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Dubai Hotels Travel Guide

Exchange Rates & Local Currency

The UAE Dirham (AED) is tied to the US Dollar at an exchange rate of 3.67 Dirhams to 1 US Dollar. Many shops will accept US Dollars while other currencies are serviced by the plentiful banks and currency exchanges that are available throughout the town. Paper Notes are available in denominations of: 10,20,50,100,200,500,1000 while dirham coins, which are broken down into 100 fils, are presented in amounts of 1.00, 0.50, 0.25 and 0.10.

The following are general indicators of local costs:

Climate

October to May is the coolest time of the year and usually the best time to visit. June,July and August are the hottest months with Midday reaching a blistering 41 degrees.

Average Daily Temperatures (°C)

Traveling around Dubai

Metered Taxis can be flagged down on most roads. It is always safer to stand close to a parking area when doing this so that the taxis can easily move out of traffic to pick you up. Taxis that you catch in this way are very economically priced, charging according to their meter between AED 5 and AED 20 to go most places within the city. Some taxis, particularly those at the airport which are specially registered for the location, charge a premium to get into the city, around AED 45.

There are a large number of car rental agencies within the city that charge upwards from AED 100 per day and an international driving license is sufficient for visitors to start driving.

Visit Visas

The following countries are able to receive a visit visa on arrival at Dubai International Airport:

From GCC Countries:

• Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia

From Western Europe:

• Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Luxemburg, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Finland, Spain, Monaco, Vatican City, Iceland, Andorra, San Marino and Liechtenstein

The Rest of the World:

• USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong

Alcohol

As long as alcohol is consumed in private or at specially licensed premises (pubs/clubs etc), of which there are many, non-Muslims are free to drink alcohol. Residents may also purchase for home consumption as long as it is purchased by someone with a valid license to do so. Common sense needs to be used when dealing with alcohol and, as such, it should not be carried about on the streets.