Dubai
- UAE Country Travel
Here
you will find a most important informations about
United Arab Emirates
Simple
Facts
Country
made up of seven emirates: AbuDhabi, Dubai, Sharjah,
Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah
Area
83000 sq. km. includes approx. 2000 islands
Location
Bordered in the North by Arabian Gulf, to the
east by The Gulf of Oman and Sultanate of Oman,
to the South by the Sultanate of Oman and Saudi
Arabia, and to the West by Quatar and Saudi Arabia.
Lies between Latitudes 22 & 26,5 North and
Longitudes 51& 56,5 East
Population
Almost 2,5 milion
Religion
The dominate religion is Islam
Language
The official language is Arabic. English, Hindi, Urdu
and Farsi are widely spoken
Currency
Dirhams, 1 Dh = 100 files, 1 US$=3,67 Dh
Climate
Between November and March warm sunny days with average
temperature of 26 C (79F) and cool nights with average
temperature of 16 C (58 F). Summer months are hot and
humid with temperatures up to 41 C (105 F)
Visas
Most visitors to the UAE need an entry visa. This is the
best obtained through a sponsor within the UAE. British
passport holders with the right to abide in Great Britain
may obtain a visa at the airport upon arrival. Transit
visas are valid for 14 days, tourist ones for 30 days
and visit visas for 30 days but can be renewed for up
total 100 days. Citizens of GCC countries may enter without
a visa. Persons travelling on Israeli passport or who
have Israeli stamped passport will be denied entry. The
fine for overstaying is 100 Dh. per one day.
Duty Free Allowances
Visitors are allowed 2000 cigarettes or 400 cigars or
2 kg of tobacco and reasonable quantity of perfume. Customs
There is no restriction of the amount of currency that
can be brought into the UAE and no customs duty on personal
effects.
Getting around
Car rentals
There are car rental offices in each of the emirates offering
all makes and sizes of cars. Cars can either be rented
alone or with driver. Rates vary but are around Dh 120
a day for a small car and up to Dh. 1000 a day for a chauffeur
driven limousine. You will need to provide a copy of your
passport and driver's license if payment is by credit
card.
Driving license
Individuals from the following countries do not need an
international license: ECC countries, Canada, Japan, North
Korea, South Korea, Turkey and USA.
Helicopter hire
Helicopters and fixed wing aircraft can be hired in AbuDhabi,
Dubai and Sharjah. You need a license from the authorities
to access the airport and must submit a flight plan. Rates
range from US$ 1200 to US$ 6000 per hour.
Transportation
Taxis form a common means of getting around town. AbuDhabi
and Dubai have plenty of metered taxis that can be hired
for Dh 5-20. There are many unmetered taxis as well, so
it is best to agree upon the fare in advance. For long
distance journeys, it is common to share taxis.
Utilities
Electricity
The electricity supply is 220/240 volts at 50 Hz. Visitors
from Europe can use their appliances although outlet adapters
may be necessary. Appliances from the USA will need transformers.
Water
Water comes from desalination plants and is safe to drink.
Many people still prefer to drink bottled water that is
available in shops and restaurants.
Telecommunications
Telephone service is excellent through the UAE. Calls
within cities are free. There is small charge for calls
within the rest of the country. Pay phones are operated
with a phone card that is issued by the Telecommunication
Company in various amounts and is then used as a debit
card. These are generally available at a variety of outlets
in the town. Major hotels have fax and telex services
and can arrange for modem access if necessary.
Television
There are nine television stations in the UAE. Some broadcast
in Arabic, some in English and some have special programs
in Urdu, Hindi, and French. Several additional stations
are available via satellite and cable.
Radio
Stations broadcasting in Arabic and English transmit 24
hours a day.
Shopping-Business hours
Shops are generally open from 9.30 am to 1 PM. And from
4.30 PM to 9.30 pm on Saturday through Thursday. Many
shops in the malls are open all day, which offers, foe
shopping without crowds. On Friday, the Islamic holiday
shops do not generally open until 2.00 PM or later.
Bargaining
Part of the tradition of shopping in the UAE is bargaining
over the price. In other shops except for truly fixed
prices stores a bit of negotiating will bring a reduction
of price. If you have to ask for the price of something
it means the price is not fixed. Credit Cards Most hotels
and finer restaurants accept credit cards such as American
Express, Visa, MasterCard and diner Club. Some larger
shops do as well.
Health Matters
Immunization
No health certificate or special immunizations are required
when travelling to the UAE unless you have been in cholera
or yellow Fever affected area 14 days prior to visiting.
It is wise to check with your travel agent before traveling,
however, should the situation change.
Coping with the heat
For eight months of the year the Emirates is hot and along
the coast humid. It is important that the visitor take
precautions not to over exert. All hotels and restaurants
are air conditioned as are most shops but outside it's
still hot. Try to limit going in and out of the air conditioning
and make sure to drink plenty of fluids when outside for
a long time.
Clothing
Local dress for both men and women loosely covers the
head, arms and legs. Fabrics are lightweight and of natural
fibbers. There are no restrictions of a dress code for
visitors. Summer clothing is suitable all year around
with sweaters or light jackets being needed at night in
the winter months.
Medical care
Even the smallest emirate is now equipped with a modern
hospital so there is no need to worry about the availability
of health care. Most major cities have several hospitals
and abundance of private clinics, should you be in need.
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