Facts about Dubai
H.H General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE.
Area: The total area of Dubai is approximately 2,428 sq. miles.
History: The seven independent emirates of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah came together to form the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 1971. While Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the UAE, Dubai remains its commercial centre.
Location: Dubai is located on the Eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, in the South West corner of the Arabian Gulf. Dubai enjoys 365 days of warm sunshine, with cooler evenings and occasional showers in the months between November to March.
Climate: The UAE has a sub-tropical, arid climate with infrequent and irregular rainfall, amounting to less than 13 centimetres a year. Temperatures range from a low of 10 degrees (Celsius) to a high of 48 degrees. The average daily maximum is 24 degrees in January, rising to 42 degrees in July.
Time zone: 4 hours ahead of GMT (+4 GMT)
Population: Dubai is home to 1.3 Million residents with a high percentage of the population employed.
Transport: Dubai offers a variety of inexpensive and efficient public transportation and you can choose between metered local taxis, intra-city and inter-city buses, private car hire services and local boats (abras).
Economy: The UAE is one of the world's wealthiest countries, has the third-largest proven oil reserves in the world. While oil and gas production form UAE foundation, Dubai is increasingly broadening its economic activity to include: real estate, tourism, trading and manufacturing.
Cultural mix: Owing to the resources and foreign enterprises located in Dubai, more than 80% of the population are expatriates from across the globe.
Attractions of Dubai
Beaches: Some of Dubai's beaches are attached to private hotels, where, for a small fee, you can spend the day on the sand and in the waters of the Arabian Gulf. Other beaches and waterfronts- the Corniche and the Creek- are free for public access, and feature a range of water sports offered by several operators.
Desert safaris: One of Dubai's most popular tourist attractions is the desert safari: a unique experience that combines an adventurous 4WD car ride over sand dunes with camels, belly dancers, henna designers, falconers and a barbecue dinner by starlight. Other attractions include sand skiing, sand boarding and 4WD desert driving.
Golf: Dubai has the unique distinction of being the only golfing centre in the world to host major international tournaments on both the European and Asian PGA circuits. Visiting golfers can choose from various clubs and courses, each of championship quality and presenting a different type of challenge.
Treatments and therapies: Dubai is home to an extraordinary number of spas and wellness clinics, ranging from internationally renowned brands to ancient Chinese and Indian holistic treatments.
So why Invest in Dubai?
The Most Pro Business Attitude
- Dubai believes that "if its good for business, its good for Dubai"
- Sophisticated fast track business initiatives (business set up in 20 minutes in free zones)
- Robust economic clusters including technology & Internet hub, media hub, finance hub & healthcare hub.
- World class free zones
The Best Regulatory Environment
- No Corporate Tax -The only exceptions to this are oil producing companies & branches of foreign banks.
- No Income Tax
- 100% Ownership in Free Zones
- No foreign exchange controls, trade barriers or quotas
- No restrictions on capital repatriation
- Strong investor incentives and protections
- Easy access to key decision makers
Relatively Low Cost Work Environment
- Access to low cost regional talent
- State of the art telecommunications
- Competitive energy costs
- Competitive real estate costs
- Competitive import duties (5% with many exemptions)
Dubai offers a world-class airline (Emirates Airlines), world-class tourism (over 30 five-star hotels and the world's first seven-star hotel, Burj Al Arab) and world-class sporting events: The Dubai World Cup (the world's richest horse race), the Dubai Desert Classic (golf) and the Dubai Rugby Sevens.
Dubailand is a huge development located towards the desert. It will soon become the biggest, most varied leisure, entertainment & tourist attraction on the planet. Approximately seven projects will finish by 2008, expecting to employ 300,000 and attract 200,000 visitors a day!
In recent years, Dubai has established Dubai Internet City and Dubai Media City, providing the regional hubs for IT (notably Microsoft and HP) and media businesses (Reuters and CNN).
In September 2003, Dubai hosted the 2003 Annual Meetings of the Board of Governors of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund.
Dubai Realty and the Economy
The success of the Dubai economy is the result of dynamic and visionary leadership, an ultra-modern and efficient infrastructure, the absence of government bureaucracy, and a diversely skilled, well educated, multi-cultural and multi-lingual workforce. It has an abundant supply of housing for expatriate professionals, and excellent schools and centres of further education.
Voted the safest city in the world for four consecutive years by a study compiled by Interpol. Crime in Dubai is virtually non-existent.
Prime locations of Dubai will always be in demand and are likely to provide excellent investment opportunities in the long term. It is unlikely that these locations will see an oversupply when only so much can be developed in one area. There are 15 Free-Zones where developers can build freehold property available for purchase by non-nationals. All this has made Dubai one of the fastest growing cities in the world, and one of the world's most prominent centres for business and leisure.
Map of Dubai