From sandy dunes to the world’s most luxurious places to visit, the UAE has the best of both worlds. The UAE will never fail to amuse you with things unexpected within a country located in the middle of a desert.
Apart from owning the record for the tallest building in the world, this country has so much more to offer! Check out these fun facts about the UAE that’ll make you book a 2-3 day stopover flight through Dubai or Abu Dhabi.
1. The Country Has The World’s Largest Indoor Theme Park
Spread over a whopping 1.5 million square feet, IMG Worlds of Adventure is the world’s biggest indoor-themed entertainment destination.
It is located in Dubai and has the capacity to greet 20,000 guests daily. The theme park has more than 17 themed rides based on various epic cartoon network characters, marvel heroes, and dinosaurs.
2. World’s Most Inclined Building Is In The UAE And Not Italy!
The Leaning Tower of Pisa was the most inclined building in the world till the Capital Gate in Abu Dhabi took its place.
This giant building with 35 floors is inclined at an angle of 18 degrees, making it almost six times more inclined than the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I bet you didn’t know that!
3. UAE Is Home To World’s First 7-star hotel
The country also boasts the world’s first 7-star hotel.
The majestic Burj Al Arab, located on the coast of Jumeirah Beach in Dubai, is a luxury inside-out.
The gold embellished interiors, ‘pillow menus”, and other utterly fancy things can help make sense of why this hotel is so expensive.
4. In The Middle Of A Desert Country Is A Flower Garden
Not just dunes, but you can even see a flower garden with an area of over 72,000 square meters here.
As the name suggests, the Miracle Garden of Dubai has the most extensive collection of flowers from around the world.
More than 50 million flowers and 250 million plants make it a literal heaven of flowers.
5. You Will Witness The Largest Suspended Aquarium In The World
With a capacity of 10 million liters, the Dubai Aquarium Tank will give you a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Located on the ground level of the Dubai Mall, this aquarium features some extensive collections of sand tiger sharks.
Not just sharks, it also has a collection of 33,000 aquatic animals and 200 different species.
6. UAE Has The World’s First Ferrari-branded Theme Park For Visitors
For all automobile enthusiasts and ride lovers, UAE has the best thing possible — the Ferrari-branded theme park, The Ferrari World.
It is home to the world’s fastest roller coaster, Formula Rossa, which can catch the speed of 239 kilometers per hour in just 4 seconds.
7. You Can Go Skiing In The Middle Of A Hot Desert!
Ski Dubai is the first indoor ski resort in the Middle east.
Equipped with ski lifts and covered with real snow and penguins, this 22,500 square meters large skiing park is a relief in the unbearable heat of UAE.
Whenever you feel like you’re done with the hot sandy beaches, go to the Emirates mall and experience some icy cold snow.
8. UAE Has Dinosaur Fossils In Shopping Malls
Dubai Mall has it all, even if you ask for a 155 million-year-old dinosaur fossil!
Obviously not for sale, but if you are a dinosaur lover, you can always pay a visit to this Diplodocus Longus, aka ‘Dubai Dino’ in the Dubai Mall.
All of its bones are intact, making it an even more special fossil excavated worldwide!
9. UAE Is A Pro-feminist Country!
The literacy rate of women in UAE is 95.8%, and a surprising 77% of women enroll in higher education. Also, 46% of those university graduates are from STEM subjects.
Women fill two-thirds of the public sector of the UAE. They also contribute around 10% of the total value generated by the private sector.
The youngest government minister is a woman, Shamma Al Mazuri, while 25% of cabinet-level ministers in the UAE are women. The country also boasts the first military college for women in the Religion.
10. Abu Dhabi Was Ranked As The Safest City In The World!
The city of Abu Dhabi is so safe that it has been winning the title of the safest city in the world for the past five years. To no surprise, this year too they managed to continue their legacy of securing the first spot.
Sharjah and Dubai also ranked 4th and 8th respectively, in the same Numbeo Safety Index 2022.
With a safety index of 88.4, Abu Dhabi holds its place as one of the safest and most secure places to live, work, and invest. On my visit to Dubai, I was told that UAE’s own Prime Minister sometimes travels alone by railway – it’s that safe!
11. The UAE Is The First Country to Appoint A Minister Of Artificial Intelligence
In 2017, Omar Sultan Al Olama was appointed as the Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence.
He is not only UAE’s but the world’s first minister of AI! This initiative is a stepping stone for the UAE Centennial 2071 project.
12. You Can Literally Buy Gold From An ATM In UAE
In Dubai, the “city of gold,” you can buy gold bars from ATMs and similar dispensing machines.
These extravagant ATMs can mostly be spotted in the Gold Souk of Dubai.
13. Camels Are An Important Part Of This Country’s Culture
From camel milk delights to camel racing, camels are an integral part of Emirati Tradition.
They even have a beauty pageant for camels named Al Dhafra Camel festival every year in Abu Dhabi! So you get an idea of what camels mean to them, right?
14. But Camels Are Not The Country’s National Animal!
Even though their love for camels is so strong, it is not their national animal.
Arabian Oryx, a medium-sized animal with two gorgeous long horns, holds this title and can be spotted on the 50 Dirham currency note.
15. Dubai Police Have Better Cars Than Some Hollywood Celebrities
You can never run from a Dubai cop, as they will literally chase you in a supercar!
Dubai police have cars like Ferrari, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, and many more at their disposal.
The fastest Veyron can even catch a 407 km/hour speed, so good luck making a getaway!