The United Arab Emirates: An Outlier Among Arab Nations in the Middle East

The United Arab Emirates, or UAE, consists of seven separate emirates that were united on the 2nd of December, 1971 when they gained independence from Great Britain. Each emirate is an absolute hereditary monarchy that is governed by an emir. The seven emirates are: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ras Al-Khaimah, Ajman, Umm Al-Qaiwain, and Fujairah. The president of the UAE is selected from one of the emirs, but has traditionally been the emir of Abu Dhabi.
The UAE is located of the Persian Gulf along the Strait of Hormuz, and it is also on the Gulf of Oman. It shares borders with Oman and Saudi Arabia. The country covers 32,278 square miles, most of which is desert. It has a subtropical-arid climate with hot summers and warm winters. The population is mostly expatriates, about 83.5%, which typically migrate from Asia, but there is a very diverse population with almost every nationality represented in some way. With a population of 5.5 million this means that 4.6 million people are not emirate citizens.
The UAE has one of the strongest economies in the region and only Saudi Arabia and Iran have a higher GDP. The gross domestic product in 2013 was $390 billion USD and most of that came from the non-oil sectors.
What really sets the UAE apart though is how it has managed to develop markets, particularly because it is politically stable, neutral, and transparent. Which has allowed it serves as a business hub for the region. The UAE is a fairly young country and since its independence has rapidly and successfully developed. This can be seen with development of infrastructure, economy, and the through the people.
Everything that the UAE has been doing to further its global presence is great for its progress, especially in opening its do...

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...ed by women. They are present in every aspect of civil and political life, making up two thirds of the Federal Government. Women are very prominent in the education and health care sectors, occupying three fourths of the positions. Most females who graduate high school go on to pressure higher degrees, even higher than the rate of males. This is seen in the graduation rates from UAE universities; 70% are women.
Since the founding of the federation, gender equality and empowering women have been major goals of the Government. As a result of this we’ve seen great strides in achievements in this area; The UAE ranks 42nd out of 187 countries on the Gender Inequality Index. Even with all this progress gender inequality still remains an issue that needs to be focused on to ensure that it keeps progressing—progressing to an environment that ensures true equality for all.