The similarities and differences between UAE, Saudi Arabia and Yemen

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federation of seven independent states located in the southeastern corner of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the Persian Gulf to the north, Saudi Arabia to the south and west, and Oman and the Gulf of Oman to the east. Its seven member states are Abu Dhabi, ´Ajman, Dubai, Al Fujairah, Ra´s al Khaymah, Sharjah, and Umm al Qaywayn. The total land area of the United Arab Emirates, including its islands, is 83,600 sq km. The city of Abu Dhabi, located in the emirate of the same name, is the federal capital and the largest city. Arabic is the official language of the United Arab Emirates. English is also widely spoken, as are Hindi, Urdu, and Persian. Islam is the official religion of the country and all Emiris and a majority of the expatriates are Muslims. 96% Sunni Muslim. The constitution guarantees religious freedom and there are some Christian churches in the United Arab Emirates. The UAE had an estimated population of 2,262,309 in 1997, with a density of 27 persons per sq km. The emirate of Abu Dhabi contains nearly 40 percent of the total United Arab Emirates population. The United Arab Emirates is a member of the UN, Arab League the Gulf Cooperation Council, OPEC and Conference. The United Arab Emirates currency is one Dirham. (http://www.arab.de/arabinfo/uae.htm)

Saudi Arabia occupies four-fifths of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered to the northwest by Jordan, to the north by Iraq and Kuwait, to the west by the Red sea and to the east Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, and to the south by Yemen. Saudi Arabia has an area of about 2,240,000 sq km. The capital of Saudi Arabia is Riyadh. The national language is Arabic. English is spoken in business circles. The majority of Saudi Arabians are Sunni Muslim, but Shi´ites predominate in the Eastern Province. The Wahhabi sect, comprised of reformers who settled in Arabia during the 18th century and who have sought to purify and simplify the practice of Islam, has greatly influenced the Sunnites of Saudi Arabia. According to the 1992 census, Saudi Arabia had a population of 16,929,294. The 1997 estimate is 20,087,965; yielding an average population density of 9 persons per sq km. Saudi Arabia is a member of the UN, the Arab League, the Gulf Co-operation Council and OPEC. The currency of Saudi Arabia is Saudi Arabian Rial. ( http://www.arab.de/arabinfo/saudi.htm )

Yemen is bounded in the north by Saudi Arabia, east by Oman, south by the Gulf of Aden and west by the Red Sea. The territory includes 112 islands including Kamaran and Perim in the Red Sea and Socotra in the Gulf of Aden. Yemen covers about 527,970 sq km. Most of the Saudi-Yemeni border is undemarcated and currently under dispute. The capital of Yemen is Sana´a. Arabic is the official language. English is spoken in some urban areas. Sunni Muslim especially in the north and Shia Muslim, small Christian and Hindu communities. The total population of Yemen (1997 estimate) is 15,857,186. The average population density is 30 persons per sq km. Although more than one and a half times its size in land area, the former South Yemen had less than one-third the population of the former North Yemen in the late 1980s. The population of southern Yemen is concentrated in a few areas, including Al Mukalla and the other towns of Hadhramaut, the highlands north and east of Aden, and above all, in Aden proper and its metropolitan area. is a member of the UN and Arab League and Organization of the Islamic Conference. The currency of Yemen is the riyal. ( http://www.arab.de/arabinfo/yemen.htm )

http://www.arab.de/arabinfo/saudi.htm

http://www.arab.de/arabinfo/uae.htm

http://www.arab.de/arabinfo/yemen.htm