Culture

Rooted in Islamic culture, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has strong ties with the rest of the Arab and Islamic world. The government is committed to preserving traditional forms of art and culture, primarily through the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation.

Religion

Nearly all citizens are Muslims, approximately 85% of whom are Sunni and the remaining 15% are Shi'a. Although no official figures are available, local observers estimate that approximately 55% of the foreign population is Muslim, 25% is Hindu, 10% is Christian, 5% is Buddhist, and 5% (most of whom reside in Dubai and Abu Dhabi) belong to other religions, including Parsi, Baha'i, and Sikh.

Dubai is the only emirate of the UAE with a Hindu Temple and a Sikh Gurudwara. Churches are also present in the country. There are a variety of Asian-influenced schools, restaurants and cultural centers. There also exist a growing number of European centres, schools and restaurants.

Sport

The UAE now has no less than 15 camel race tracks across the seven emirates. Nad Al Sheba, 10 km outside of Dubai, Al Wathba, 30 km south-east of Abu Dhabi, and Al Ain track, which is 20 km west of Al Ain, are all large, well-equipped camel tracks with high-tech facilities. Two smaller tracks are located in Sharjah, one in Ra's al-Khaimah and one in Umm al-Qaiwain. Others are spread throughout the desert areas.

New sports such as football, motor racing and tennis are becoming popular alongside traditional camel racing. Other examples include golf, with two European Tour events in the country (the Dubai Desert Classic and the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship) and the world's richest horse race, the Dubai World Cup, held annually in March.

Aside from the international circuit events, the UAE has a healthy indigenous sporting environment with the local community participating in a wide variety of clubs and establishments. The seven emirates regularly compete in national leagues and cups in a multiplicity of sports that are controlled by specialised governing bodies. Top sporting venues (both indoor and outdoor) and an all-year-round good climate ensure that the activities continue throughout the winter season.