LANGUAGE

Arabic

CURRENCY

Dirham

BEST TIME TO VISIT

November to March

NEAREST AIRPORT

Dubai International Airport (DXB)

EMERGENCY HELPLINE NUMBER

999

INTERNET ACCESS

Dubai is extremely well wired, and you should have no trouble getting online. Nearly every hotel offers in-room internet access, either broadband or wireless, usually free. Wi-fi is also ubiquitous in cafes and restaurants, although you usually need to request a password. Through an initiative called Wifi UAE, there’s also free public wi-fi in the Dubai Metro, on public beaches, in shopping malls and at hundreds of other locations in the country. Alas, for now you need a UAE mobile phone number to access this service. Consider buying a local SIM card, which costs just a few dirhams. For a map with all the hotspots, see www.wifiuae.ae.

Banned Websites

In Dubai, web pages are routed through a local proxy that prevents access to certain sites, including pornography, LGBT sites, websites considered critical of Islam or the UAE’s leaders, dating and gambling sites, drug-related material and all Israeli domains. These are all officially restricted in the UAE. Some users get around this by setting up a VPN (virtual private network) outside the UAE to access blocked content.

Although social media apps, such as WhatsApp, Skype, FaceTime and Snapchat are permitted, their audio and video calling function is blocked by the TRA (Telecommunication Regulatory Authority).

VISA

Citizens of 49 countries, including all EU countries, the US, the UK, Canada and Australia, are eligible for free 30-day single-entry visas on arrival in Dubai.

Entry requirements to the UAE are in constant flux. Always obtain the latest requirements from the UAE embassy in your home country. Travellers not eligible for an on-arrival visa (including transit visitors) must have a visitor visa arranged through a sponsor, such as your Dubai hotel, a tour operator or a relative or friend in Dubai before arriving.

HOTEL

If you want easy access to Dubai’s top tourist attractions, the best place to stay is Downtown Dubai. Prime attractions nearby include the landmark Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building; Dubai Mall; and the Dubai Fountain. You’ll also find plenty of shops, restaurants, and art galleries in this vibrant precinct. If you’re seeking some sun, sand, and sea, Jumeirah Beach lies about 15 minutes by car from Burj Khalifa and is also a popular base for tourists.

LUXURY

The Palace Downtown Dubai

Armani Hotel

Burj Al Arab Jumeirah

MID-RANGE

Ramada Downtown Dubai

Manzil Downtown Dubai

Sofitel Dubai

BUDGET

Ibis Mall of the Emirates

Ibis Al Rigga

XVA Art Hotel

COST OF LIVING

Dubai has a reputation for being very expensive, and it’s still mostly deserved, but new hotels and affordable restaurants keep opening so it’s now within the budget of many backpacker-types. Those who are interested in seeing what all the fuss is about can now usually find an affordable hotel and meals, at least outside of the peak season.

During December and January, the Dubai hotels charge their highest rates so this is a time to avoid for those on a budget. Otherwise you can often find very good hotel rates at some of the newer and nicer places. Most hotels are modern and clean, and are of international standards.

Food does tend to be quite expensive in the sit-down restaurants in hotels and otherwise aimed at tourists, but there are plenty of reasonably priced options that are mostly there to serve the city’s ever-expanding international population. In other words, eating out in Dubai can be cheap if you follow the local workers or somewhat expensive if you follow the tourists and other expats. Drinks, however, are only available in hotels and licensed shops, and prices are quite high. This isn’t the place to come to be a cheap drunk.

Dubai hotels are at their most expensive during the Christmas and New Year’s weeks, with the general high season lasting from September through May. Low season is the warmest months, from June through August, and during this period it’s possible to get some very good deals at hotels, especially near the top of the price range, as long as you can stand the heat.