One country, seven emirates

The UAE (United Arab Emirates) is a union of seven emirates: Abu Dhabi (the capital), Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah. An «emirate» is like a region with its own ruler.

Why does this matter? Because there are two levels of rules:

Federal rules — the same for the whole country. Examples: visas, taxes, anti-money-laundering rules.
Local rules — different in each emirate. Example: real estate rules in Dubai are made by Dubai authorities.

When a client asks a question, we always check: is this a federal matter or a Dubai matter?

Key government bodies — learn these names

Body	What it does	Simple words
ICP / GDRFA	visas, Emirates ID, residency	«immigration office»
FTA	VAT, Corporate Tax	«tax office»
MOFA	attestation of foreign documents	«foreign ministry stamp»
MoJ	licensed legal translators	«official translations»
MOHRE	work contracts, labour rules	«labour office»
DET / DED	mainland business licenses (Dubai)	«city business office»
Free zone authority (e.g. Meydan)	licenses inside its zone	«zone business office»
DLD + RERA	real estate in Dubai	«land department»
goAML	anti-money-laundering reports	«AML portal»

You do not need to know their inner structure. You need to know which body is responsible for what, so you understand where each process goes.

Working days and rhythm

The UAE working week is Monday to Friday. The weekend is Saturday–Sunday. Government offices usually work mornings until early afternoon. During Ramadan, working hours are shorter — plan deadlines with extra time.

What you must remember

7 emirates; federal rules vs local rules.
The table of government bodies — at least ICP, FTA, MOFA, MoJ, DET, free zone, DLD/RERA, goAML.
Week = Mon–Fri; Ramadan changes working hours.

The UAE — how this country works