The united Arab emirates was declared as an independent federal state on the 2nd of December, 1971 the UAE comprises seven emirates namely Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah with coasts overlooking the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

Location : The UAE lies between latitudes 22 and 26.5 north and longitudes 51 and 56.5 east. The coasts of six Emirates extend along the Arabian Gulf in the Eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula, while Fujairah is the only Emirate which overlooks the Gulf of Oman.

Area : The total area of the UAE, which includes land and sea territories and islands total 5900 sq kms.

Population : As per the latest national census conducted in 1995 the UAE population stood at 2377354

Climate : The UAE climate tends to be mild and cool between November and April, with occasional rainfalls, while between May and September the climate is hot and humid. Humidity climbs to its maximum degree during July & August.

The Political System : The UAE is constitutionally a federal state in which the highest political organ is the Federal Supreme Council. Comprising rulers of the seven emirates.
The Supreme Council elects the President and the Vice-President from among its members. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President with the consent of the Supreme Council. Upon a recommendation of the Prime Minister, the President will appoint the other cabinet members.
The Federal National Council (FNC) is a legislative Assembly which consists of 40 members, representing the various emirates and functions as the country's parliament. The FNC members revise and approve draft laws and legislation, before referring them to the Supreme Council for ratification, while the Council of Ministers exercises executive authority.

The UAE Economy : One of the top priorities of the UAE government is realization of economic and social development. The government is keen to encourage investment and for his purpose adopts legislation and laws which regulate economic affairs and ensure the creation of a favorable climate for investment activities. In this respect, the government has earmarked sizeable funds for setting up advanced infrastructure and provision of basic services. This wise policy resulted in the attraction of both local and foreign investments and rapid growth of the business, services and tourist sectors.
The liberal economic policy adopted by the UAE is crucial in creating an attractive terrain for economic development, which resulted in the growth of non-oil sectors, thereby gradually diminishing the dominant role of the oil sector, restructuring the economy and diversifying the sources of national income. This was evident in recent years that witnessed the crisis of the so-called Asian tigers economics, which left its impact on region.The UAE economy had overcome the backlashes of that crisis.

Performance of the UAE Economy : The UAE Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 1997 totaled Dhs. 176.3 billion compared with Dhs. 174.2 billion in 1996, realizing a slight rise of 1.2% This modest growth is attributed to the dropping prices of crude oil during that period. But despite that the non-oil sectors achieved significant rates of growth.
The contribution of non-oil sectors to the GDP rose from Dhs. 117.3 billion in 1996 to Dhs. 122,8 billion in 1997, thereby accounting for as much as 67.3% of the GDP in comparison with the previous year.
As for the oil sector its contribution dropped from Dhs. 56.9 billion in 1996 to Dhs. 53.5 billion in 1997, accounting for 30.3% of the GDP.
According to the annual report of the UAE Central Bank, preliminary figures indicate that the UAE trade balance during 1997 realized a surplus totaling Dhs. 27.1 billion, despite a 5% drop of the crude oil prices.Exports recorded a significant rise of 8,8% while the value of imports receded.
The incentives provided by the government led to rise in the value of industrial investments during 1997. New industrial projects were set up in the various parts of the UAE, resulting in the rise of the total number of factories operating in the country to 1527, investing Dhs. 12.987 billion as at the end of 1997.
The industrial investments in Ras Al Khaimah during the same period totaled Dhs. 2 billion, while the manufacturing units based in the emirate numbered 60.