Dubai: history, economy, culture, curiosities

Dubai is one of the emirates that make up the country called the United Arab Emirates, in the Middle East. The capital of Dubai is the city of the same name, which concentrates almost 90% of the 3.41 million people who live in the country. Dubai presents a desert climate, with high temperatures and wide temperature range. In the capital, however, the heat happens together with high air humidity.

Dubai was an important trading post in the past and developed from the commercialization of pearls. Your capital has become one of the most modern and luxurious cities in the world from the currency derived from the sale of the Petroleum found in the region.

Check out our podcast: oil geopolitics

Topics of this article

  • 1 - Summary about Dubai
  • 2 - General information about Dubai
  • 3 - History of Dubai
  • 4 - Map of Dubai
  • 5 - Geography of Dubai
    • Dubai weather
    • dubai relief
    • Dubai vegetation
    • dubai hydrography
  • 6 - Demographics of Dubai
  • 7 - Economy of Dubai
  • 8 - Culture of Dubai
  • 9 - Infrastructure in Dubai
  • 10 - Government of Dubai
  • 11 - Curiosities about Dubai

Dubai summary

  • Dubai is an emirate that forms the United Arab Emirates.

  • Its capital is the city of Dubai, famous for its luxury trade, grandiose buildings and intense tourist activity.

  • The city was formed from the trade of pearls. More recently, its modernization and growth were possible due to the development of oil exploration in the region.

  • O climate in Dubai is desert, as the country is located in the Arabian desert. In the capital, it is hot and humid.

  • The city of Dubai concentrates almost 90% of the emirate's inhabitants, which today has a population of 3.41 million people.

  • Commerce, finance, transport and tourist services are its main economic activities.

  • The city of Dubai has a modern infrastructure, which establishes a contrasting landscape with the desert.

  • The artificial islands and Dubai Creek are some of the main tourist attractions in the capital.

Do not stop now... There's more after the publicity ;)

Dubai general information

  • Official name: Dubaiyy (Dubai).

  • Gentile: emiratese, emiratese.

  • Territorial extension: 4,114 km².

  • Location: United Arab Emirates.

  • Capital: Dubai.

  • Climate: arid.

  • Government: monarchy centered on the authority of the emir (title of the ruler).

  • Administrative division: districts and one municipality (Dubai).

  • Language: Arabic.

  • Religions: islThemismo (main), Hinduism, Buddhism, christianity.

  • Population: 3,411,200 inhabitants.

  • Demographic density: 828 inhabitants/km².

  • Human development Index (HDI): 0.890 (United Arab Emirates).

  • Coin: dirham.

  • Gross Domestic Product (GDP): $108.4 billion (2018).

  • GDP per capita: $31,876.

  • Gini: 0.260 (United Arab Emirates).

  • Time zone: GMT +4.

  • Foreign relations:

    • UN;

    • Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (Oapec);

    • Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC);

    • Unesco;

    • world Bank;

    • IMF.

history of dubai

Dubai's history begins around the year 3000 a. W., when the region represented a trade route that connected different cities in the Middle East. At the time, Dubai's economy revolved around production and marketing of pearls, boat building and fishing activities. Over time, Dubai gained prominence on the international scene, expanding the scope of countries that used that territory as a trade route.

Dubai was populated, then, by several tribes formed by ethnicities different. During the 18th and part of the 19th centuries, many internal disputes were fought in order to determine who would be at the head of the government of that territory. With the advancement of ottoman empire about countries that today form the Middle East, an agreement was made with Great Britain, in 1891, to keep Dubai away from the Ottoman domain.

Until then, the extraction and trade of pearls remained Dubai's main commercial activity. A profound transformation took place at the beginning of the 20th century, when the arrival of large migratory flows from other regions of the country and from neighboring nations produced an increase in trade. During the 1930s, however, the pearl market went into decline..

Dubai managed to revive its economy through the discovery of two oil wells in nearby territories (thus offshore) between 1950 and 1966. In 1971, Dubai became an emirate and formed, along with other regions, the United Arab Emirates.

the city of dubai prospered with the oil market, and the 1970s were marked by the massive influx of immigrants into the region. The opposite occurred during Gulf War, in the early 1990s, which caused investors to withdraw from the capital. Dubai managed to rebuild itself at the beginning of the 21st century and has become one of the most modern economies in the Middle East and the world, dedicated to luxury trade, grandiose constructions, finance and the oil industry.

See too:Oil exploration and extraction — learn how this important fossil fuel is extracted from the sea floor

map of dubai

Highlighted on the map is the emirate of Dubai, one of the seven states that make up the United Arab Emirates.
Highlighted on the map is the emirate of Dubai, one of the seven states that make up the United Arab Emirates.

Dubai Geography

Dubai (or Dubayy) is one of the seven emirates that make up the country called United Arab Emirates, located in the Middle East and bathed by the Persian Gulf. It is the second largest in area, with just over 4,000 km², and the most populous in the country. Its capital is the city of the same name, Dubai, known for its opulence, the contrast between urban density and desert landscape and also by countless artificial islands built on the waters of the Arabian Sea.

The emirate of Dubai does borders Abu Dhabi to the west and south and Sharjah to the northeast and east. Dubai also has an enclave called Hatta in the east of the country, which borders two others. emirates, Ajman and Roas al-Kaimah, in addition to the Sultanate of Oman, also a country belonging to the Middle East.

  • Dubai weather

The Arabian Desert encompasses much of the UAE, including Dubai. Because of this, the emirate is characterized by a desert climate, with high temperatures throughout the year, high temperature range daily and low rainfall. In the city of Dubai, the heat is predominant, but the relative humidity is high, around 60%.

You winternyou in the capital are relatively mild and humid. The lowest temperatures are recorded in January, ranging from 24 °C during the day to 14.5 °C at night. Heavy rains are common during this season. Annually, however, Dubai registers low volumes typical of its climate. July, August and September are the hottest months, when temperatures can reach 48.8°C. Although air humidity is lower than in winter, it remains above average for arid climates.

Arabian desert dunes.
The emirate and the city of Dubai are located in the Arabian desert, characterized by extensive dunes and intense heat.
  • dubai relief

O relief of the emirate of Dubai is made up of plains, with emphasis on the coastal plain, and plateaus, which are restricted to some of the areas to the east of the territory. The great desert that became known as the Dubai desert is made up of stretches with numerous dunes and other patches of stony ground. The enclave of Hatta shares with Oman a mountain range called Al Hajar, where elevations reach 3,000 meters.

  • Dubai vegetation

Due to the climate, vegetation in Dubai is sparse. The plants and trees found in the emirate are small and medium-sized, such as acacias, hyacinths and neem. Some regions also support species of palm trees, such as date palms.

Dubai is bathed by the Arabian Sea, in the region where the Persian Gulf was formed. The capital is home to Dubai Creek, a natural saltwater channel that serves the daily transport, international trade and tourist activities, making it one of the main points of visit in the city. In addition, the Dubai's coastline has aartificial archipelago formed by three islands until now, with forecast of new additions.

Know more:Major world biomes — the collections of plant and animal life present in an environment with similar conditions

Dubai Demographics

The emirate of Dubai is the most populous in the country, currently gathering 3,411,200 inhabitants, according to official information. Most of this population, about 90%, is concentrated in the city of Dubai, which is also the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates. The estimate of UN is that the capital reaches 3.8 million inhabitants by the next decade, maintaining the current growth rate, which is faster than the world average.

In Dubai, the male population is significantly larger than the female. The first group corresponds to 69.2% of all its residents, while the second represents only 30.75%. Taking into account the age group, Dubai presents a large portion of its population among ages from 25 to 39 years old, with the group aged 30 to 34 being the most numerous, with 602,962 inhabitants.

Another aspect of Dubai's population that draws attention is its composition by nationality. About 92% of the people who live in the emirate, and mainly in its capital, arederived from other countries other than the United Arab Emirates. Most come from Asian nations, with emphasis on India It is Pakistan.

Dubai avenues and buildings
Dubai is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates.

dubai economy

Dubai's economy has undergone significant transformations over time, initially centered on commercialization of pearls and other precious stones, later in the oil exploration offshore and, more recently, in tertiary sector activities. Its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew continuously between 2018 and 2020, and the figure reaches almost 400 billion USD. As previously mentioned, the tertiary sector currently accounts for the largest share of the economy, with emphasis on luxury trade, financial services and insurance, and transport and logistics.

not yet tertiary sector, tourism stands out, both for leisure and business. Dubai city is one of the main tourist destinations in the Persian Gulf and in the world, attracting people from different countries. Between the months of January and August 2021, the year in which the beginning of the pandemic in Covid-19, 3,760,000 tourists passed through Dubai. In 2019, therefore before the pandemic, which affected travel around the world, the number of visitors to Dubai was 16,730,000, mainly from India, Saudi Arabia, UK, Oman It is China.

Within the tourism sector, there is a large generation of income derived from accommodation and food. Another extremely important activity for Dubai is the construction, which represented 6.4% of the emirate's GDP in 2018. Many of the workers in this sector are immigrants from other Asian nations.

Know more:Sectors of the economy — understand what each of these sectors is related to

dubai culture

Although Dubai has a mostly foreign population, from different origins, they have one thing in common, which is their religiosity. Muslim majority, the culture of the emirate and its capital é directly influencedThe by religion, especially when it comes to protocols to be followed, day-to-day customs and holidays and special dates, such as the ramadan.

In Dubai, the official language is Arabic, but other languages ​​are spoken, mainly in the capital. Among them is English.

Arab culture is reflected in the landscape, through architecture, and also in the arts and cuisine. The capital of the emirate is a city known for its architectural modernity, grandiose monuments and their wealth and opulence. It is an international tourist destination, with unique tourist attractions that ended up becoming the city's postcard. Among them is the Dubai Creek, or Dubai Creek, and the artificial archipelago that receives the name of Palm Islands.

Palm Islands Jumeirah in Dubai city
Palm Islands Jumeirah in Dubai city

Dubai Infrastructure

Dubai is known for its modern infrastructure, which has established a unique landscape in one of the largest deserts in the world. Every year, thousands of new buildings are built in the emirate, mainly in its capital, most of which are intended for housing and financial services. Already the supply of potable water is wide, with the city of Dubai being one of the largest consumers of water in the world. The potable resource is derived from the processes of desalination from the waters of the Persian Gulf.

A main source of electricity generation in Dubai is the natural gas, followed by water vapor from the thermoelectric and, to a lesser extent, renewable sources like solar energy.

In the city of Dubai, subways are the most used means of transport, followed by buses and the transport used in waterways, notably in Dubai Creek. The city's port registers an intense movement of cargo, especially commodities, and passengers. Dubai International Airport, in 2020, registered arrivals and departures of more than 25.8 million passengers. In the previous year, the number reached 86.3 million.

dubai government

The emirate of Dubai is governed by a monarchy absolutist. Its ruler, as well as those of the other six territorialities that make up the United Arab Emirates, receives the title of emir.

Curiosities about Dubai

  • The Burj Khalifa is now the tallest building in the world at 828 meters. Dubai's City Tower has been under construction since 2016, which promises to break this record.

  • In Dubai there is the Coffee Museum.

  • A quarter of the world's cranes are in the city of Dubai.

  • Camel racing is a popular sport in this emirate. Currently, small robots have been used to guide animals, replacing children who performed this function.

  • A quarter of the world's gold passes through Dubai.

  • The weekend in Dubai is Friday and Saturday.

By Paloma Guitarrara
Geography Teacher

Understand what it is, how it works and what are the main types of water desalination, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of this procedure.

In the United Arab Emirates, oil is the main source of wealth. Click and discover the main characteristics of this country!

The Middle East is one of the most important areas in the world in historical and geopolitical terms. Click to read our text and learn more about this region.

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