Directory
Crime and drugs
Dubai is an exceptionally safe city – although a surprising number of tourists and expats manage to get themselves arrested for various breaches of local law. Violent crime is virtually unknown, and even instances of petty theft, pickpocketing and the like are relatively uncommon. The only time you’re ever likely to be at risk is while driving. If you need to call the police in an emergency, dial 
999. You can also contact the police’s Tourist Security Department toll-free on 800 4438 if you have an enquiry or complaint which you think they could help you with.
You should not on any account attempt to enter (or even transit through) Dubai while in possession of any form of illegal substance. The death penalty is imposed for drug trafficking, and there’s a mandatory four-year sentence for anyone caught in possession of drugs or other proscribed substances. It’s vital to note that this doesn’t just mean carrying drugs in a conventional sense, but also includes having an illegal substance in your bloodstream or urine, or being found in possession of even microscopic amounts of a banned substance, even if invisible to the naked eye. Note that poppy seeds (even in bakery products) are also banned. Dubai’s hardline anti-drugs regime also extends to certain prescription drugs, including codeine and melatonin, which are also treated as illegal substances. If you’re on any form of prescription medicine you’re supposed to bring a doctor’s letter and the original prescription from home, and to bring no more than three months’ supply into the UAE.
Culture and etiquette
Despite its glossy Western veneer and apparently liberal ways, it’s important to remember that Dubai is an Islamic state, and that visitors are expected to comply with local cultural norms or risk the consequences.
There are a few simple rules to remember if you want to stay out of trouble. During Ramadan remember that between dawn and dusk eating, drinking, smoking or chewing gum in public are a definite no-no, as are singing, dancing and swearing in public (you are, however, free to eat and drink in any of the carefully screened-off dining areas set up in hotels throughout the city, while alcohol is also served discreetly after dark in some places). At any time, public displays of drunkenness contravene local law, and could get you locked up. Driving while under any sort of influence is even more of a no-no. Inappropriate public behaviour with members of the opposite sex can result in, at best, embarrassment, or, at worst, a spell in prison. Holding hands or a peck on the cheek is probably just about OK, but any more passionate displays of affection are severely frowned upon. Offensive gestures are another source of possible danger. Giving someone the finger or even just sticking out your tongue might be considered rude at home but can get you jailed in Dubai.
In terms of general etiquette, except around the hotel pool, modest dress is expected of all visitors. Dressing “indecently” is potentially punishable under law (even if actual arrests are extremely rare), although exactly what constitutes indecent attire isn’t clearly defined. If you’re fortunate enough to spend any time with Emiratis, remember that only the right hand should be used for eating and drinking (this rule also applies in Indian establishments), and don’t offer to shake the hand of an Emirati woman unless she extends hers toward you.
Electricity
UK-style sockets with three square pins are the norm (although you might occasionally encounter Indian-style round-pin sockets in budget hotels in Bur Dubai and Deira). The city’s current runs at 220–240 volts AC, meaning that UK appliances will work directly off the mains supply, although US appliances will probably require a transformer.
Embassies and consulates
Foreign embassies are mainly located in the UAE’s capital, Abu Dhabi, although many countries also maintain consulates in Dubai.
Australia Consulate-General, Level 25, BurJuman Business Tower, Khalifa bin Zayed Rd, Bur Dubai 04 5087 100, 
uae.embassy.gov.au.
Canada Consulate-General, 19th Floor, Emirates Towers, Sheikh Zayed Rd 04 404 8444, www.canadainternational.gc.ca/uae-eau.
Ireland Embassy, 4th floor, Monarch Hotel Office Tower, 1 Sheikh Zayed Rd (opposite the World Trade Centre) 04 329 8382, embassyofireland.ae.
New Zealand Consulate-General, Suite 1502, 15th Floor, API Tower, Sheikh Zayed Rd 04 331 7500, immigration.govt.nz/branch/DubaiBranchHome.
South Africa Consulate-General, 3rd Floor, New Sharaf Building, Khaleed bin al Waleed St, Bur Dubai 04 397 5222, southafricadubai.com.
UK Embassy, Al Seef Rd, Bur Dubai 04 309 4444, ukinuae.fco.gov.uk/en.
US Consulate-General, Corner of Al Seef and Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed roads, Bur Dubai 04 309 4000, dubai.usconsulate.gov.
Emergency numbers
Ambulance
999Fire
997Police
999
Gay and lesbian travellers
Dubai is one of the world’s less-friendly gay and lesbian destinations. Homosexuality is illegal under UAE law, with punishments of up to ten years in prison – a useful summary of the present legal situation and recent prosecutions can be found at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_the_United_Arab_Emirates. Despite this, the city boasts a very clandestine gay scene, attracting both foreigners and Arabs from even less-permissive cities around the Gulf, although you’ll need to hunt hard to find it without local contacts. Relevant websites are routinely censored within the UAE, so you’ll probably have to do your online research before you arrive. Useful resources include gaymiddleeast.com, facebook.com/LGBTRightsUAE and gaysdubai.com.
Health
There are virtually no serious health risks in Dubai (unless you include the traffic). The city is well equipped with modern hospitals, while all four- and five-star hotels have English-speaking doctors on call 24hr. Tap water is safe to drink, while even the city’s cheapest curry houses and shwarma cafés maintain good standards of food hygiene. The only genuine health concern is the heat. Summer temperatures regularly climb into the mid-forties, making sunburn, heatstroke and acute dehydration a real possibility, especially if combined with excessive alcohol consumption. Stay in the shade, and drink lots of water.
Pharmacies can be found all over the city, including a number run by the BinSina chain which are open 24hr. There are three main government hospitals with emergency departments (more details at dha.gov.ae): Dubai Hospital, between the Corniche and Baraha Street, Deira (04 219 5000); Latifa Hospital (formerly Al Wasl Hospital), Oud Metha Road (just west of Wafi), Oud Metha (04 219 3000); and Rashid Hospital, off Oud Metha Road, near Maktoum Bridge, Oud Metha (04 219 2000). You’ll need to pay for treatment, though cost should be recoverable through your travel insurance. Private hospitals with emergency departments include the American Hospital, off Oud Metha Road (opposite the Mövenpick hotel), Oud Metha (04 336 7777, ahdubai.com), and Emirates Hospital, opposite Jumeirah Beach Park, Jumeirah Beach Road, Jumeirah (04 349 6666, emirateshospital.ae).
Internet
All the better hotels provide internet access, either via computers in their business centres or via wi-fi or in-room cable connections. This is sometimes provided free, although is usually chargeable, often at extortionate rates (30dh/hr is common in more upmarket hotels). The city has frustratingly few internet cafés. The best area to look is Bur Dubai, which boasts a scattering of small places – try Aimei internet café (daily 8am–midnight; 3dh/hr) on 13c Sikka, behind the Time Palace hotel, or Futurespeed (daily 8am–11pm; 10dh/hr) in the BurJuman centre (by the Dôme café). There are also various free wi-fi hotspots around the city operated by the city’s two telecom companies, Etisalat (etisalat.ae) and Du (du.ae).
Internet access in Dubai is subject to a certain modest amount of censorship including a blanket ban on anything remotely pornographic, plus gambling and dating sites, and pages which are considered religiously or culturally offensive.
Lost property
For major items of lost property, try asking at the nearest local police station. If you accidentally leave something in a taxi, call the RTA Contact Centre on 800 9090.
Money
The UAE’s currency is the dirham (abbreviated “dh” or “AED”), subdivided into 100 fils. The dirham is pegged against the US dollar at the rate of US$1=3.6725dh; other exchange rates at the time of writing were £1=5.93dh, €1=4.85dh. Notes come in 5dh, 10dh, 20dh, 50dh, 100dh, 200dh, 500dh and 1000dh denominations; there are also 2dh, 1dh, 50 fils and 25 fils coins.
There are plenty of ATMs all over the city which accept foreign Visa and MasterCards. All the big shopping malls have at least a few ATMs, as do some large hotels and almost all banks. All will also change travellers’ cheques and foreign cash, and there are also plenty of moneychangers, including the reputable Al Ansari Exchange, which has branches all over the city (see alansariexchange.com/en/branches).
Opening hours
Dubai runs on an Islamic rather than a Western schedule, meaning that the city operates according to a basic five-day working week running Sunday to Thursday, with Friday as the Islamic holy day. When people talk about the weekend in Dubai they mean Friday and Saturday. The most important fact to note is that many tourist sites and the Dubai Metro are closed on Friday morning, while banks usually open Saturday to Wednesday 8am–1pm and Thursday 8am–noon (some also reopen in the afternoon from 4.30–6.30pm). Shops in malls generally open daily from 10am to 10pm, and until midnight on Friday and Saturday (and sometimes Thursday as well); shops in souks follow a similar pattern, though many places close for a siesta between around 1pm and 4pm depending on the whim of the owner. Most restaurants open daily for lunch and dinner (although some more upmarket hotel restaurants open for dinner only). Pubs tend to open daily from around noon until 2am; bars from around 6pm until 2/3am.
Phones
The country code for the UAE is 971. The city code for Dubai is 04; Abu Dhabi is 02; Sharjah is 06; Al Ain is 03. To call abroad from the UAE, dial 00, followed by your country code and the number itself (minus its initial zero). To call Dubai from abroad, dial your international access code, then 9714, followed by the local subscriber number (minus the 04 city code). For directory enquiries call 181 (Etisalat) or 199 (Du).
Post
The two most convenient post offices for visitors are the Al Musalla Post Office (Sat–Thurs 7.30am–3pm) at Al Fahidi Roundabout, opposite the Arabian Tea House Café in Bur Dubai; and the Deira Post Office on Al Sabkha Road (Sat–Thurs 7.30am–9pm), near the intersection with Baniyas Road. Airmail letters to Europe, the US and Australia cost 5dh (postcards 3.50dh).
Smoking
Smoking is banned in Dubai in the vast majority of indoor public places, including offices, malls, cafés and restaurants (although it’s permitted at most – but not all – outdoor venues, and in bars and pubs. Many hotels now provide non-smoking rooms or non-smoking floors – and a few places have banned smoking completely. During Ramadan, never smoke in public places in daylight hours.
Time
Dubai (and the rest of the UAE) runs on Gulf Standard Time. This is 4hr ahead of GMT, 3hr ahead of BST, 9hr ahead of North American Eastern Standard Time, 12hr ahead of North American Western Standard Time, 6hr behind Australian Eastern Standard Time, and 8hr behind New Zealand Standard Time. There is no daylight saving time in Dubai.
Tipping and taxes
Room rates at most of the city’s more expensive hotels are subject to a ten percent service charge and an additional ten percent government tax; these taxes are sometimes included in quoted prices, and sometimes not. Check beforehand, or you may find your bill has suddenly inflated by twenty percent. The prices in most restaurants automatically include all relevant taxes and a ten percent service charge (though this isn’t necessarily passed on to the waiters themselves); whether you wish to leave an additional tip is entirely your decision.
Tourist information
There’s a frustrating lack of on-the-ground visitor information in Dubai – and not a single proper tourist office anywhere in the city. You could try ringing the head office of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM; 04 223 0000 or 04 282 1111, complaints toll-free on 800 7090) or visiting one of their erratically manned information desks at Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 in the airport (both 24hr), and at Deira City Centre, BurJuman, Wafi and Ibn Battuta malls (all daily 10am–10pm), although none is especially useful. Online, the DTCM has two lacklustre official websites (dubaitourism.ae and definitelydubai.com), although the best resource is the lively Time Out Dubai, whether in magazine form – it’s published weekly and available at bookshops all over the city – or online (timeoutdubai.com). It carries comprehensive listings about pretty much everything going on in Dubai, and is particularly good for information about the constantly changing nightlife scene, including club, restaurant and bar promotions and new openings.
DTCM tourist offices overseas
Australia
02 9956 6620, 
dtcm_aus@dubaitourism.ae.South Africa
011 702 9600, dtcm_sa@dubaitourism.ae.UK
020 7321 6110, dtcm_uk@dubaitourism.ae.USA
212 725 0707, dtcm_usa@dubaitourism.ae.
Travellers with disabilities
Dubai is probably the Middle East’s most accessible destination. Most of the city’s modern hotels now make at least some provision for guests with impaired mobility, and many of the city’s four- and five-stars now have specially adapted rooms. Quite a few of the city’s malls also have special facilities, including disabled parking spaces and specially equipped toilets. Inevitably, most of the city’s older heritage buildings are not accessible (although the Dubai Museum is).
Transportation is fairly well set up. The Dubai Metro incorporates facilities to assist visually and mobility-impaired visitors, including tactile guide paths, lifts and ramps, as well as wheelchair spaces in all compartments, while Dubai Taxi (04 208 0808) has specially designed vehicles equipped with ramps and lifts. The city’s waterbuses can also be used by mobility impaired visitors, and staff will assist you in boarding and disembarking. There are also dedicated facilities at the airport.
Travelling with children
Dubai has a vast array of attractions for children, although many come with hefty price tags attached. Most of the city’s beach hotels have their own in-house kids’ clubs, providing free childcare (usually catering for ages 4–12), while most larger shopping malls have dedicated kids’ play areas. Most hotels can arrange babysitting services for a fee. Attractions designed especially for kids include:
Children’s City Creek Park, Oud Metha (04 334 0808, childrencity.ae; Dubai Healthcare City metro). Occupying an eye-catching series of brightly coloured red and blue buildings in Creek Park, Children’s City is aimed at kids aged 2–15, with a subtle educational slant and various galleries with fun interactive exhibits and lots of touchscreens covering subjects including physical science, nature, international culture and space exploration. 15dh, children 3–15 years 10dh; under 2s free; family ticket for 2 adults and 2 children 40dh; 5dh park entry fee. Sat–Thurs 9am–8pm, Fri 3–9pm.
Dubai Dolphinarium Creek Park (just inside the park near Gate #1), Oud Metha (04 336 9773, dubaidolphinarium.ae; Dubai Healthcare City metro). Twice-daily shows (Mon–Sat at 11am & 6pm; also Fri & Sat at 3pm; adults 100dh, children 50dh) starring the dolphinarium’s three resident bottlenose dolphins and four seals. Alternatively, you can go swimming with the dolphins (2100dh for up to 3 people, 550dh each additional person).
Ferrari World Yas Island, Abu Dhabi (02 496 8001, ferrariworldabudhabi.com). The blockbuster attraction at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island, the “world’s biggest indoor theme park” offers a wide range of Ferrari-themed rides and displays which will appeal both to kids and grown-ups. Adults and children over 1.3m 225dh; under 1.3m 185dh; under-3s free. Daily except Mon 11am–10pm.
KidZania Second floor, Dubai Mall (kidzania.ae; Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall metro). Innovative edutainment attraction based on an imaginary city where the kids are in charge. Children get the chance to dress up and roleplay from 75 different grown-up professions and even earn their own money en route. Ages 17+ 95dh; ages 4–16 140dh; ages 2–3 95dh; under 2s free. Daily 10am–9pm.
Sega Republic Second floor, Dubai Mall (segarepublic.com; Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall metro). Huge indoor theme park featuring a range of adrenaline-pumping rides and other amusements for kids of all ages. 160dh for one-day pass (including 10 video games); 220dh for one-day pass (including 200dh credit for games); general admission ticket 10dh, with pay as you go from 15–30dh for individual rides. Daily 10am–11pm (Thurs–Sat until 1am).