Dubai Tourist Information

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is made up of seven Emirates. The largest Emirate is Abu Dhabi and Dubai being the second. Dubai is located on the southern shore of the Persian Gulf known as (The Pearl of the Persian Gulf)

The Sheikh Family has ruled Dubai since 1833, the Al Maktoum Dynasty. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (“bin” Rashid means the son of Rashid) is the current “ruler” of Dubai. He is also the Prime Minister and Vice President of the entire UAE.

It was in 1966 that Dubai really became a name on the map when oil was discovered. Until then it was just a small fishing and trading port. It was His Highness Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum who wanted to use the discovery of oil to make Dubai a landmark for tourism and to be the most recognized destination in the entire world. I think he has succeeded!

Dubai has a population of approximately 4 million comprised of Europeans, Asians and other Arabic nations. 80% of Dubai’s population is expatriates.

Dubai is continuing to grow, with new companies and businesses emerging day by day all setting up to take advantage of what future Dubai will offer all visitors in the near future.

There is no specific city of Dubai, however Deira is the older part and now classed as the Business District and Bur Dubai is the main residential area. The latest addition is Jumeirah which is a popular area especially for expatriates.

Dubai is already the most popular destination of all the Emirates where tourists flood to experience the flamboyance and the vast creations that have gave Dubai its name today. The city constantly changes at a rapid pace where buildings and infrastructure is pushed to limits beyond imagination.

Dubai is truly a place where dreams become reality!!

PHOTOGRAPHY

Avoid photographing Muslim women and do not photograph airports, docks, and telecommunications equipment, and government buildings, military and industrial installations.

WOMEN TRAVELLERS

The UAE is more liberal than other Gulf destinations as women are able to drive and work, however please be courteous when travelling to Dubai as they still hold very strong traditional and religious beliefs.

If you wish to avoid causing offence then please refrain from wearing tight or revealing clothes away from beach clubs and resorts.

ALCOHOL

In Dubai it is illegal to drink alcohol in a public area without a licence or out on the street. To purchase alcohol whilst visiting Dubai can only be done at licensed venues such as hotels or private clubs. If you are resident and not Muslim you can obtain an alcohol license.

RAMADAN

Ramadan is usually around September/October time all dependent upon the positioning of the moon and lasts for approximately 30 days. It is the fasting month for Muslims and starts from sunrise to sunset. NO ONE (including tourists) can eat, drink or even smoke in public places during Ramadan. All restaurants and cafes are closed even in the big shopping malls so check with your travel agent before booking your holiday to Dubai as I am sure you will want to avoid this period when visiting.

BANKS

The opening hours of banks in Dubai are from 8.00am to 1.00pm Saturday through to Thursday and various money exchange centers are open from 08.30am to 1.00pm and from 4.30pm – 8.30pm.

WEATHER

Dubai is certainly a place where the sun shines. There is approximately 4 days rainfall a year. The best time to travel to Dubai is between October and May when average temperatures are at 25 degrees Celsius which is the average lowest.  During the summer months the average temperature is 40 degrees Celsius so plenty of sun cream and water is advised.

 

DUTY FREE

You are entitled to bring into Dubai the following Duty Free:

4 liters of Alcohol or 2 cartons of beer (1 carton = 24 cans not exceeding 355 ml)

400 cigarettes

50 cigars

500 g of loose tobacco

DISABLED TRAVELLERS

When traveling to Dubai facilities have been put in place to accommodate handicapped people. A lot of the new hotels have specially adapted rooms and amenities to ensure a comfortable stay. So upon arrival at the airport and travelling by taxi most places including major shopping malls have wheelchair friendly access with disabled parking spaces. In nearly all of the city’s car parks there are disabled spaces. If hiring a car you would need to display a disabled badge.

TELEPHONE

The International dialing code for the UAE is +971. You do not need to enter the dialing code to call a local number. Cheap international calls apply from 9pm to 7am and all day on Fridays and public holidays.

EMERGENCY SERVICES DUBAI

The hospitals in Dubai are generally very good and operate at a reasonable standard. If seen in the event of an emergency you will be taken and treated in the Accident and Emergency department in the public hospital free of charge. All other treatments would have to be paid for therefore it is advised to get private medical Insurance as treatment in Dubai can be quite costly.

PHARMACIES

Pharmacies are found on almost every street corner where most prescription drugs can be bought direct. Do not always rely on the advice of a pharmacist regarding medical diagnosis seeing a doctor is recommended.

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

PUBLIC HOSPITAL

Al Wasl (Maternity, Children, Burns)						04-3341111
Dubai Hospital (General)						04-2714444
Rashid Hospital (Road Accidents, General Trauma)						04-3371111
Al Baraha Hospital Deira						04-2710000
Al Maktoum Hospital Deira						04-2221211
Cedars - Jebel Ali International Hospital						04-8814000
Iranian Hospital, Jumeirah/Umm Suqueim						04-3440250

PRIVATE HOSPITALS

Al Zahra (Sharjah)					06-5619999
American Hospital					04-3367777
Well care Hospital					04-2827788
Belhoul European Hospital					04-3454000

POST

The Post office opening hours are from 8am – 1pm and 4pm – 7pm Saturday to Wednesday. The post office is closed on Thursdays and Fridays and during a public holiday post office is open from 8am – 12 Noon but closed on the first day of Eid Holidays.

The main post office in Dubai is on Zaïsabeel Road, Bur Dubai (8 a.m. - 11.30 p.m. Saturday to Wednesday, 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. - 8 p.m. Thursday and closed Fridays). There is also a smaller post office in Deira on Al Sabkha Road. Other post offices are located in Satwa, Karama and Jumeirah.

Please note there are no fax or telephone facilities at the Post Office.

ELECTRICITY

Power supply is 220 volts. Sockets suitable are the three-pin 13 amp plugs of British standard design. If travelling to the UAE then adaptor is advised.

WATER

The water supply is safe to drink but bottled water is advised and is cheap to buy.

WEIGHTS AND MEASUREMENTS

The UAE uses the metric system, although British and USA standard weights and measures are understood.

TIME

The UAE is four hours ahead of GMT. The time does not change during the summer. This means that there is a three hour difference between UK and UAE local times in summer and a four hour difference in winter.

ABRAS

Abras are the water taxis that cross the creek day and night. The boat typically seats 20 people and is stationed along both sides of the creek.

RELIGION

Dubai is a Muslim country, meaning that Pork and Alcohol are banned to Muslims. However non Muslims that visit can purchase alcohol at licensed venues and pork can be bought from various supermarkets.

EMBASSIES AND CONSULATES IN DUBAI

 

Country	Embassy	Tel +971(4)	Fax +971(4)
Australia	Australian Consulate General.	3313444	3314812
Bangladesh	Bangladesh, Consulate General.	2726966	2727965
Canada	Canadian Consulate.	3521717	3517722
China	China	3944733	3952207
Denmark	Royal Danish Consulate.	2227699	2235751
Egypt	Egypt, Consulate General.	3971122	3971033
Finland	Office of the Honorary Consul of Finland.	2823338	2823041
France	France, Consulate General.	2232442	2270887
Germany	Germany, Consulate General.	3972332	3972225
lndia	India, Consulate General.	3971222	3970453
Iran	Iran, Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran.	3971150	3972069
Italy	Italy, Consulate General.	3314167	3317469
Japan	Japan, Consulate General.	3319191	3319292
Jordan	Jordan, Consulate General of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.	3970500	3971675
Kuwait	Kuwait, Consulate General of the State of Kuwait.	2221900	2232024
Lebanon	Lebanon, Consulate General.	3977450	3977431
Lithuania	Lithuania, Consulate of the Republic of Lithuania	3441644	3440509
Malaysia	Malaysia, Consulate General.	3319994	3313474
Netherlands	Royal Netherlands Consulate	3528700	3510502
Norway	Royal Norwegian Consulate	3533833	3533915
Oman	Sultanate of Oman Office	3971000	3977688
Pakistan	Pakistan, Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan	3970412	3977688
Palestine	Palestine, Consulate General of the State of Palestine	2681618	2687084
Panama	Panama, Consulate General	2263366	2263315
Qatar	Qatar, Consulate General	3982888	3988555
Romania	Romania, Consulate General	3940580	3940992
Saudi Arabia	Royal Consulate General of Saudi Arabia	2663383	2662524
Somalia	Somalia, Consulate General of Somalia	2223030	2274570
Sri Lanka	Consulate of Sri Lanka	3986535	3984687
Sweden	Royal Swedish Consulate General	3457716	3452439
Switzerland	Switzerland, Consulate	3313542	3313679
Syria	Syria, Consulate General	2663354	2698277
Taiwan	Taiwan	3977644	3977888
Thailand	Royal Thai Consulate General.	3492863	3490932
Turkey	Turkish Consulate General	3314788	3317317
U.K	British Embassy	3971070	3942153
U.S.A	United States of America, Consulate General.	3313115	3314043
Uzbekistan	Uzbekistan, Consulate General of the Republic of	3947400	3945234
Yemen	Yemen, Consulate of the Republic of Yamen	3970131	3972901