If you need a crash course in UAE life, you have to read Abu Dhabi Week of course. But if you want a meaty introduction to the country, you need the UAE Yearbook 2009. It’s heavier on economy and infrastructure than some other areas, and certainly that’s where the factual element is strongest.  But the background on the history, the institutions and the government are worth the price of admission by themselves. And since the price is zero, you should be grabbing this useful freebie ASAP ... It’s a free download (and at 341 pages it’s a big one) from UAEinteract. Go to tinyurl.com/6w3hty and click on the relevant cover image for the English, French or Arabic version.

 

[Originally published in Abu Dhabi Week vol 2 issue 18]