48 interesting facts for the UAE’s 48th National Day
Here are the most interesting facts you should know about the UAE
Dubai: It's the UAE's 48th National Day. It's time to celebrate this great nation's 48th year as a unified country. To show everyone what a great country this is, we've put together a list of some cool and unique facts about the UAE.
The more you know...
1.
Ajman is the smallest emirate in the UAE. It covers an area of 260 square kilometers and has a population of 373,000 people.
2.
Dubai is home to the world’s first ever seven star hotel. The Burj Al Arab.
3.
The Dubai Aquarium Tank is the largest suspended aquarium in the world. It has the most extensive collection of Sand Tiger Sharks in the world.
4.
Masdar City in Abu Dhabi is the world’s first zero-carbon, zero-waste, car-free city.
5.
The UAE population consists of more than 200 nationalities. The expats make up about 80 per cent.
6.
Dubai has four human-made islands: The Palm Jumeirah, the Palm Jebel Ali, Deira Island and The Worlds.
7.
Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, is the largest emirate and accounts for about 87 per cent of the UAE’s total area.
8.
Ferrari owns the largest indoor theme park in Abu Dhabi. Their rollercoaster, the Rosso, is the World’s fastest, reaching 150mph in 5 seconds.
9.
Umm al-Quwain is the least populated emirate in the UAE.
10.
The UAE has a literacy rate of 93 per cent. The literacy rate of women in the UAE is 95.8 per cent.
11.
Ras Al Khaimah is the most fertile emirate and receives maximum rainfall.
12.
The UAE is the first country in the world to have a minister for Artificial Intelligence.
13.
The number of world records held by the UAE till date is 190.
14.
Terminal 3 of the Dubai International Airport is the largest airport terminal in the world.
15.
Burj Khalifa is the tallest tower in the world. It is 828 meters high and is the equivalent of 3 Eiffel Towers stacked on top of each other.
16.
Dubai is often known as the ‘City of Gold’. The Gold Souk is the largest market for gold and jewelry in the world.
17.
The UAE also has ATMs that dispense gold bars. Gold is generally cheaper — and the variety is greater — in the UAE due to lower taxes
18.
Abu Dhabi is home to a Falcon Hospital. They examine and treat more than 11,000 falcons a year.
19.
Dubai Police have a range of supercars such as Bugatti, Ferrari, Bentley, Lamborghini, Camaro, Mercedes and many more.
20.
Prior to the 1930s, pearling was Abu Dhabi’s most important industry and primary source of income.
21.
Camel milk chocolate is a common occurrence in the UAE.
22.
You can also try a camel burger here in Dubai. Tastes like lean beef with a slight game flavour.
23.
Half of the 40-member UAE Federal National Council (FNC) members are women.
24.
Dubai will host the 2020 World Expo. Expo 2020 Dubai expects to welcome 25 million visitors.
25.
Expo 2020 expects to welcome approximately 150,000 visitors on an average day
26.
Dubai is home to the world’s most expensive cupcake. It is made with 23-carat edible gold dusting and costs Dh3,700
27.
Speaking of gold, Dubai dusts gold on a lot of food. Steaks, burgers, ice creams… even cappuccinos.
28.
Men far outnumber women in the UAE. There are 2.2 males for every female in the country.
29.
The UAE’s national animal is actually the Arabian Oryx.
30.
There are actually ten airports in the UAE offering commercial service. The busiest one of them is Dubai International Airport.
31.
The week starts on Sunday in the UAE. The weekends are on Friday and Saturday.
32.
The Dubai Metro doesn’t have a driver. It is automated and completely safe.
33.
The UAE is one of the safest countries in the world with a very low crime rate.
34.
The UAE is a federation made up of seven emirates.
35.
It is bordered by Oman to the northeast and east and Saudi Arabia in the south and south-west.
36.
Dubai is home to the largest mall in the world. The Dubai Mall houses 1,200 shops, an underwater zoo and an ice rink.
37.
The official religion of the UAE is Islam but it is home to over 40 churches and cathedrals as well as other places of worship for other faiths.
38.
The UAE has the lowest unemployment rates in the world.
39.
You can go skiing down a 2 kilometre snow slope in Dubai, at Ski Dubai in Mall of the Emirates.
40.
Arabic is the official language of the UAE, other commonly spoken languages include English, Farsi, Hindi and Urdu.
41.
The UAE has 7 different ruling families, rather than one.
42.
The UAE is a constitutional federation.
43.
There are no permanent rivers in the UAE.
44.
The Dubai-based Gevora Hotel is the tallest hotel in the world and is located in Dubai on Sheikh Zayed road.
45.
The UAE does not levy income tax on individuals. But it does have a VAT of 5 per cent
46.
The UAE is home to the richest horserace in the world, The Dubai World Cup.
47.
Fujairah is the UAE emirate that has the most mountains in the entire country.
48.
The UAE is one of the driest countries on earth, but it has such powerful technology that they can literally make it rain through cloud seeding, the process of increasing the amount of rain produced from clouds.