Dubai Skyline at Night

1. Official language of Dubai is Arabic and English.
2. Dialling code is +971
3. Local and International Codes:
   Abu Dhabi + 9712 02
   Ajman + 9716 06
   Al Ain + 9713 03
   Dubai +9714 04
   Fujairah + 9719 09
   Khor Fakkan + 9719 09
   Raï al-Khaimah + 9717 07
   Sharjah + 9716 06
   Umm al-Qaiwain + 9716 06
4. Internet code is .ae
5. Currency is AED i.e. Emirati Dirham
6. UAE is 4 hours ahead of GMT
7. Telephone network in Dubai is operated by ETISALAT where Telephone calls within Dubai are free and direct dialing is available to over 150 countries.
8. Happy Hours for international calls is between 9 pm to 7 am
9. Card and coin operated pay phones are available throughout Dubai and cards are available at ETISALAT offices, supermarkets, pharmacies etc. for about Dh.30 to Dh. 45)
10. Fax can be set via ETISALAT offices 24 hours a day
11. ETISALAT head office is located on Baniyas Street, Deira, Opening Hours: Saturday to Wednesday 7 a.m.- 3 p.m
12. Mobile code within Dubai is +50
13. You can post letter in red post boxes and mail is collected regularly in morning and evening. Post can be mailed from the hotel also.
14. Post Office opening hours: Saturday to Wednesday 8 a.m.- 1 p.m and 4 p.m.- 7 p.m, On Public Holidays: 8 a.m. – 12 noon, Closed on Thursday, Friday and first day of Eid.
15. All government offices are closed on Thursday and Friday
16. Shops and supermarkets remain open seven days a week
17. Bank hours: Saturday to Wednesday is from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm, and 8:00 am to 12:00 pm on Thursday.
18. Currency Exchange houses are open from 8.30am–1.00pm and 4.30–8.30pm.
19. Mode of transportation: Taxis and cars. Please Visit Road Transports Authority for more details
20. You can obtain a temporary driving license as long as you have a valid driving license from the following countries: Germany, Spain, Belgium, Austria, Italy, Netherlands, Ireland, France, Switzerland, Greece, Turkey, UK, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, USA, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.
21. Dubai follows right hand side driving
22. You can travel between Dubai and Deira using water taxis or fully air conditioned water buses
23. Minimum fare for taxis: Dh.5 to Dh.10
24. For medicines prohibited in Dubai, Please visit site: Ministry of Health Controlled Medicines
25. Summer clothing is the norm for most parts of the year, but winter clothes may be needed during the winter months, especially in the evenings.
26. Use photo chromatic lenses for those with spectacles
27. As temperature is high, head gear like scarves, hats and sunscreens are a must to avoid sunstroke
28. Due to a relaxed dress code in Dubai, bikinis, short dresses, trunks and swim suits are allowed on beaches.
29. Don’t photograph women without permission and be polite enough to take permission before photographing Arabic men. Don’t drink alcohol in public.
30. Clicking images of government buildings and military institutions is not allowed.
31. Tap water is safe to drink but tourists generally prefer bottled mineral water.
32. Public hospitals offer good treatment free of charge, but treatment at private hospitals can be quite expensive, so it’s necessary that you take out an insurance to cover your medical expenses.
33. US made electrical appliances may need a transformer to work in Dubai.
34. Alcohol is available in hotels but restaurants are not permitted to serve alcoholic beverages.
35. Tipping is not expected in hotels but you can do as an act of gratitude towards the hotel staff. Hotels and restaurant add service charges to their bills. Abu Dhabi 16 %; Sharjah %; Dubai 10 %. If not added , expect to add 10% to your bills. Taxi drivers do not expect to be tipped.

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Tags: Dubai, social behavior, Tips, Tourists, Transport, Travel

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 9th, 2009 at 8:04 am and is filed under Etiquette. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.