Dubai Information

Dubai is one of the seven emirates that comprise the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and is known as “The Gateway to the Middle East’, ‘The City of Gold’ and ‘The City of Merchants’. Located on the Persian Gulf, Dubai is the second largest emirate.

Burj Skyscraper Dubai

Time Zone – GM + 4 hours

Climate - Dubai enjoys average daytime temperatures in Summer of between 40 degrees Celsius and 48 degrees Celsius and humidity can vary from 30% to 100%. The Tropic of Cancer crosses through the UAE. Inland desert areas are warmer but the absence of humidity makes this region’s heat more tolerable than the coastal region. In Winter temperatures drop to the mid-high 20 degrees Celsius and rainfall in the main cities is infrequent.

Population and Religion - Approximately 2 million. Only 5% are considered local Emiratis and the expatriate community comprises the remaining 95%. Islam is the main religion in Dubai.

Languages - Arabic is the official language but English is widely spoken as well as Urdu, Hindi and Farsi.

Currency - The official currency of Dubai is the UAE Dirham divided into 100 fils.

Credit Cards - All major credit cards are widely accepted. US Dollars are accepted in most major retail outlets.

Banking Hours - Saturday-Wednesday 8.00 am-2.30 pm and on Thursdays 8.00 am-Midday. Ramadan hours are Saturday-Wednesday 9.00 am-1.00 pm and Thursdays 9.00 am-Midday. Currency exchange facilities are widely available. ATM facilities widely available.

Passport and Entry Requirements – Australian and NZ Passport travelers must hold a valid passport and require an Entry Visa. Australians and New Zealanders can obtain a visa for stay of up to 30 days and can extend the visa for an additional fee.

Australian Consulate
Tel. 04 508 7100

New Zealand Consulate
Tel. 04 331 7500

Health – No vaccinations required unless arriving from infected areas. A valid certificate for Cholera and Yellow Fever is required from persons who have travelled from infected areas.

Duty Free - 400 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 500 grams of tobacco; four litres of alcoholic beverages or two cartons of beer.

Voltage and Plugs - 220/240 volts,50 cycles AC. US appliances may need an adaptor.

Phone - The international calling code of Dubai is +4

Safety and Dress – Dubai is a safe city. The UAE is a safe destination with almost no crime, however, it is advisable to keep valuables and passports in the safety deposit boxes provided by your hotel.

Cotton clothing is popular for casual wear due to the hot and humid weather. All types of beachwear including bikinis are acceptable but only on the beach or by the pool. The local women in the UAE wear a conservative black robe called Abaya over their dress and the men wear a long, light costume usually white in colour, called Dishdasha. Office wear ideal for men e.g. lightweight trousers, long or short-sleeved shirt and ties. Jackets should be worn for formal visits to government offices and important business meetings. If attending a business meeting, formal attire, a lightweight cotton or linen dress or suit with a tie is recommended.

Tipping – Tipping practices are similar to most other parts of the world. Some restaurants include a service charge, otherwise a tip of 10% of the total bill is adequate.

Medical Services – Pharmacies are widely available. Hospitals in the UAE are well-equipped and modern. Recommended hospitals in the city include Al Wasi Hospital (near Wafi City) Tel: 04 324 111; Rashid Hospital (behind British Council) Tel: 04 337 1323; American Hospital, Karama (close to Lamcy Park) Tel: 04 336 7777; Welcare Hospital, Al Garhoud (behind Airport Hotel) Tel: 04 282 7788.

Emergency Services

Police: 999
Ambulance Service: 998/999
Fire: 997

Flights - Emirates flies to and from 29 cities in Europe with stopovers in Dubai. In addition, Emirates has over 70 flights per week from Sydney, Melbourne Brisbane and Perth to Dubai.

From Airport - Dubai International Airport is approximately 5 kms from the city centre. Tel: 04 224 5555.

Internal Transport - Taxis are the most common form of transport for getting around Dubai. They are inexpensive, safe and efficient with well-trained and courteous drivers. Taxis are easily located or can be booked on Tel: 04 208 0808. Dubai also has an extensive bus route network that covers the city. For more information on bus routes Tel: 800 9090. Self-Drive is a great option for getting around on Dubai’s impressive, world-class network of roads.

Driving- Right hand side of road. Wearing seatbelts is compulsory. Australians and New Zealanders can hire a vehicle with their driver’s license from their own country and do not require an International Driving Permit.

The City of Dubai

Food and Drink - Restaurants are abundant and cater for all cuisines including Asian, French, Italian, Mediterranean, South American, Lebanese, Japanese, Indian, Greek and more. Seafood and Steakhouse restaurants are also popular and international fast food chains including McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut, Burger King, Dunkin’ Donuts can be found in Dubai.

Water - Tap water is desalinated and safe to drink.

Alcohol - Drinking alcohol is largely confined to bars and hotel restaurants. If you purchase duty free alcohol you may drink in the privacy of your hotel room but drinking in public spaces is illegal. You must be 21 years old to drink alcohol in Dubai.

Entertainment - Too numerous and varied to list – Dubai is the heart of the UAE and offers many different, contemporary types of entertainment options.

Shopping – One of Dubai’s greatest drawcards is the fantastic shopping! A tax-free port with low import duties, retail prices are very reasonable and there is a huge variety of products available. Dubai attracts ‘shopping tourists’ from all over the world and offers many impressive malls with everything from hi-tech to haute couture and local crafts available.

Public Holidays, Celebrations & Festivals:

• New Years Day: 1st of January
• National Day: 2nd of December

Dubai also has several moveable Public Holidays:

• Eid Al Fitr
• Waqfat Arafat
• Eid Al Adha
• Hijra New Year’s Day
• Prophet’s Birthday
• Lailat Al Mairaj (also known as Isra’a wal Mairaj)