Offering invaluable information and illustrations to help travelers understand a country's people and avoid cultural faux pas Full of people who aim to combine the ancient and the modern, the UAE is an extremely rewarding place to visit. Set on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Gulf, the country was once a poor desert land, a confederation of tribal sheikhdoms on the periphery of the Arab world, subsisting on pearl diving and fishing. It was a British protectorate until independence in 1971, after which seven of the sheikhdoms united to form a federation, the UAE. The discovery of oil in the 1950s transformed the country's fortunes, and the UAE today is a land of contrasts embracing skyscrapers, high-tech communications, and luxury hotels, while conservative values and religion remain strong. The UAE is a major player in the shifting alliances of the Middle East and the war against radical Islam, simultaneously seeking a global leadership position while maintaining its social systems and slowly integrating women into public life without violating its core beliefs.

About the Author
John Walsh is Assistant Professor in Marketing and Communication at Shinawatra University in Bangkok, Thailand. His doctorate, from the University of Oxford, was for research on international management. He has written extensively for learned journals, contributed to a number of encyclopedias, undertaken media and consultancy work, and also been widely published in non-academic fields. Having lived and worked in Sudan, Greece, South Korea, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates, he now lives in Bangkok with his wife and daughter. Jessica Hill is an English-language teacher and journalist originally from Norwich in Norfolk. After graduating in Contemporary History from the University of Sussex embarked on a career as a freelance journalist. She has since been writing regular articles for the UAE s most popular broadsheet English newspaper, The National and has also covered news events in the UAE for British newspapers, written features for Global Citizen magazine, and delivered lectures at local colleges in Abu Dhabi and Dubai on the subject of writing in the UAE.

Reviews
Culture Smart! has come to the rescue of hapless travellers...' Sunday Times Travel, ' the perfect introduction to the weird, wonderful and downright odd quirks and customs of various countries.' Global Travel, ' full of fascinating, as well as common sense, tips to help you avoid embarrassing faux pas.' Observer, ' as useful as they are entertaining.' Easy Jet Magazine, ' offer glimpses into the psyche of a faraway world.' New York Times



Book Information
ISBN 9781857338744
Author John Walsh
Format Paperback
Page Count 168
Imprint Kuperard
Publisher Kuperard
Dimensions(mm) 169mm * 110mm * 13mm