UAE acts to bridge northern divide

Low-rise: much of Ras Al-Kheimah is a world away from the wealth of Abu Dhabi and Dubai

Less than 300km separates Ras Al-Kheimah from the United Arab Emirates’ capital territory of Abu Dhabi, but its neighbourhoods of low cement buildings and dusty cars feel as if they are in a different country.  


While Dubai has its glitz and Abu Dhabi its oil and cultural ambitions, Ras Al-Kheimah – known locally as RAK – churns out the cement and glass that helped turn its southern neighbouring emirates into internationally known cities.  


Those contrasting images have taken on new significance as uprisings across the Arab world have highlighted the potentially damaging impact of economic divisions being ignored by governments.