Geography

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.
Outside the city itself, the emirate is sparsely inhabited and characterised by desert vegetation.


Economy

Oil contributes just 20 per cent of economic production.
Trading, manufacturing and services — including tourism — now dominate the economy.




Local Time

The UAE is four hours ahead of GMT.