Travel advice

Dubai Travel Advice

In the UAE you are allowed to import the following items: a maximum of either two thousand cigarettes, 400 cigars or 2 kilograms of tobacco; Up to two liters of wine or two liters worth of spirits. The import of pornographic publications and materials (e.g. video cassettes and discs) may be subject to verification this also applies to various firearms and drugs. There are some drugs, which have been banned completely in the UAE. For example, many tourists do not know that codeine is forbidden to bring into the country. Codeine is found in many cough relief medicines, antipyretics, and analgesics and is an ingredient in tablets such as, “Pentalgin”and “Sedalgin”. Therefore, visitors should be aware that, the importation of medicines containing codeine might give rise to a serious fine or even imprisonment. The list of prohibited medication contains not only codeine but also a number of other drugs and sedatives. Before traveling to the UAE tourists should carefully check their medicine cabinet, and if there is a prescription medication, which contains an illegal substance, in order to bring it to the Emirates, it is best to bring the translated prescription from a doctor onto the flight. Importation of prescription narcotic drugs is possible only by special permit, which must be obtained in advance.

Tips & Guide

Security checks upon crossing the border are performed selectively, but according to travelers, they have recently been made more often. In the UAE the national currency is the United Arab Emirates dirham. 1 dirham is constituted of 100 fills. Banknotes in circulation are in denominations of 5, 10, 50, 100, 200 and 500 dirhams, as well as coins in denominations of 5, 10, 25 fills and 1 dirham. Currently, the exchange rate stands at 1 dollar being equal to 3.7, dirham. Money can be exchanged at all banks and exchange offices. Traveler’s checks and credit cards can also be cashed in at the bank.

WORK AGENCIES

Government agencies work from 07:30 to 14:30 from Saturday to Wednesday inclusive. Thursday and Friday are the weekend. Private sector institutions work in different ways, but generally, they are open from 08:00 to 13:00, followed by a siesta until 15:00 or 16:00 and then work until 18:00 or 19:00. Public parks are open daily from 08:00 to 23:00 however on certain days the seaside parks are open only for women and children.

Weather in UAE

The general climate in the United Arab Emirates is dry-subtropical (averaging 13 inches of rain per year) with frequent sandstorms. The climate in the UAE is very regulated, however, during the summer months, there can be spikes in the temperature due to strong heat waves. The temperature in the desert is very different from the coastal climate, in the afternoon it is hotter in the desert than near the coast, and at night it is colder. In the summer months, at night in the desert, the temperature can drop to 20 ° C, and in winter, below 0 ° C, so, when traveling deeper into the country it is highly recommended to stock up on some warm clothing. The peculiarity of the UAE climate is the low oxygen content in the atmosphere. Summer temperatures vary between 35 and 43 ° C, but on some days during heat waves it can reach 50 ° C, because of this, all the rooms in the city, taxis and even small shops in the bazaars are air-conditioned. During winter, the average temperature in January is 18 ° C (minimum 10 ° C, maximum 25 ° C), freezing in the UAE is an extremely rare phenomenon. The rainy season is during late December to early January. From February to May there may be some fog on the coast at times.

WATER TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY

The temperature of the water during the summer can peak at 35 ° C, the lowest temperatures having been reached during the winter in late January to early February drop to 15-17 ° C. The water in pools is generally heated in winter to around 26-28 ° C and in summer is cooled to 26 ° C. In the summer, especially during the months of August to September, humidity levels may become quite high. The most popular time to visit the UAE, therefore is in late September, when the summer heat has subsided and lasts until the beginning of May. Although the temperature may not be at its peak, the climate is still very hot during this time, so it is highly recommended to take basic precautions against the sun, for example: the use of hats to prevent heatstroke and lightheadedness; sunglasses or “chameleon” lenses; rest after a swim in a shaded area; protect your skin with sun lotion (solar radiation is also reflected from the water and the sand). The temperature peaks at midday from 11 00 to 14 00, try to stay out of the sun at these hours to reduce the risks of sunstroke. Do not however, change the temperature you are exposing your body to drastically for example, standing under an air conditioner for a long period of time immediately after being exposed to the sun, as this can lead to issues such as hypothermia.