Oxford Seminars Teach English Overseas Country Profiles Middle East Dubai

One of our Oxford Seminars graduates is teaching English in Dubai, read about more about his experiences here.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates came achieved statehood on December 2, 1971 with the British relinquishing control and leaving the area. Upon the death of Shaykh Maktoum, the Crown Prince of the UAE, on January 6th, 2006, His Highness Shaykh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum became Dubai's new ruler. It is thanks to Sheik Maktoum that the UAE has seen such growth and financial success in the past decades. With the UAE continuing to modernize the need to learn English is at an all time high.

Language:

The majority of people living and working in Dubai are ex-pats, 80% of its 1,200,000 people are foreign born. Teaching English to the predominately Arabic speaking people in such a tolerant cultural background is a rewarding experience, as English is the second “official” language. Hindu and Urdu are also popular regional languages.

Religion:

Because Muslims make up approximately half of the population the call to prayer occurs five times per day. However, because of their adherence to a more Westernized way of life, religion is not as intertwined in society as it is in other places in that region, such as Saudi Arabia. There are various Christian churches in the UAE for those who are not Muslim and who wish to worship in their own holy place.

Politics:

There are no legal political parties or elections in the UAE. Power rests in the hands of seven hereditary sheikhs, who are known as emirs. Dubai is one of seven emirates that make up the federation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Each of the following areas is ruled by an emir, and they control the seven established sheikhdoms: Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al-Qaiwain. Each emirate is named after its primary town and they then choose a president from each region.

Economy/Way of Life:

Dubai is the second most economically influential sheikhdom after Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi is the capital and the home to the vast majority of the UAE’s oil wealth. The UAE does not only rely on oil for their wealth; companies such as Coca Cola, Volvo and Microsoft

In the 1990’s and early 21st century Sheikh Muhammad continued to promote Dubai as the Gulf’s business and tourism hub. He concentrated on attracting foreign direct investment by improving road and airport facilities, building free-trade zones and office complexes in which foreign firms can conduct business in tax-free, offshore conditions. The Sheikh also encouraged foreigners to buy property, and enjoy a Western lifestyle. Some of the Westernized favorites to be found in Dubai are: McDonald’s, Planet Hollywood and Hard Rock Café. You can also access alcohol easily in the UAE, which in this area of the world is something that should be appreciated by Westerners!

Telephone codes:

The UAE country code is +971. If you are in Dubai the area code is (0)4. To make an international call, dial 00 followed by the country code.

Business hours:

In the UAE the weekend is Thursday and Friday. Government offices usually open from 7:30am-1:30pm Saturday to Wednesday. Banks, shops and private businesses commonly open between 8:00am-1:00pm and 4:00pm-8:00pm Saturday to Wednesday, with Thursday operating as a half day. There are some shopping malls that stay open until 10:00pm. Many businesses that are from the West tend to keep more Westernized hours. The month of Ramadan however shops open and close later.

Currency:

The dirham is the official currency of the UAE. It is divided into units of 100 fils. Currency notes are issued in denominations of 5,10,20,50,100,200,500 and 1000 dirhams. Coin denominations are 1,5,10, 25, 50 fils and 1 dirham. The value of the dirham has been fixed to the US dollar since 1980 at the rate of 1 USD to Dh.3.67.

As of January 2007 the rate of conversion is:
100.00 AED (UAE Dirham) = 27.23 USD (US Dollar)
Please check www.xe.com for fluctuations.

Holidays:

All holidays begin at sundown on the evening before the date given. The Islamic calendar is based on lunar observation.

2007
January 1 - New Year’s Day
January 1-3 - Eid al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice)
January 20 - Islamic New Year
March 31 - Mouloud (Birth of the Prophet)
August 6 - Accession of Sheikh Zayed
August 10 - Leilatal-Meiraj (Ascension of the Prophet)
September 13 - Ramadan begins
October 13 - Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan)
December 2 - United Arab Emirates National Day