the population. |
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The architecture of its modern buildings and sky scrapers is the finest in the Middle East. Abu Dhabi's oil wealth has been wisely utilized to encourage a healthy trade and commerce atmosphere other than those related to the oil industry. The promotion of tourism and various tourism related projects will further elevate the status of Abu Dhabi in the region. Large gardens and parks, green boulevards with lush greenery, sophisticated high-rise buildings, state-of-the-art communication services and transport, international luxury hotel chains, rich shopping malls, and cultural centers all contribute to Abu Dhabi's reputation of a business and cultural destination. |
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| n the north east, was once the world's best waters for pearling. When the pearling industry declined, oil discovery in the offshore oilfields of the Arabian Gulf revived the economy of Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi was also the first Emirate to export oil from the Umm Shaif offshore field in 1962. On the land, it stretches south to the oases of Liwa where some of the world's largest sand dunes can be found, and east to the ancient oasis of Al Ain. This makes Abu Dhabi the largest as well as the most populated of all the other Emirates. |
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