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:
assalam
alekum - Peace be upon you (i.e. hello)
shukran- thank you
keyf haleck- how are you?
aiwa - yes
leh - no
funduq - hotel
mataar - airport
Safara Britaniya - British Embassy
massalaama - goodbye
al hamdulillah - Praise be to God (i.e. good!)
inshallah - God willing (i.e. let's hope so!) |