A BIT ABOUT UAE (UNITED ARAB EMIRATES) - Jan. 6

This country, really a collection of 7 little sheikdoms each ruled by one family, (they choose the leader for life from family members - can't be a woman!) that were joined together by this one Sheik around 1970 to form a country. When the 7th largest reserves of oil and 14th largest reserves of natural gas were discovered here, the Sheik spent a lot of the money back into the communities on hospital, schools and infrastructure. Before that, pearl diving had supported the economy but that income pretty much died after WWII with the development of cultured pearls elsewhere.

Dubai had been settled for thousands of years, as a small fishing village (on the Arabian Gulf) as well as a pirates haven, exploiting ships passing into the gulf. The British in the 18th and 19th century set up a treaty of protection with them to stop the piracy of British interests.

Rather than repeat a whole lot of info here, go to wikipedia: UAE; and read that very interesting history of the place. Emirates Airlines has developed, with Dubai as a hub, into a world class airline and made this a crossroads of travel in just 20 years or so. 78% of the people living in the UAE are ex-pats from elsewhere, living here to make a great economy. I heard our guide Sophia yesterday say that if she loses her job, she has one month to find another one, or she must leave the country. So I'm guessing that's the rule. But I've also heard that UAE brought in thousands of low level workers to do all this building (especially for the World Cup that is controversially being held here in the next year or so) and that they are exploiting them, not paying them as promised. I'll have to ask the guide today about that and maybe Gail, our hostess, who lives here. More later! Computer's going to die and I left the power cord in my suitcase at the airport. I have to find an Apple store today to charge up and/or get another cord.