Dubai's social scene is a
melting pot of cultures with east and west sitting
happily side by side.
The city has dozens of luxury
hotels with signature restaurants serving cuisine
from around the world. Internationally renowned
celebrity chef’s own restaurants in Dubai.
Arabic food is widely available, but if you have a
more Western palate then all of the international
fast food chains and restaurants have outlets in
Dubai.
The city has plenty of places
to relax, no matter what your inclination - be it
bars, coffee houses and shisha bars. These range
from Western style pubs, to trendy bars and to
more traditional Iranian and Turkish shisha
houses. Most bars and clubs are attached to hotels
and remain open until the early hours. And because
the hotels are the hub of the social scene -
visitors will find themselves mixing with Dubai
residents wherever they are staying.
Dubai is split
down the middle by a creek which runs through the
centre of the old part of town. The creek is the
lifeblood of this area, a tightly spaced, densely
populated urban area, which provides moist of the
hustle and bustle in the city.
Some of Dubai’s
landmark buildings can be found in Deira,
including the famous Bank of Dubai structure, and
the Etisalat tower, which houses the United Arab
Emirates’ telecommunications company.
South of the creek
is Bur Dubai. This is again a largely urban area -
although as you head closer to the coast a more up
market feel takes hold as the low-rise apartment
buildings give way to spacious villas.
The other major
centre of Dubai is centred on the artery of the
Shaikh Zayed Road, a six-lane super-highway that
cuts through the heart of the city’s financial
district and stretches through to the neighboring
town of Jebel Ali. The area around the start of
the Shaikh Zayed Road has been the subject of
massive development over the past decade. The aim
being to shift the focus of the city away from the
now overcrowded urban areas of Deira and Bur
Dubai.
It is the heart of
the new financial district with the Dubai
International Financial Centre and the Emirates
Towers (both now bona fide Dubai architectural
landmarks) giving an aesthetically pleasing aspect
to the busy hub.
Once you get past
the ‘trade centre’ district of the Shaikh
Zayed Road, the highway stretches for 40km through
the town of Jebel Ali and onto the emirate of Abu
Dhabi. Development has sprung up around the major
road, with residential developments, skyscrapers,
shopping malls and industrial areas dotted along
most of its length.
The coastal areas
of Jumeirah and Umm Sequim are fairly well
developed now and are home to a plethora of luxury
residences and hotel resorts, including the iconic
Burj Al Arab and the Jumeirah Beach Hotel and the
world famous palm Jumeirah development.
More recently, a
development known locally as 'New Dubai' has been
springing up on the other side of the city. It
features luxury developments like Dubai Marina and
the sprawling Emirates Hills residential
development, as well as trading zones such as
Internet City and Media city. These areas house
the regional headquarters of some of the world’s
most famous companies. Microsoft, Cisco Systems,
CNN, BBC World and MasterCard to name but a
few.
Regulations in the
UAE are complicated and subject to change. Check
with your local UAE Embassy or travel agent prior
to leaving to be sure.
There are several
different types of visa available. The most
commonly used are Visit visas, tourist visas and
residency visas for ex-pats.
Visit visa: Citizens
of the following countries can get a 30-day visit
visa free of charge upon arrival, entitling them
to stay for 60 days. *Correct as of August
2005.
The visa can then
be renewed once for another 30 days for an
additional fee: Britain, France, Italy, Germany,
the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland,
Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Portugal,
Ireland, Greece, Cyprus, Finland, Malta, Spain,
Monaco, Vatican, Iceland, Andorra, San Marino,
Liechtenstein, United States, Canada, Australia,
New Zealand, Japan, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia
and Hong Kong.
For residents of
other countries, the visa must be sponsored by an
individual, such as a relative, or an
establishment. The application is submitted by the
sponsor with all required documents.
Tourist Visa: It is
available for tourists sponsored by tour operating
companies and hotels. This is
non-renewable.
Special Mission Entry
Visa: This is issued for a non-renewable
14 days for a fee. Commonly known as a transit
visa, it is collected by the visitor upon arrival.
It is issued to businessmen and tourists sponsored
by a company or commercial establishment or a
hotel licensed to operate in the
UAE.
Mission Visa: The
newly added type of visa, it is issued for the
purpose of temporary work in the country. It is
issued for a maximum of 180. It has been
introduced to facilitate Labour Ministry's
Temporary Work Permit. An applicant must obtain
the permit from the Labour Ministry first to get
the visa.
Transit Visa: It is
issued to travellers transiting through UAE
airports. It issued for 96 hours and must be
sponsored by an airline operating in the UAE. The
visitor must have a valid ticket for onward
flight. There is no charge for this
permit.
Multiple Entry Visa:
It is an option for businessmen who are frequent
visitors to the UAE and who have a relationship
with a reputable company here. This multiple visa
is valid for six months from the date of issue.
However, each visit must not exceed 30 days. The
visitor must enter the UAE on a visit visa and
obtain the multiple entry visa while he is
here.
Residence Visa: A
residence visa is required for those who intend to
enter the UAE to live indefinitely with a person
who is already a resident. It is issued to the
immediate kin of a resident for three
years.
The residence
permit becomes invalid if the resident remains
more than six months at a time out of the
country.
Investor Visa: It is
issued to an expatriate investor in partnership
with a local. The foreign investor must hold a
minimum stake in the share capital. Like the
residence visa, it is issued for three years for a
fee.
Employment Visa:
Employment Visa or Permit is issued by the
Immigration Department to a foreign national who
wishes to work for a company in the UAE upon the
approval of the Ministry of Labour and Social
Affairs. It allows the holder to enter the UAE
once for a period of 30 days and is valid for two
months from the date of
issue.
When the employee
has entered the country on the basis of the
employment visa, the sponsoring company will
arrange to complete the formalities of stamping
his residence.
Climate: Dubai has a
year round sunny climate with rain a very rare
occurrence, happening only a few times a
year.
The winter months
(November to March) are the most suitable for
tourists, with the weather averaging a pleasant
30C and humidity on the low side. The summer
months can become very hot, with frequent low
visibility caused by sandstorms - with average
daytime temperatures rarely dipping below 40C (and
often rising about 45C) and high humidity to
accompany the high temperatures at
night.
Local laws: Although
you are allowed to drink in many of Dubai's
numerous bars, remember this is a Muslim country.
If you wander around the streets drunk then there
is a good chance you will be
arrested.
There is also zero
tolerance towards drinking and driving. That means
the legal limit is zero and being caught will
usually end in a prison sentence.
Certain
prescription drugs which are legal elsewhere in
the world are banned in Dubai. If you need to take
these then you must ensure that you take a doctors
prescription with you.
A list of which
drugs are illegal can be found at the: US
consulate to Dubai's website
Clothing: You will
only need summer clothes when you're here, however
it is a good idea to bring a few light sweaters or
cardigans as the air conditioning in some
restaurants and malls can be chilly.
While there is no official
ruling about exactly what you can and can't wear,
Westerners will be expected to dress with more
modesty than you would at home in similar
temperatures.
This doesn't mean
that women have to cover up or wear a veil but
they should try to wear clothes that are not too
revealing, while men should avoid short shorts and
bare chests. Dubai is a liberal emirate, but it is
also part of an Islamic country. You should also
be respectful of Gulf culture.
Transport: The car
is king in this city, and with wide, fast roads
criss crossing the emirate, it’s the easiest way
to get around. A car can be hired from any of
numerous car-rental companies operating in the
city and with such a competitive market, rates are
pretty reasonable. A renter needs to provide
original passport, 2 photographs, and a valid
international driving license or national
license.
Compared to Europe
and the United States, taxis are very cheap in
Dubai. They are also plentiful and you won't
usually have to wait more than a minute before one
races past. An average 10km journey will set you
back around Dh15 (around $3.50)
The bus service in
Dubai is limited but popular. It tends to run
mostly in Deira and Bur Dubai although there are
services running along the Shaikh Zayed Road. If
catching the bus, male tourists should be wary of
sitting next to women they don't know as this is
frowned upon in Muslim culture.
Plans have been
approved for a monorail system to be built in
Dubai. It is due to be completed in 2009 and will
be one of the longest mass transit systems in the
world - stretching some 40km from one end of the
city to the other.
The final - and
most traditional way to get around Dubai is by
abra. The abra has been the best method of
crossing the creek for decades now and despite the
presence of bridges and tunnels, each trip from
Deira to Bur Dubai and back is crammed full of
businessmen, workers and tourists.
Shopping: Many
people come to Dubai solely to shop. Tax-free
Dubai is known as a shopper's paradise. Most of
the major designer brands in the world are
available in the enormous shopping malls that
populate every corner of
Dubai.
Annual shopping
events include the Dubai Shopping Festival which
usually takes place in February and Dubai Summer
Surprises which runs during the scorching summer
months. Dubai is famous for offering top
international brands at sale prices during these
festivals. Independent shops are generally open
from 10am until 1pm and from 4.30pm until
10pm.
Opening hours at
shopping malls throughout the day are roughly from
10am - 10pm although some stay open until
midnight. On Fridays, they open from 2pm -
10pm.
Dubai has
something for everyone. From genteel activities in
the sunshine to extreme sports and major
professional events - all played out in some of
the best sporting facilities in the
world.
If you enjoy
observing the beauty of marine life, there are
plenty of sites in and around the UAE where you
can do so.
There are also
plenty of places to observe nature in the UAE.
Bird watchers in particular have the chance to
observe some unique specimens at Ras al Khor
wildlife sanctuary.
Or you could
always take a trip to the UAE Falcon and Heritage
Centre which is located off the Al Khail Road,
just a couple of kilometers from the World Trade
Centre. Here you can witness one of the most
traditional of Emirati pastimes.
Dubai is famous
for many things - and in the sporting fraternity -
it has a fabulous reputation for world-class golf
courses. The most famous can be found at the
Emirates Golf Club.
Situated just off
interchange five of the Shaikh Zayed Road, it
plays host to the lucrative Dubai Desert Classic
event on the European tour.
Casual players can
usually try their luck on one of the two courses.
Elsewhere in Dubai, the Creek course offers the
chance to play a challenging round with the
backdrop of the city and Dubai creek.
The Montgomerie (designed by
Colin Montgomerie) is situated a hefty drive or
two away from Emirates Golf Club.
At Nad Al Sheba
you can play 9 holes and there is some opportunity
for floodlit games at night. There are also a
couple of ice rinks, netball courts and athletics
training facilities. Multiple Dubai Desert Classic
winner Ernie Els is also currently designing a
course for the under construction Dubai Sport
City. Now even golf pales into comparison with the
UAE’s national obsession - racing. The UAE is a
serious horse racing country and fittingly, Dubai
is home to the richest race in the
world.
Other major
sporting events to take place in Dubai include the
Dubai Duty Free tennis tournament, which recently
has attracted the likes of World number one Roger
Federer, Andre Agassi, both of the Williams’
sisters and Lyndsey Davenport.
Motor racing is
rising in popularity in the emirate, and in the
Dubai Autodrome the city boasts a Formula One
standard race facility – which will play host to
the A1 Grand Prix in January 2006. Now most other
sports pale into comparison with the UAE’s
number one sport, horse racing.
The Dubai World
Cup - with price money worth more than US$2m - is
staged every March at the Nad al Sheba course. It
attracts the top horses, trainers and spectators
from around the world and is one of the social
events of the year. There is also horse racing at
the Jebel Ali racecourse, which is situated behind
"The Greens" development, just off Interchange 5
of the Shaikh Zayed Road. If you like your racing
a little slower, and a little more traditional,
then you can always go to a camel race at Nad al
Sheba, a sport which has a large following among
UAE nationals and which is phasing out the use of
child jockeys.
Being a city next
to the sea, you’d expect top quality water
sports. Well, Dubai is home to top UIM Powerboat
team 'Victory'. The team, based in Dubai Marina
have won the F1 title on several occasions. The
glitz and glamour of high-powered watersport also
comes to Dubai every November, as the city hosts a
round of the world title series.
UAE Essentials:
The country: The UAE
is a country made up of seven 'emirates' Abu
Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al-Quwain, Ras
Al-Khaimah, Fujairah. It was founded on December
2, 1971. This is now celebrated as the annual
National Day. This is when the major cities of the
emirates are all brightly lit-up and decorated
with lights.
The geography: The
United Arab Emirates is situated on a peninsula in
the Arabian Gulf. It is bordered by Oman to the
east and Saudi Arabia to the west and south. Iran
is the closest country to it from the north. The
UAE is 83,600 sq.km (including 200 islands -
approximately).On the map, it is situated at:
Latitudes: 22¼ - 26.5¼ North Longitudes: 51¼ -
56.5¼ East
Time zone: The UAE
is four hours ahead of
GMT.
Telephone: The
international dialing code for the UAE is 00
971
Police: 999 |
Fire: 997
The government: The
capital of the UAE is Abu Dhabi. This is where the
seat of government is and where national decisions
are made. However, each emirate has it's own ruler
and each emirate has a degree of autonomy and can
make up their own laws.
Language: The
official language of the UAE is Arabic. Other
languages spoken are English, Hindi, and Farsi. A
large number of the expatriate population are from
the sub-continent, the Philippines, Iran, and just
about any country. So you will find people here
speaking Urdu, Tagalog, Malayalam, Russian, South
African and languages.
Currency: The United
Arab Emirates currency is called the Dirham. Arab
Emirate Dirham (=Dhs or AED) 100 Fils = 1
Dirhams
Religion: The
official religion of the United Arab Emirates is
Islam. But other faiths are accepted and freedom
of worship privately is given. Churches are common
in some emirates and in Dubai you will even find a
Hindu Temple.
Climate: Moderate
climate is found between October and March when
days are sunny and pleasant (Average Temperature -
26¼ C). Nights are Cool (average temperature is
15¼ C) Summer is between April and September,
when temperatures peak at 50¼ C with high
humidity levels. In the summer, southerly and
northerly winds blow over the UAE with occasional
sandstorms.
Population: The
Population of the United Arab Emirates at the end
of 2005 was 4.041
million.
Economy: The UAE is
a major player in the global oil industry. The
emirate of Abu Dhabi alone accounts for 10 per
cent of the world's confirmed oil reserves (98
billion barrels). Trade, too, is booming with each
emirate establishing a free zone with no taxes to
encourage companies to set up their manufacturing
and export units here. The UAE's Gross Domestic
Product in 2002 stood at Dh262.03 billion ($71.4
billion) The oil sector accounted for (2002) Dhs
62.8 billion while the non-oil sector accounted
for Dh199.2 billion ($54.2 billion) Per capita
income: Dh70,000
($19,080)
Dubai is one of
the fastest growing cities in the world and is
attracting most international businesses because
of its business friendly environment.
