Geography
and History
Dubai is one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates, the capital of Abu Dhabi being only an hour’s driving time away. Bordered by Oman to the East and Saudi Arabia to the West and South, the UAE’s terrain is mostly desert and with its coastal location Dubai has historically made its living from pearl diving and fishing as well as international trade. It has witnessed incredible growth over the past 50 years, due in part to its reserves of oil but also to the vision of its leaders who have transformed the emirate into one of the Middle East’s major business and financial hubs, as well as a extremely and increasingly popular year-round sunshine resort. Average temperatures generally range from around 10°C in the winter to around 48°C in the summer and rain only averages 24 days a year!
Islam is the official religion of the UAE and Arabic the official language, although English is widely spoken. The working week runs from Sunday to Thursday, and with Friday being Islamic holy day offices and schools are closed although shops generally remain open.
Dubai and Abu Dhabi are approximately 7 hours flying time from the UK , a route served by multiple airlines such as Emirates, Etihad, BA and Virgin, which between them offer the traveller frequent daily flights from a selection of UK and Irish airports. The UAE is 4 hours ahead of the UK and Ireland during the winter and 3 hours during the summer time.
Visa Information
The following information is provided as a guideline only and Arabian-Nights cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies. We would urge you to verify visa and entry requirements before travelling.
British and Irish Nationals do not need to apply for a UAE visa before travelling. 30 day tourist visas are automatically issued on arrival. These visas can be renewed locally for a further 30 days for a cost of just over £100.
Contact the Emirati Embassy in London for further information.
What to see and do
Please note the following information is given in good faith and intended as a guide only and is by no means an extensive list of services on offer in Dubai.
Tours
The simplest way to see Dubai is by taking a tour, available by land, sea and air!
City Tours, by bus, offer hop on - hop off services around the city
Desert Tours, a must when visiting the UAE, and can last a day, an evening or even overnight. Experience dune bashing, sand skiing and camel rides or just leisurely watch the sun set over the desert from your bedouin style camp while enjoying a barbeque, belly dancing and traditional shisha.
Boat Tours, usually by dhow (traditional Arabian boat) either on Dubai Creek or off the coast, where you can dine on traditional Arabic or international cuisine while taking in the sights of ‘old’ Dubai’s Mosques, Palaces, souks, and abras (water taxis) or see first hand the sights of ‘new’ Dubai, such as the famous Palm and World islands.
Cultural
There are plenty of attractions on offer for those wanting to discover a little more of Dubai’s history and presnt day culture. The following is just a small selection :
Jumeriah Mosque - one of the city’s better known Mosques, weekly tours can be arranged through the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding, Dubai Museum, Bur Dubai - housed in a fort dating back to 1787, this family orientated centre highlights life in Dubai over the past 50 years, using authentic sights, sounds and smells!
Heritage and Diving Village, Al Shindagha - a celebration of traditional crafts and traditions, including pearl diving and architecture. Camel rides also available!
Shopping
Dubai is world famous for its shopping, and even holds an annual festival to celebrate it (Dubai Shopping Festival held around January / February time each year) !
Apart from it’s modern, spotless, often enormous, state-of-the-art shopping malls such as Dubai Mall (in the world’s tallest building Burj Dubai), Mall of the Emirates (home to Ski Dubai indoor snow park) and Deira City Centre Mall in the more established part of the city, you cannot visit Dubai without testing out your bartering skills at the more traditional souks. We recommend the Gold Souk (Baniyas Rd, Deira), Spice Souk (near the Gold Souk), Textile Souk (Bur Dubai) and if you don’t want to leave your luxury hotel you can always wander the Souk Madinat Jumeriah (based at the luxury Madinat hotel, although no haggling here !)
If it’s jewellery you are after and can’t find what you are looking for at the Gold Souk, then try the Gold and Diamond Park (off interchange 4 of the Sheikh Zayed Rd), which is similar to the Gold Souk only indoors with air conditioning !
Another must when visiting Dubai is to try out their great value tailoring services, which although found all around the city, are plentiful around the main street in Satwa (easily reached by taxi).
Sports and Activities
Beaches & Water Activites
You may well be staying in accommodation which has access to a beach and/or pool. If you do not have a beach to hand, there are several popular public beaches in Dubai (Umm Suqeim Beach next to the Burj Arab or Jumeriah Open Beach) or those that charge a small amount, namely Jumeriah Beach Park and Al Mamzar Beach Park. Many of these beaches provide a host of water activites. Some hotels will also allow non-guests to purchase daily or weekly passes for use of beach, pool and gym facilities (please contact us for a list).
For more adventurous swimming and a great day out, we recommend a visit to either the Wild Wadi water park, which is located at the Jumeriah Beach Hotel or to Aquaventure Water Park and Dolphin Bay (if you fancy swimming with dolphins), both in the Atlantis, Palm Jumeriah.
Skiing
Yes we did say skiing ! This is the largest indoor snow park in the Middle East boasting 5 runs, with skiing and snowboarding available. Located in the Mall of the Emirates, Ski Dubai, tel +971 4 409 4000.
Golf
If golf is your thing, you will be spoilt for choice as Dubai has become a first class destination for the golf enthusiast. Not only does it boast world class courses such as Emirates Golf Club, Jebel Ali Resort and Spa and the Montgomerie Golf Club (to name but a few), but also plays host to major events such as the Dubai Desert Classic, the Dubai World Championship and the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship.
Parks
For a relaxed stroll or even a picnic/barbeque, residents often head one of Dubai’s well kept and green parks, where entry is usually for a minimal cost. Examples of such parks are Safa Park, Umm Suqeim Park (a ladies-only park during the week),and Creekside Park.
