1. Introduction
A. General Information
The United Arab Emirates (U.A.E) is a federation of seven Emirates that was formed on December 2 1971. It is located between the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman and it is bordered by Saudi Arabia and Oman. The country has a total population of 3,740,000 as of 2004. Approximately 85% of those resideing the in UAE are not native to the country. Arabic is the official language, however, English is widely considered the official "business" language. Communication should not be a problem for English speaking people. The Muslim faith is practiced by the majority of people, but there are a significant number of Christians and Hindus. Islam does not play an important role in business practices. The business culture more closely resembles the culture found in America or Great Britain.
The UAE has a well developed infrastructure. The capital city of Abu Dubai and the city of Dubai are both very modern cities. They have a modern and extensive public transportation system including buses, highways, commercial seaports and an international airport. The country also has a number of government run hospitals. The country is primarily known for their petroleum production, like most of the countries in the region. Their extensive petroleum reserves have allowed them to achieve tremendous economic and social development. Most of the UAE's petroleum reserves are located in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Currently, the country is working hard to try and diversify into other sectors of the economy.
The UAE has a federal constitution that divides power between the federal government (based in Abu ...