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.