2009, a historic year for the UAE

Dubai Metro: With the launch of the first driverless Metro system in the Gulf on September 9, 2009, Dubai achieved the world's longest automated driverless train system, built in just four years. The aim of the Metro is to provide an integrated public transport system to ease congestion, save passenger travelling time and reduce traffic.

Khalifa in Dubai: President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan paid an inspection tour to a number of major development projects in Dubai on April 14. His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, welcomed the President at the entrance to Dubai in the Jebel Ali area. Shaikh Khalifa commended the wise vision of Shaikh Mohammad which he said is complementing the strategy of the leadership and government of the UAE. Shaikh Khalifa was accompanied by General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces; Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs; Shaikh Tahnoun Bin Mohammad Al Nahyan, the Ruler's Representative in the Eastern Region; Shaikh Hazza Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Adviser and Shaikh Mohammad Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan.

Nuclear deal: Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Condoleezza Rice, the then US secretary of state, signed the agreement for peaceful nuclear energy cooperation on January 15. The document allows private companies to participate in building the UAE's nuclear power infrastructure with minimal bureaucratic interference.

Sharjah plane crash: Six people were killed when a cargo plane crashed on take-off from Sharjah Airport in October. The Sudanese registered plane veered sharply to the right after take-off and flipped before crashing.

Poetry festival: Dubai bridged cultures through poetry by inviting leading poets from across the globe for a six-day event in March. The Dubai International Poetry Festival was the initiative of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Border chaos: The crisis of trucks queuing at the Al Ghuwaifat border hit again in November when a 15-kilometre queue of 5,000 trucks built up. The drivers said slow customs clearance by Saudi authorities was recreating the misery of June when they were subjected to a fingerprinting exercise.

Cloned camel: Injaz, meaning achievement, became one of the UAE's greatest achievements of 2009 and the world's first cloned camel. The female calf was born in April at the Camel Reproduction Centre near Dubai.

Ship in trouble: The container ship Sima Saba collided with the tanker MT Kashmir, setting it on fire in a shipping channel five miles off Jebel Ali port in February. No fatalities were reported in the incident, but two people were reported to have sustained minor injuries.