Key facts
Capital, population, currency, time zone and phone codes.
7 Emirates in the federation
Read more
About the UAE
About the UAE
Key facts, the history of the Union, public holidays, business etiquette, traditions, food, climate, language, religion and media.
About the UAE
About the UAE
History and the Union (1971)
From the Trucial States to the Union of 1971 and its founders.
1971 2 December, the Union is declared
Read morePublic holidays and Ramadan business hours
2026 holiday dates and the shorter Ramadan working day.
7 Public holiday occasions a year
Read moreBusiness etiquette
Greetings, the majlis, dress, photography and conduct.
5 Government working days, Monday to Friday
Read moreTraditions
The majlis, coffee, falconry and the UNESCO heritage list.
21 UAE entries on UNESCO's heritage lists
Read moreFood
Harees, machboos, luqaimat, coffee and table manners.
4 Core dishes: harees, machboos, luqaimat, chebab
Read moreFamous Emiratis
Founders, astronauts, the Mars mission and Olympic gold.
2019 First Emirati mission to the ISS
Read moreClimate
Seasons, temperatures, rain, fog and the summer work break.
28.4°C Annual mean air temperature, 2022
Read moreLanguage
Arabic, English, contracts, courts and legal translation.
1 Official language: Arabic
Read moreReligion
Islam, freedom of worship, family law and respect for faiths.
152 Articles in the UAE constitution
Read moreMedia
Newspapers, TV, radio, the media law and the Advertiser Permit.
7 Arabic newspapers listed by the government portal
Read morePractical tips
Time, money, phones, power, driving and emergency numbers.
+4 Hours ahead of GMT
Read more
Next step
Plan Your Time in the UAE
The emirates, cities and free zones, and the companies that can help you settle in, in the Invest-Emirates.ae directory.