The United Arab Emirates are seven small emirates which have entered into a common union. The country is situated at the entrance of the Persian Gulf, and it is a pleasant country with plenty of atmosphere.
Ittihad al-Imirat al-Arabiyah
Abu Dhabi
83,600 sq km
Arabic
Islam
2,400,000
Republic
In general, the United Arab Emirates is flat and yellow as a pancake. When going into detail, we see that the Emirates also includes a small part of the mountain range of Hajar, which is otherwise mainly situated in Oman. The country has a number of fertile areas, but is in fact very flat and filled with desert.
From the end of spring until the beginning of autumn the average temperature in the United Arab Emirates is just above 40°C. Some places along the coast are a bit cooler, but inland and particularly in the desert it is often even warmer. If you like such temperatures the summer is an excellent time to go there, but if you prefer temperatures around 25°C, winter will be better for you.
Lonely Planet Oman & the United Arab Emirates
Dirham
The use of internet has gradually become quite widespread in the United Arab Emirates, and getting access to it should represent no problem, in the larger cities, anyway.
To call for help in the United Arab Emirates, you dial the following numbers:
Police and ambulance (999)
Fire department (997)
Tipping isn't necessary as restaurants and the like work it out themselves. If you get a particularly good service, though, it is customary to round up the bill and pay a little extra.
When it is 12.00 in the UK (summer time), it is 15.00 in the United Arab Emirates.
When it is 12.00 in the UK (winter time), it is 16.00 in the United Arab Emirates.
The following units of measurement are used in the United Arab Emirates:
Length: metre.
Weight: kilogram
As in everywhere else, when religion is important to the inhabitants, photographing people practising their religion is a tender subject, so be discrete. Photographing military installations is of course prohibited, and you also should not take photos of women you do not know.
The tapwater in the United Arab Emirates is not good for drinking for the sole reason that it tastes foul. You will not put your intestines in any danger by drinking the water, but you certainly will your tastebuds.
The following current is used in the United Arab Emirates:
220/240V AC, 50Hz. The points are three-legged.
As with everywhere else - good manners are appreciated - and that is that. Common respect and consideration regarding the Emirate's religion is quite sufficient.
Shops are open 8.00-13.00 and 16.00-20.00 (Saturday to Thursday). Some shops, however, close at midday on Thursday.
Offices are open 8.00-13.00 and 16.00-19.30 (Saturday to Wednesday), and 8.00-12.00 on Thursdays.
Except alcohol, food and drink in the United Arab Emirates are quite inexpensive. Immigrants from China, Lebanon, Pakistan and India still make a number of sublime dishes from their home countries, and these are naturally supplemented by traditional Arabic restaurants and eating places which serve falafels and shawarmas.
Generally speaking, the United Arab Emirates is well equipped to receive disabled tourists. You can reserve special arrangements for disabled people at several of the major travel agencies.
The United Arab Emirates celebrate the usual Arabic holidays. In addition to this, the Emirates have the common holidays:
New Year's Day, 1 January.
National Day, 2 December.
Additionally, each emirate has a few of it's own holidays.
There are no organised and official camping sites in the United Arab Emirates, but if you're up to it, the desert represents one big and legal camping site.
There are many hotels in the country, most of which are quite expensive. It is possible, however, to find both middle class and cheap hotels.
In the major cities you'll find acceptable and relatively cheap hostels, but unfortunately several of them only allow men. Some do allow women, but only if the number of other guests permits the separation of the sexes. If not, the women get the worst of it.
Domestic flights within the United Arab Emirates are not an option at the moment.
There are buses between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, but bus transport between the other Emirates is very irregular. The bus networks within the individual Emirates are quite good in several cases .
Shared taxis are the most common taxi in the United Arab Emirates, and on the route between Abu Dhabi and Dubai they fill up pretty fast. On other routes, waiting for the taxi to fill can be very testing, and in case of an emergency you can pay for all the seats yourself.
For once, car rental is not only a flexible alternative, but also an inexpensive alternative to other means of transport. Naturally, it is more expensive than a shared taxi, but if you want to see the Emirates outside of the major cities, it is a timesaver and also cheaper than organised trips.
