UNITED ARAB EMIRATES TO CANADA
Every year many people come from other countries to Canada. Some may come to start a new job, others want to study in a Canadian school.

Your interest in learning more about the United Arab Emirates may arise from your involvement in the HOST program, which provides assistance to newcomers. Maybe you are an employer who is hiring someone from the Emirates, or you may be in a business that serves Emirati tourists. Perhaps you are simply interested in learning about people from other countries. This website will introduce you to some facets of Emirati life that will help you better understand the United Arab Emirates.

The Emirates have changed dramatically in the past few decades. Once a poor country, it is now a nation with one of the highest standards of living in the world, made possible by the revenues from its reserves of oil. The transformation has been remarkable. The barren desert landscape has been irrigated to create gardens and green fields. Modern cities have been built, complete with hospitals and universities. Silted-up harbours have been dredged to create huge new ports.
 Did you know?
     
Several million migrating birds, including hawks, gulls and Indian rollers, fly across the Gulf annually, making it one of the most important "flyways" in the world.

  
Like Canada, the United Arab Emirates is a federation and a country in which many different cultures can be found. Although many of the residents in the Emirates are of Arab descent, the majority are expatriates from other areas of the world. In fact, 80% of the people who live in the United Arab Emirates are not Emirati nationals.

Although this cultural profile provides insight into some customs, it does not cover all facets of Emirati life. The customs described may not apply in equal measure to all newcomers from the United Arab Emirates.