UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Established in 1971, with Abu Dhabi city as the Federal capital, the United Arab Emirates is the youngest country in the Arabian peninsula. It is new, however, only in the sense of statehood.

The seven sheikhdoms that make up the UAE - Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain and Ajman - have been closely linked for centuries, and for a period of 150 years under British protection they were collectively known as the Trucial States.

The native inhabitants are Gulf Arabs, descendants of the great tribal confederations which have dominated the Arabian peninsula for thousands of years. These are a proud and noble people, whose faith enabled them to create a lifestyle and a culture in the face of extreme adversity in one of the world's least hospitable corners. Native citizens may be outnumbered in their own land by expatriate residents from elsewhere in the Middle East and regions as culturally diverse as the Indian subcontinent, South-East Asia, the Far East, Europe and North America, but they have kept their unique heritage vibrantly alive.

The UAE is both polyglot and polylingual. Arabic is the official language, but English is widely spoken; other languages such as Urdu, Malayalam and Tagalog add to the diversity and give the country its cosmopolitan atmosphere. This international mix also adds greatly to the variety of things to do, to dining out and shopping, and gives cities such as Abu Dhabi and Dubai an ambience not unlike that of Singapore or Hong Kong.

The climate is harsh in summer, with suffocating humidity and temperatures soaring to the mid-40s Celsius. It is much milder from October to April, however, with maximum daytime temperatures in December and January of around 25 degrees.

There may be some overcast days, and even the occasional rain shower, but mainly the sun shines and 'winter' in the UAE is sufficiently enticing to lure thousands of tourists from colder climes.

Tourism has taken off in UAE, and for some very good reasons other than the obvious combination of sun, sand and sea. The infrastructure for a successful tourist industry is well in place, with a choice of world-class hotels offering the best in quality service.

The cities offers a rich night-life, from lively discotheques to first-run plays and concerts by star names from the worlds of classical music and pop. Shopping is a wonderful voyage of discovery, with tiny shops and stalls in the traditional market areas (known as souks) in friendly competition with trendy boutiques for the tourist dollar. Prices are generally fixed in boutiques and major stores, but bargaining is the order of the day in the souks. Restaurants - from side-street 'pop-ins' to five-star hotel establishments - offer dishes from around the world, including traditional Arabic, French, Italian, German, Russian, Indian, Pakistani, Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Korean and Polynesian.

In keeping with Arab tradition, the UAE is a warmly hospitable country and you need have no fears about strolling the streets long after nightfall.