Arabian nights and sun-drenched days...

Like most nations located in and around the Mediterranean, the UAE has a long and varied history dating all the way back to the times before Christ. Archaeological evidence from Ras al-Khaimah suggests that coastal settlement existed across the United Arab Emirates from as early as the 3rd Century BC. In 630AD envoys of the Prophet Muhammad reached the UAE and swiftly converted the population to Islam. The next 10 centuries saw the rise of the Caliphates, a series of vast empires that began with the Rashidun Caliphate in 632AD and continued with the Umayyad Caliphate 661-750AD, the Abbasid Caliphate 750 -1258AD, the Fatimid Caliphate 909-1171AD and finally the Ottoman Caliphate which established control over the Arabian Peninsula in 1517. At the height of the Caliphates, Arabian influence extended as far west as Spain, and as far east as India; the Umayyad Caliphate controlled an area estimated to be in excess of 13million km2 and governed over a population of 62million.

Like most empires, the Caliphates eventually succumbed to external and internal pressures, creating schisms amongst the populace and leading to the rise of new nations and peoples. During the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries a series of Bedouin migrations led by the Bani Yas, Al Qasimi and Al Nuaim tribes began to occupy and construct the territories we now know as the United Arab Emirates. The tribes often in search of water and land for grazing quickly established themselves in the area, constructing large settlement and establishing the modern emirates of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al-Quwain.

During the 19th Century a series of peace treaties were signed between the states and the British Empire to help secure shipping routes and to protect the Arabian Peninsula from other external influences. In 1966 the emirate sheiks formed a council to discuss political & economic policies after the discovery of vast untapped oil reserves. After the UK government officially removed its protection over the region, the sheiks of Dubai and Abu Dhabi formed an independent union in 1971, this was later extended to the remaining emirates, the last of which Ras al-Khaimah joined in 1972.

Due to the production and presence of oil the UAE, currently in possession of the world’s sixth largest oil reserves, has experienced vast economic and structural changes within the last two decades. A series of ambitious and extravagant building projects across the UAE, largely led by Dubai and Abu Dhabi, have cemented the UAE’s place as one of the world’s most up and coming tourist attractions. With a vast slice of the $919bn travel industry up for grabs, all of the emirates have now begun to invest heavily in trade and tourism. Typical investment projects have included the redesign and improvement of airports, the construction of vast resorts like this Radisson Blu hotel in Fujairah, as well as more extravagant projects, such as the Palm Jumeirah, an indoor snow resort, Ferrari World and the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.

The UAE’s natural assets have also been adapted to help drive tourism across the 7 emirates. Tourists visiting the UAE can now enjoy a whole range of activities ranging from camel racing, desert safaris, authentic Bedouin living and sand surfing. The UAE also contains a number of exciting scuba-diving locations, surfing spots and hundreds of miles of sun drenched coastlines.

The author of this article is a part of a digital blogging team who work with brands and business like Radisson Blu - The content contained in this article is for information purposes only.