The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is an exciting and ever changing country and Al-Futtaim is proud to be part of its spectacular growth.

A federation of seven emirates formed in 1971 following the withdrawal of the British Government, the UAE has a vibrant economy with a significant annual trade surplus, enjoys a high degree of political stability and is the only state in the Arab world to have a working federal system.

Situated on the south east of the Arabian Peninsula, the UAE occupies a strategic location and borders Oman and Saudi Arabia. Abu Dhabi is the federal capital and Dubai is largely regarded as the centre of business
and tourism.

Dubai has long been considered the most liberal city in the Gulf and the government has successfully diversified from its dependence on oil. The establishment of free trade zones and reform of property laws has been instrumental in this change and real estate, tourism, services and manufacturing sectors have flourished in recent years.

In the last decade, Dubai has transformed itself into a progressive and cosmopolitan city which effortlessly blends Arabian culture, heritage and traditions with state-of-the-art infrastructure and a pro-business stance. Ambitious and high profile superprojects have catapulted Dubai into the global spotlight and the construction boom has led to the development of tourism attractions, infrastructure projects, new industrial districts and urban regeneration on an unprecedented scale.

Fuelling the city’s expansion, the ever increasing expatriate workforce has significantly boosted the city’s population and growth has affected many factors, in particular the availability and cost of housing and schooling. Rising inflation means that the cost of living is now comparable with cities such as New York, London and Singapore, although the absence of personal income taxation significantly offsets this. Considerable investment in upgrading the road network and new public transport projects is an ongoing initiative, however traffic and congestion presents a major challenge in the
immediate term.

Dubai enjoys a desert climate which is warm and sunny in winter and hot and humid in summer months. The city boasts a year long calendar of social and community events, from Dubai Shopping Festival; a month long festival dedicated to discounted shopping to the Dubai Film Festival and Dubai International Jazz Festival. International sporting events include the world’s richest horse race, the Dubai World Cup, the Dubai Tennis Championships, Dubai Rugby 7s, part of the IRB World 7s Series, and the Dubai Desert Classic.