Hue City (CG 66) - Naval Cruise Book

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Bahrain Bahrain is a borderless island nation in the Persian Gulf. Saudi Arabia lies to the west and is connected to Bahrain by the King Fahd CRUSGWHYQ and Qatar is t0 the Smith across the Persian Gulf. The Qatar-Bahrain Friendship Bridgfb, CUITSUTIY being Plamled, will link Bahrain to Qatar as the longest fixed link in the world. Bahrain has been inhabited by humans since ancient times and has even been proposed as the site of the Biblical Garden of Eden. its strategic location in the Persian Gulf has brought rule and influence from the Assyrians, Babylonians, Greeks, Persrans, and finally the Arabs, under whom the island became Muslim. The islands of' Bahrain, positioned in the middle south of the Persian Gulf, have attracted the attention of many invaders throughout history. Bahrain is an Arabic word meaning 'fTwo Seasr, and is thought to either refer to the fact that the islands contain two sources of water, sweet water springs and salty water in the surrounding seas, or to the south and 'north waters of the Persian Guli separating it from the Arabian coast and Iran, respectively. A p Bahrain is sometimes described as the 'Middle East lite': a country that mixes thoroughly modern infrastructure with a definite Gulf identity, but unlike other countries in theregion its prosperity is not solely a reflection of the size of its oil wealth, but also related tothe creation of an indigenous middle class. This unique socio-economic development in the .Gulf has meant that Bahrain is generally more liberal than its neighbours. While Islam is the main religion, Bahrainis have been known for their tolerance, and alongside mosques can be found churches, a Hindu temple, a Sikh Gurudwara and a Jewish synagogue. The country1is'home to several communities that havcfacicd persecution elsewhere. Bahrain's p natural resources include largeiiicluantities of oil and associated and nonassociated,naturalggas as wellpppasgffish stocks, which is perhaps forttmate as arable land constitutes only PM of the co11ntry.,p,r'Desert constitutes 92M of Bahrain and periodic droughts and dust storms are the main natural hazards for Bahrainis. in la region currently experiencing an oil boom of unprecedented proportions, Bahrain is the fastestogrowmg economy in the Arab world, the United Natinng Ecnnomic and Social Commission for Western Asia found in January 2006. Bahrain also has the freest economy in the Middle East according to the 2006 Index of Eggnnnne Freedom published by the Heritage Foundation!Wall Street J oumal, and is twenty-fifth freest overall in the world. 74

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Jebel li I Dubai, U.A.E. Dubai is the most populous and second largest emirate of the United Arab Emirates after Abu Dhabi. Dubai is distinct from other members of the UAE in that revenues from oil account for only GM, of its gross domestic product. A majority ofthe em1rate's revenues are from the Jebel Ali Free Zone CJAFZJ and increasingly from tourism. With enormous construction and development in various industries, Dubai has attracted world attention through innovative real estate projects, sports events, conferences and Guinness records. However, this increased attention, coinciding with its emergence as a world business hub have also highlighted potential human rights quagmires conceming its largely immigrant workforce. Dubai is unusual in that its population is comprised mainly of expatriates, with UAE nationals CEmiratisj constituting the minority. The majority of these expatriates come from South Asia and South East Asia. A quarter of the population reportedly trace their origins to neighbouring Iran. Dubai is also home to some l00,000 British and other westem expatriates. The UAE govemment does not allow any form of naturalization or permanent residence to expatriates. However, foreigners are permitted to purchase and own property without a localpartner sponsor. A . YVL43' Nearly all of the commercial establishments are run by expatriates with a silent local partner who merely 'irents the business license for a negotiated armual fee without taking partgin any capital investment. The numerous free trade zones allow for full expatriate ownership. ' A f There is an increasing number of ufreeholdn villas and apartments on artificial islands such as the Falm Islands and in many parts of Dubai for example The Greens, Dubai Marina, International City, etc. Ownership is either permanent or on a 99 year lease depending on which area - freehold areas were .announced in the press in July 2006. Ownership or lease of a completed residence allows the owner to apply for Cbut not guaranteej a residency visa on a 3 year renewable basis. The Federal Govemment does not state whether foreigners may or may not own property and has left individual emirates to formulate their own property laws. Today, Dubai is an important tourist destination and port Uebel Ali, constructed in the l9TOs, has the largest man-made harbour in the worldj, but also increasingly developing as a hub for service industries such as IT and finance with the new Dubai Intemational Financial Centre CDIFCD. Transport links are bolstered by its rapidly- expanding Emirates Airline, founded by the govemment in 1985 and Still State-OWned- based at Dubai. 9 76