Passports / Visas

British citizens with a full unrestricted passport do not need a visa to visit the UAE.

Passengers, arriving at UAE airports with defaced or damaged passports, can face long delays, or on occasions be refused entry. Standard passports must have minimum validity of six months.

Visitors are admitted for one month initially; this can normally be extended for two further periods of 30 days. British citizens who enter the UAE as visitors can obtain a residence/work permit after arrival, but are strongly advised to seek guidance from the UAE Embassy in London.

Failure to comply with UAE immigration rules can result in stiff penalties, including imprisonment. British nationals taking up residence in the UAE should register with the British Embassy Consular Section in Abu Dhabi or Dubai as soon as possible after they arrive. The renewal of the registration should be done every twelve months by telephone. Changes of address and final departure should also be notified.

Health advice / risks

Certificates of vaccination for cholera and yellow-fever are mandatory if travelling from an infected area. AIDS tests are required for those taking up residence.

Cholera, polio, tetanus and typhoid vaccinations and anti-malaria precautions are advisable.

With the exception of malaria, there are few endemic diseases.

Information on health hazards, and precautions to take when travelling abroad can be found in the leaflet 'Health advice for travellers' available from main Post Offices.

Health insurance
It is essential to take out full medical insurance when visiting the UAE as there are no reciprocal healthcare agreements between the UAE and the UK.

Medical services
Medical facilities in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah are good, and they are adequate elsewhere. The Health and Medical Services Department provides medical care for all UAE nationals, visitors and resident expatriates. Dubai has many well equipped public and private hospitals offering high quality health and dental care services. Emergency medical care in Dubai is free for all. There are European doctors and dentists in private practice.

Drinking water
Water is generally desalinated or from wells, both of which are drinkable, although bottled water is also available.

ravel routes to Dubai

The vast majority of British visitors to the UAE arrive by air. There are direct and connecting flights from Heathrow Airport, London to the UAE.

Air

National airlines: Gulf Air (owned jointly by Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar); Emirates Air ( Dubai).

Other airlines: United Airlines, British Airways, Royal Jordanian, Turkish Airlines, Cyprus Airways, Qatar Airways, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Kuwait Airways and Royal Brunei Airlines.

International airports: Dubai and Abu Dhabi are the UAE's main international airports, although there are smaller international airports at Sharjah, Ras Al Khamaih and Fujairah, which offer a more limited choice of flights. Flight time is around seven hours.

There are non-stop daily flights between the UK and Dubai from Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester. Emirates Airlines and British Airways are the main carriers though other airlines also operate the route.

There are also daily non-stop flights between Heathrow and Abu Dhabi International Airport.

Property Frontiers is able to assist in making travel arrangements for Dubai. Please visit our Travel Services page for more information.

How to get to & from the airport

Dubai airport is 2 miles from the town centre are.

Taxis, car hire facilities, airlines and bus operators, all provide a means of travelling to and from the airport.

Travelling in Dubai

Air
Scheduled services are infrequent. Small light aircraft and helicopters may be chartered.

Road
Surfaced roads along the coast link all Emirates. There are numerous oases, the best-known being Al-Ain and Liwa in Abu Dhabi and Dhaid in Sharjah, and small fishing villages in Dubai, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and along the east coast. The motorway between Abu Dhabi and Al Ain has been upgraded and sections of the Dubai-Abu Dhabi road are being upgraded.

Rail
There is no rail system in the UAE.

Car hire
General and chauffeur-driven car hire is available. International licences are acceptable only for short-term visitors and requirements should be checked on arrival. Driving is on the right-hand side of the road, with speed limits of 60 kph in towns and 80 kph-120 kph elsewhere. To hire a small car in Dubai for a week costs between US$200-US$250.

Hotels

There are a number of very good international hotels in Dubai. It is advisable to book hotel rooms, and in particular suites, in advance. Most hotels impose a surcharge on telephone calls. A 20% tax is included in all bills.

The Dubai Air Show is held every two years in November (next show 2003), during which every hotel room in the city and in nearby Emirates is booked. This also applies to the INDEX and GITEX exhibitions in Dubai in October each year and the IDEX exhibition which takes place in Abu Dhabi in March (next show 2005) in alternate years.

Restaurants

There are too many restaurants in Dubai to mention, varying from Arabic and Greek through to European, Japanese, Russian, Thai and Vietnamese. There is something to suit everyone. It is worth consulting the Dubai Explorer or Connector publication on arrival.

Tipping is at the discretion of the customer, although at many hotel outlets you will find that a 15% service charge has been added to the bill together with a 10% municipality tax. Major credit cards are accepted (American Express, Diners Club Visa and Master Card) are generally accepted in the main hotels and larger shops. It is not necessary to tip taxi drivers. For airports and hotel porters, the normal rate is Dh2 per piece of luggage.

Electricity supply

220 volt AC 50 cycles ( Dubai and the Northern Emirates), with three-pin round or flat type plug fittings.

Hours of business

Working hours vary between the Emirates, and change from summer to winter. The weekend consists of Thursday afternoon and Friday, which is the Muslim holy day, although the majority of shops remain open.

Most shops remain open until 9.00-10.00pm. Department stores, boutiques, souks and many food shops remain open on a Friday, apart from prayer times (between 11.30-13.00), while larger shops re-open on a Friday afternoon around 4.00-5.00pm.

Hours are liable to vary during the month of Ramadan. During Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting during daylight hours, most officials work 09.00-13.00.

Banks
08.00-13.00 Saturday to Thursday.

Social etiquette

Social customs
It is discourteous to eat, drink or smoke in front of Muslims in daylight hours during Ramadan. It is polite to accept the refreshments customarily offered to visitors. Expatriate, non-Muslim residents can obtain liquor licenses from the local police headquarters enabling them to buy alcohol from special shops. Penalties for drunkenness in public can be quite severe.

Do not express admiration for something belonging to your host. This is bad manners and can be taken as asking for it as a gift. Your host is quite likely to insist that you keep it.

Do not present the sole of your foot to an Arab. This is a calculated insult because the sole of the foot in the Arab world is considered to be unclean. The younger generation, with plenty of exposure to the West, is unlikely to take offence.

Do not accept food or anything else, with your left hand.

There are many Arab names for God, e.g. Aziz, Rahman, etc. These are also popular names throughout the Arab world. Such names are always preceded by 'Abdul' (meaning 'Slave of ...'). Anyone with such a name must always be referred to as 'Abdul Aziz' or 'Abdul Rahman' etc, NEVER as 'Abdul'.

Women travellers
Dubai is probably the most liberal minded and least restrictive Gulf region for women to visit compared to say Saudi Arabia. However, it is still a Muslim country and women should generally adhere to the customs of the region and in public avoid potential offence by showing as little flesh as possible. Foreign women do not need to wear veils.

Modes of address
The sequence of Arabic names can sometimes appear confusing. A good guide would be to look at the full name as being in three parts :1. Own name, 2. Father's name and 3. Family name. For example Abdullah bin Mohamed Al Khalej (Abdullah son of Mohamed of the Khalej family). This person would be known as Abdullah which is his given name. The use of the correct titles etc can be sensitive and special attention should be given when formally communicating in writing.

The following is a general guide to modes of address in the UAE, as is used in (a) in writing, (b) orally:

Others
(a) Sayyed or Mr ... (full name) ...
(b) Sayyed or Mr ... (full name) ... or when on familiar terms, the first name only.

Useful words and phrases
It's always nice to go anywhere armed with a few useful sayings and phrases. Examples include: