2)    The UAE is a federation made up of 7 emirates: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ra’s al-Khaimah, Ajman, Umm al-Quwain and Fujairah.

3)    The UAE was founded under the visionary leadership of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, known as the father of the nation.

4)    The UAE has a literacy rate of 93%.

5)    The falcon is the UAE’s national symbol. Falconry is at the heart of Emirati culture and is a popular pastime.

6)    UAE customers purchased $11.64 billion in US goods in 2010, making it the largest export markets for US goods in the Middle East.

7)    Women in the UAE account for about 70 per cent of all university graduates in the country and fill around two thirds of government jobs.

8)    The UAE is home to over 40 churches and cathedrals as well as additional places of worship for other faiths.

9)    Over 12 million tourists visit the UAE per year; tourism now accounts for over 10% of the nation’s GDP.

10)   Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi will be home to a new cultural complex, housing eight museums, including the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the largest Guggenheim museum in the world and Zayed National Museum.

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