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The United Arab Emirates are made up of seven states (or emirates) which were formerly independent sheikdoms: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al-Qaiwain, Ras Al-Khaimah and Fujairah

Population: Between 3 and 4 million

Capital: Abu Dhabi

Language: Arabic (official). English is also spoken, along with Hindi, Farsi, Tagalog, Malayalam, Russian, Tamil and others.

Currency: Dirham (1 Dirham = 100 Fils)

Timezone: GMT+4

The United Arab Emirates are generally recognised as the most cosmopolitan and "Westernised" of the Middle East countries and the expat population is growing rapidly. In fact, less than 50% of the population of the UAE are Arabs. However, 95% of the population are Muslims and Islam is the official religion.

Arabic is the official language although English is widely spoken. Most English-speaking expats find that they can get by with virtually no Arabic, especially those working in the major expat cities (e.g. Dubai). However, as in most countries, learning the local language can prove to be a valuable asset and will certainly be appreciated by UAE nationals.