The second largest of the seven emirates which make up the United Arab Emirates,
Dubai is located on the southern shore of the Arabian Gulf. It has an area of some 3,900
square kilometres.

Dubai has a sub-tropical, arid climate. Sunny, blue skies can be expected most of the year.
Rainfall is infrequent and irregular, falling mainly in winter. Temperatures range from a low of
about 10.5°C/50°F to a high of 48°C/118°F. The mean daily maximum is 24°C/75.2°F in
January rising to 41°C/105.8°F in July.

The official language is Arabic but English is widely spoken and understood. Both languages
are commonly used in business and commerce.

Useful Tips

Do not sit in such a way that the soles of your feet are pointing at someone else.
In Ramadan, never eat, drink or smoke in public during daylight hours.
Do not take photographs of military installations or national women.
Never drink alcohol in public.

A trip to Dubai transports you on a journey through time. Although the early historyof the area is not very well documented, archeological discoveries suggests that, as long as four thousand years ago, small fishing communities lived along the coast of the Arabian Gulf on the site of modern Dubai.

It is also believed that the natural sheltered harbour afforded by the Dubai Creekwa a busy port of call on the ancient trade route between Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley.

In recent years, archeologists have unearthedhundreds of artefacts, including pottery, weapons and coinage, that point to civilised settlements dating back to the third millennium B.C. These historic finds have been carefully preserved and are now permanently housed in the Archeolo gical Section of Dubai Museum.

Modern Dubai, however, traces its origins to the 1830’s. At that time, the small fishing village on the Shindagha peninsula at the mouth of the Creek was settled by a branch of the Bani Yas tribe, originally from the Liwa oasis to the south, led by the Maktoum family who still rule the emirates today.

By the late 1870’s, Dubai was often referred to as the principal port on the Gulf coast and, by the turn of the century, was reputed to have had the largest souks in Arabia.

Pearling which was the mainstay of the city’s prosperity for many years, succumbed to the development of the cultured pearl in the 1940’s. But Dubai’s enterprising merchants bounced back, developing a thriving trade in gold and other commodities. Much of this history is carefully preserved in myriad forts, mosques, palaces and other historic monu-ments, which are on the itineraries of many organized tours.