Expatriate Forums in Dubai (UAE)

DUBAI TRAVEL TIPS (Essentials when Traveling to Dubai)

Taxis

We recommend the following metered taxi companies:

National Taxis (Silver cars)
Cars Taxi (White cars with blue/red stripes)
Dubai Transport Corporation (Ivory cars). Operates from the airport with a pick-up fee of Dhs16 plus an additional Dhs1.17 per kilometer.

Car rentals

An international driver’s license*, passport and two photographs are required to rent a car while visiting Dubai.

* Visitors may obtain a temporary Dubai driving license, as long as they hold a valid national license from one of the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK and the USA.


Driving in Dubai

Driving in the UAE is on the right-hand side.
Dubai has impressive first-class roads connecting all parts of the city and surrounding areas.
Two bridges and a tunnel link the two main districts of Bur Dubai and Deira on either side of the Creek.
A 4-lane highway (Sheikh Zayed Rd) heads southwards from the city to Abu Dhabi.

Working hours

Business schedules: Dubai’s working week is mainly Saturday through Wednesday. An increasing number of businesses do work Sunday to Thursday.

Office hours vary: Working 7:00am to 1:00pm then from 3:00pm to 6:00pm or 4:00pm to 7:00pm, with a siesta in between.

Banks: Open Saturday to Thursday, 8:00am to 1:00pm. Some banks re-open in the afternoon.

Government: 8:00am to 2:00pm, Saturday to Wednesday.

Shops: 9:00am to 8:00pm or later. Many close for a couple of hours at lunchtime, reopening again at 4:00pm or 5:00pm. Some are closed on Friday, although the downtown souks and major shopping malls mostly remain open.

Tipping

Restaurants, bars and hotels add a service charge. Additional gratuities are entirely discretionary and not necessary. Porters and bellboys expect modest tips. Taxi drivers do not expect a gratuity.

Electricity

220 V AC, 50 Hz

International direct dialing code

+011 for US
+00 for rest of the world

Emergency services

Police:999
Fire: 997
Ambulance: 998

Local time

GMT +4, EST +8, CST +9 and PST +11.

Hotel information

Dubai has built deluxe properties considered to be the best in the world. You can find comfortable accommodations for every budget. All major hotels offer a variety of restaurants and superb leisure and sports facilities.

Recommended beach and desert resorts: Le Meridien Mina Seyahi, Sheraton Jumeirah Beach Resort & Towers, Royal Mirage, Hilton Jumeirah, Jebel Ali, Ritz-Carlton, and Jumeirah Beach Hotel, and Al-Maha Desert Resort and Spa

Recommended city hotels: Emirates Towers, Crowne Plaza, Hyatt, Inter-Continental, Le Meridien, Metropolitan, J W Marriott, Renaissance, Al Bustan Rotana and Sheraton.

Airport

Dubai International Airport, 2.4 miles from the city center.
For flight information, please call +00 9714 2162525 www.dubaiairport.com

Transfers

Metered taxis are readily available. Most hotels operate courtesy coaches or limousines for guests with confirmed reservations. Emirates also offers complimentary chauffeur service for full fare Business or First Class passengers in select cities. Contact Emirates at 1-800-777-3999.

Visas

Get full details for a visitors visa and regulations to Dubai at Visa services.

Customs

Visitors may import:

2,000 cigarettes or 400 cigars or 4.4 lbs of tobacco
150g of perfume.
Only non-Muslims can import 2 liters of spirits or 2 bottles of wine.
Natural or cultured unstrung pearls may not be imported, unless for personal use.
The import of firearms, p*rn and drugs is strictly prohibited.

Currency

The UAE Dirham (AED) is divided into 100 fils at a constant 3.67 AD to the US dollar.
Notes are issued in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000 Dirhams.
Coins are issued in 5, 10, 25 and 50 fils and 1 Dirham.
Foreign currency and travelers checks can be converted at all banks and hotels. ATM’s are also widely available.
International credit cards are accepted almost everywhere, except at a few shops in the souks. There are no currency import or export restrictions.

Clothing

It is usual to wear a suit and tie for business, otherwise dress is generally informal.
Females should dress modestly in public places out of respect for local culture.
For both males and females, swimwear is acceptable around hotel pools and beaches.



Source : Emirates

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