Dubai is one of the cities of the future and has grown in just 30 years from the inception of the United Arab Emirates in 1971 when it was a small trading centre, to the leading commercial city in the Middle East. Over the last 10 years, Dubai has expanded amazingly into trading, manufacturing and tourism, which now dominate the country's economy. It has propelled forward with enterprising free trade zones and regional business parks like Dubai Media city, Dubai Internet City and Dubai International Finance Centre, making it the regional hub of the Middle East, one of the richest regions in the World
Geography
The United Arab Emirates comprises seven members: Abu Dhabi (capital city), Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.
Dubai has a total area of 3,885 square kilometres and is the second largest emirate. The UAE has 700 kilometres of coastline, of which 100 kilometres are on the Gulf of Oman. Along the Arabian Gulf cost, there are offshore islands, coral reefs and sabkha, or salt marshes. Stretches of gravel plain and sandy desert characterise the inland region.
Tourism
Today Dubai boasts 272 hotels with 30,000 rooms, 47 shopping malls and over 6 million foreign visitors a year (2003) rising to 15 million by 2010. In 2004 for the first time, the tourism industry accounted for 18 per cent of GDP, which was greater than oil and gas revenues. Dubai offers a world-class airline (Emirates Airline, winner of more than 200 industry awards since its formation in 1985), over 35 five star hotels, the worlds first seven star hotel (The Burj Al Arab) and an international airport recognized as "The Best Worldwide and Overall Passenger Satisfaction" by IATA's Global Airport Monitor.