Dubai
Currency
Transportation
Shopping
Activities
Dubai
• Futuristic, sophisticated and highly cosmopolitan city
• Considered as a magnet for tourism and a center for heavy commercial activity in the UAE
• Fair weather for approximately 7 months of the year
Currency
• The currency is the United Arab Emirates dirham (AED, local abbreviation dhs).
• Paper notes are in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, and 1,000 dirhams.
• Coins are 1 dirham with sub-units of 25 and 50 fils coins (100 fils = 1 dirham).Conversion rates are:
3.68 AED for 1 USD
5.32 AED for 1 EUR
6.56 AED for 1 GBP.
• Cash and travelers’ checks can be exchanged at all airports and in all the major shopping malls and credit cards are widely accepted.
• Numerous indoor and outdoor ATM machines accepting all the major chain cards: Visa, Cirrus, Maestro etc.
Transportation
Buses
1. Bus and tourist maps are readily available and transportation in and around the city is relatively easy as signage and routes are posted in both English and Arabic.
2. Short trips will usually cost AED 1 but longer ones could reach AED 4.Local vessels
1. Small wooden vessels called Abras cross the creek from Burj Dubai to the Textile Souk area in Deira from Dawn until about midnight
2. These short, effective and enjoyable trips cost AED 1.Driving
1. It is not advisable for visitors unfamiliar with Dubai’s driving rules and street signage to operate a car unattended
2. Dubai has a modern road network and the roads are generally two, three or four lanes wide.
3. Traffic generally keeps flowing but Dubai drivers are aggressive, driving close together and fast.
4. In order to rent a car, you will needa. A valid international driving permit
b. A passport and two passport-sized photographs.
c. If not a carrier of an international driving license, a temporary local license will be issued provided you can produce a national license from any of the following: EEA countries, Switzerland, Turkey, Poland, USA, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.
Where to rent a car?
There are a number of car rental venues available at the airport and all over the Emirate. You can also ask you hotel front desk for information.Taxis
1. Hail a cab or book one for short or long journeys. Official cabs are metered with the tariff being around AED1.20 per kilometre. Unofficial mini cabs do exist and you can negotiate a price with them.
2. Cabs are also available for day hire at the competitive price of around AED500 (approx. USD140), which is ideal for several pit stops during the day.
Shopping
During the Dubai Shopping Festival (January-February every year, www.mydsf.com), stores have a city-wide sale making it one of the year’s biggest draws. There is a smoking ban that affects restaurants and sometimes outdoor areas.BurJuman Centre
Find top luxurious brands such as Louis Vuitton, Dior, Hermes, Valentino, Emanel Ungaro, Loewe, Etro, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Christian Lacroix, Salvatore Ferragamo, Just Cavalli, and much more. www.burjuman.comMall of the Emirates
Mall of the Emirates is famous for its skiing slopes but it also offers numerous opportunities for leisure, entertainment and shopping. Inaugurated on September 28th 2005, the 223,000 square meter shopping enter is strategically located in the heart of what is now called ‘New Dubai’.
www.malloftheemirates.comIBN Battuta Mall
Named after a 14th Century explorer, Ibn Battuta is effectively six malls merged into one, with each mall brandishing a theme (China, India, Persia, Egypt, Tunisia, Andalucia). Travel from “city to city” and eat indigenous food.Wafi Mall
Wafi has over 350 stores where space is amply afforded to shopping in one of Dubai’s exquisite malls. www.wafi.comMercato Mall
Mercato (Italian for market) is the first themed mall in the UAE. It brings the best of the Med in a creative shopping and eating experience.
www.mt.mercatotowncentre.com
Souks
• Spice Souk
Also known as the Deira Old Souk, the Spice Souk welcomes you with an aroma of spices. Apart from sacks of nutmeg, cinnamon, dried lemons and different types of chillies, you may find dryfruits and nuts too. Towards the end of the spice trail, loads of Persian rugs and glassware don the scene. (67th Street / Open Hours 7 am-noon & 5pm-7pm Sa- Th / Friday 5p-7 pm)
• Gold Souk
Visit the Gold Souk to see the large variety of gold sold at really reasonable prices. Prices are generally determined by weight rather than design and craftsmanship. Watch out for different designs in earrings, rings, necklaces, chains, bracelets, bangles and pendants. Designs can be traditional or modern, bold or conservative, loud or sober, sturdy or delicate. Along with designs, you will find many different shades of gold like pink, white, yellow or green hues in one piece. Dubai Gold Souk is worth a visit even if you have no intention of buying. It would be hard to resist the temptation to buy them
• Perfume Souk
At Dubai Perfume Souk, thousands of different sweet aromas and fragrance looks inviting. There are thousands of aromas to select the one you like. Even if you were not able to find the one that you want, the smart shopkeepers would come up with a unique concoction that suits you perfectly. From traditional Arabic ittars to latest designer perfumes, you can find all under one roof. Arabic perfumes are very strong and spicy unlike light floral western perfumes. You can find perfume in shopping malls as well but the best place to buy perfumes is the Dubai Perfume Souk. At Dubai Perfume Souk, incense in the form of compressed powder, crystal, rock or wood is also sold.
Activities
Adventure tours: Dubai has so much to offer to the fun and “young” at heart!
• Water sports
• Hot Air Ballooning
• Flying
• Skydiving
• Paragliding
• Camel Racing: You can’t race against the track or against other jockeys. But you sure can watch this highly national, cultural and traditional sport. The races generally take place on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays throughout the winter season or on 5-day races.
• Desert Safaris: If you feel like spending the night in a Bedouin tent or exploring the desert and finding out how its residents live, eat, and entertain themselves, this one is for you!
• Creek Tours: Travel through time on the Dubai creek. Organized creek tours are a way of exploring the old and the new of Dubai has to offer.
Skiing: Yes, you can also ski in Dubai! Go sloping in the Mall of the Emirates.
• A helicopter safari: Is the most demanded adventure tour in Dubai. There are numerous private operators who offer these tours. It is an unbelievable experience to fly over the city's skyscrapers, the elegant seven-star Burj Al Arab Hotel, the fascinating Dubai Creek and Arabian Gulf.
• Cable car ride: Is another great option for people on adventure tours in Dubai. You can enjoy an aerial view of the city's major landmarks and also take captivating pictures of the same during your Dubai cable car ride.
Night Life
Dubai’s many fine hotel restaurants offer a wide range of the world’s cuisine. The choice is limitless – Middle Easters, Indian, Thai, Japanese, Chinese, French, Italian, and much more. By night, bars and pubs can also be found in all top hotels most of them featuring live music.
Emergency Important Contacts and Numbers
Dubai International Airport 04 224 5555 Dubai Transport 04 264 1111 Dubai Police 04 609 5555 04 6099999 Dubai Municipality 04 221 5555 Hospital- Emergency 04 219 5947
Main languages used in the UAE
Arabic and English
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