Forgotten world (75): United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates is a Middle Eastern country situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula, comprising seven emirates: Abu Dhabi, Ajmān, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Quwain.
These emirates were once little more than oil outposts in the desert, but they are fast reinventing themselves as a cultural and recreational hub with tens of billions of dollars of investment transforming Abu Dhabi and Dubai especially.
The Emirates’ capital plans an “upscale cultural district” on the island of Saadiyat, with a $400 million Guggenheim museum part of a $27 billion government-funded development that will include museums, a concert hall and art galleries alongside two golf courses, hotels and an “iconic 7-star property”.
Life is not wonderful for everyone in the Emirates. Migrant construction workers in Dubai earn an average wage of US $150 per month and any form of strike or protest is illegal under UAE labour law.