9 Facts about UAE

1. Masdar City, Abu Dhabi is the world’s first zero-carbon, zero-waste, car-free city.

2. By some estimates, expats make up more than 80% of the population in the UAE. The rest are local Emiratis. There are approximately 200 nationalities in the UAE, so there are many opportunities for people to mingle, even though cultural differences exist.

3. The week starts on Sunday! While most of you are still cozy in their beds on Sunday mornings, kids in the UAE have to go to school and their parents head off to work. But don’t worry, they get two days off in a week—Friday and Saturday.

4. Anything is possible in Dubai, even a real dinosaur fossil in the heart of a mall! The Dubai Dino is a 155-million-year-old fossil of the Diplodocus Longus is permanently on display at Dubai Mall. In fact, it is one of the few fossils in the world with almost all original bones intact.

5. The Dubai Metro is an efficient and reliable form of public transport the UAE. The Metro is always on time and is very well maintained. But did you know that the metro in Dubai doesn’t have any drivers? An accurate electronic system automates all trains.

6. One of the most fascinating architectural achievements in UAE are the man-made islands in Dubai. The Palm Jumeirah is so big, it’s like a mini city with many hotels, homes, and even a monorail. You have to see it to believe it! The island is in the form of a Palm Tree with the branches (or fronds) spreading out. The other two notable man-made islands are the World Islands (an ongoing project), made to look like the world map and the island on which the beautiful Burj Al Arab hotel stands.

7. Dubai Police is probably one of the most stylish forces in the world, with a range of supercars at their disposal. The police do not use these cars for high-speed chases (the crime rates are very low in Dubai), but just to patrol heritage sites and tourist-friendly areas. They have 14 in all, including the exotic Bugatti, Ferrari, and Lamborghini. The fastest is the Veyron, which can go up to a staggering 253 mph (407 km/h). Here’s a video of their supercar parade.

8. Dubai is also known as the City of Gold, as it houses the Gold Souk which is the largest market for gold and jewelry, and the city also has ATMs that dispense gold bars.

9. Dubai has no street names, addresses, zip codes or anything. People travel according to landmarks and send posts to PO boxes.