Discover Dubai July 2015 | Page 8

GENERAL information Welcome to Dubai In 1833, H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Butti moved the Bani Yas tribal family into Dubai. Sheikh Maktoum subsequently became the founder of the Al Maktoum family who continue to rule the Emirate to this day. PRESENT DAY DUBAI The current ruler of Dubai is His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is also the Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE. Sheikh Mohammed is committed to fulfilling his father’s dream of making Dubai one of the leading cities in the world, and has successfully turned Dubai into a global hub of tourism and trade between the East and West. RELIGION The official religion of the UAE is Islam and you will find a large number of mosques throughout the city. Non-muslims are only permitted entry into mosques if they are on a guided tour. POPULATION The estimated population of Dubai is approximately 2.2 million people. Around 80% of those are expatriates, who are attracted by the tax-free working conditions and the relaxed, relatively crime-free lifestyle. 8 | JULY Discover Dubai LOCAL TIME The UAE is 4 hours ahead of GMT during winter months and 3 hours ahead in the summer, during daylight saving. LANGUAGE The official language is Arabic, although English is the most commonly used language in all areas that incorporate tourism and commerce. Hindi, Farsi and Urdu are also widely used. WEEKEND The UAE weekend falls on Friday and Saturday.