As the United Arab Emirates (UAE) celebrates its 49th National day, let’s explore some interesting stats about the UAE.

• Demographics

o Population: 9.8 million

o Male: 69%

o Female: 31%

o Migrants: 88%

o 0.13% of the world population

o Median age: 32.6 years

o Literacy rate: 93%

• Business

o Current GDP of UAE at $353.9 billion and tourism accounts for about 10% of the nation’s GDP

o The UAE economic growth was triggered by the discovery of oil in the region

o With Dubai also referred to as the City of Gold, there are ATMs that dispense gold bars in UAE.

o The UAE is rated as one of the safest countries in the world.

o Petrol and bottled water cost almost the same price.

o Prior to the 1930s, pearling was Abu Dhabi’s most important industry and primary source of income.

o Dubai’s Gold Souk is the largest market for gold in the world.

o The UAE is home to the richest horse race in the world, the Dubai World Cup.

• Tourism

o Dubai has four human-made islands: The Palm Jumeirah, the Palm Jebel Ali, Deira Island, and The World Island.

o The Dubai International Airport Terminal 3 is one of the largest airport terminals in the world.

o You can go skiing indoors on a four-kilometer slope in Dubai.

o Masdar City in Abu Dhabi is the world’s first zero-carbon, zero-waste, car-free city. o Dubai has the world’s longest driverless metro system, with more than 46 miles of track.

o The Burj Al Arab is the world’s first seven-star hotel and is considered one of the most luxurious in the world.

o The Miracle Garden in Dubai is the most extensive flower garden in the world.

• Culture & Religion

o Islam is the nation’s official religion, but it is home to over 40 places of worship for other faiths.

o The oldest mosque in the UAE is in Fujairah and it is 600 years old.

o The UAE has seven royal families ruling the seven Emirates.

o The Ghaf tree is the National Tree of the UAE

o Camels are an Important Part of the UAE Culture

o The UAE’s national animal is an Arabian Oryx while Falcons are the National Birds of UAE

o UAE is a culturally diverse nation with over 200 nationalities represented across all the Emirates.

• Geography

o Ajman is the smallest emirate in the UAE.

o Abu Dhabi is the largest Emirate in the UAE.

o Total land population 83,600 square km.

o Fujairah is the UAE emirate with the most mountains

o Burj Khalifa is the tallest tower in the world. It is 828 meters high.

o Palm Jumeirah can be sighted from space.

o Dubai also has the largest man-made island in the world and there are no ‘real’ rivers in the UAE.

• Restaurant & Dining

o Dubai is home to the world’s most expensive cupcake. It costs Dh3,700 and made with 23-carat edible gold dusting

o Dubai restaurants have a habit of dusting gold on a lot of food. Steaks, burgers, ice creams… even Karak chai

o You can eat Camel biscuits and Camel milk chocolate in the UAE.

o You can also try a camel burger too. o The UAE is responsible for 6 percent of the world’s date production.

o Kabsa is considered by many as a national dish in the UAE

o The largest cup of tea is 5,000 liters (1,320.86 gallons) and was achieved by Global Village Dubai (UAE) in Dubai, UAE. It measured 3.66 m high and 1.42 m in diameter with a heating system to maintain the tea’s temperature at 85 degrees Celsius.

• Guinness World Records

o The UAE is home to 425 Guinness World Records with 34 of them achieved in 2020 alone.

o Indian school in Sharjah sets Guinness record and marks 2020 National Day with largest online video chain of people passing a flag

o Abu Dhabi is home to the world’s largest indoor sky diving tunnel at CLYMB Abu Dhabi with a record-breaking width of 32 feet and height of 104 feet.

o The Dubai Mall is the world’s biggest mall home to 1,200 shops across 10 million square feet, an underwater zoo, and an ice rink.

o Ferrari World Abu Dhabi Formula Rossa rollercoaster is officially the world’s fastest with acceleration up to 240km/h.

o Dubai 10-million-liter Aquarium tank is home to over 140 species of animals, including sharks and the largest suspended aquarium in the world.

o Dubai is home to two of the worlds’ largest dancing fountains the world. The Dubai Mall. Fountain and The Palm Fountain.