Dubai:Location, Languages and More

Latitude: 25° 13’ North
Longitude: 55° 17’ East
Time Zone: GMT + 4h. No DST
Area: 3885 km²
Nationality:Emirati
Population: 1.7 million (70% male)
Expatriates:83%
Languages: Arabic, English, Urdu & various Indian languages
Residents refer to themselves as Dubai'ites, Dubaiers etc.
Weekend:Friday & Saturday

Dubai:Currency, Fiscal Year & Exchange Rates

Currency: Dirham. 1 Dirham = 100 Fils. Currency Code: AED
Exchange Rates
- 1 USD = 3.673 AED (pegged)
- 1 EUR = 5.782 AED
- 1 GBP = 7.298 AED
In theory all banks in Dubai are obliged by law to change money at the official rates of exchange. In practice there are wide variations in the rates offered so it pays to shop around.
Fiscal Year:Calendar Year
Per Capita Income: > USD 29,000

Per capita income figures in Dubai do not reflect reality - unskilled migrant workers (performing essential menial jobs) often have a monthly take home wage of as little as USD 200.

Dubai Taxation

Personal Income Tax:None
Import Duties (General):4%
Import Duties (Luxury Goods):ca 10%
Import Duties(Cigarettes):100%
Import Duties(Alcohol):50%
Business Property Tax:10%
Hotel Services:5%
Residential Tax (assessed on rental value):5%

Goods from the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) are exempt from tax as are goods destined for the free zones of Jebel Ali, Dubai Internet City and Dubai International Financial Center. Some categories of goods - e.g. food, medical products and building materials - are not subject to tax. A more streamlined VAT system is in the works.

Dubai:Weather

Mean Temperature Range °C
January	February	March	April	May	June
14-23	16-24	18-27	21-32	24-36	27-38
July	August	September	October	November	December
29-39	30-39	27-37	24-34	20-29	16-25

There is practically no precipitation between the months of June and October. Rainfall peaks at around 35mm in the month of February.

Dubai:Transport

Dubai has an excellent network of well maintained roads. However, the explosion of tourist traffic and an increasing number of vehicles on the road - over 200,000 new registrations in 2006 - means that the roads are often congested. During the morning rush hour the 15km drive from Sharjah to Dubai can take well over an hour.

Dubai has a local bus system. However, it is rarely used by Emiratis and tourists. Most tourists rely on taxis and, rapidly diminishing, hotel courtesy coaches. A giant new mass transit system, the Dubai Metro, is currently under construction. The first trains are expected to run in 2009.

Dubai taxis have seat belts. Child safety in automobiles is unheard of. If travelling with a child or an infant it is best to bring along your own safety equipment.

Dubai Public Holidays in 2008

1^st January - New Year's Day
10^th January - Islamic New Year
20^th March - Birth of the Prophet
30^th July - Ascension of the Prophet
2^nd October - End of Ramadan
2^nd December - National Day
9^th December - Birth of the Prophet

Some of the holidays, e.g. National Day, are 2-3 affairs.

Visas

Nationals of the European Union, Norway, Switzerland, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Brunei, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Canada and the United States do not require a visa to visit Dubai - an entry visa is issued at the airport. GCC nationals do not require a visa. Expatriates living in GCC countries are issued a non-renewable 30 day visa at the port of entry.

All other nationalities must have a visa sponsored by an Emirati resident, hotel or company. Emirates operates a sponsorship scheme for visitors from India, South Africa etc. Marhaba Services sponsor a 96 hour transit visa. Some travel agencies based in Dubai too offer visa sponsorship - at exorbitant rates. Sponsorship by your hotel is a better alternative.

Overstays carry a penalty of 100 Dhs per day. Israelis are not allowed to visit Dubai. In principle Dubai denies entry to any visitor who has an Israeli immigration stamp in their passport. In practice, this is not often an impediment.

Opening Hours

Opening hours for most large shopping malls are from 10:00h to 22:00h with late opening, till midnight, from Thursday to Saturday. Carrefour - the food retailer that seems to have cornered that market in the U.A.E. opens an hour earlier, at 09:00h and so do some of the food outlets in the mall food courts. While most small shops stay closed all day Friday, the big shopping malls open their doors at 16:00h. The food outlets in the malls open earlier - around 11:00h. Shops in the bigger malls are open all day. However, many of the smaller malls and nearly all privately owned shops are closed from 13:00h to 16:00h or even later.

If you require essential groceries or other items on a Friday morning try the 7-Eleven stores that are dotted around the city. The retail outlets at some of the gas stations stay open all day round.

Miscellanea

Pharmacies can be found at the Emirates Mall, Ibn Batuta Mall, Bur Juman Centre, Deira City Centre and Al-Bustan centre. In addition there are pharmacies in most of the popular residential areas of Dubai. If you happen to be in the Baniyas Square/Nasser Square area there is a pharmacy next to Mayalal's supermarket. The pharmacy at Dubai International Airport is located on the departure level - near the post office.

Dubai has 13 amp, square-pin, electrical outlets. Carrefour sell an adaptor at a very reasonable price. Dubai uses American, RJ11, phone sockets.

All major shopping malls have excellent baby changing facilities. Carrefour stock a good range of baby food, clothing and other items. Breast feeding an infant in public places, e.g. food courts, is acceptable so long as a scarf is used to cover bare flesh.

Marhaba Transit Visa Emirates Visa Sponsorship