Did You Know ?

Flying time from the UK and Ireland: Approx seven hours and there are numerous airlines flying between the UK and Ireland to Dubai and they include British Airways, Emirates, Royal Brunei, Virgin Atlantic Airways, Biman Bangladesh and Aer Lingus. You also have a choice of departure airport as well; London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester and Dublin.

Visas and entry requirements: Citizens of the following countries will receive an automatic 60-day tourist visa on entry to Dubai; UK, France, Italy Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Cyprus, Finland, Malta, Spain, Monaco, Vatican, Iceland, Andorra, San Marino, Liechtenstein, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong. Citizens of other countries should apply to their nearest UAE embassy.

Time difference (hours): GMT+4

Population: Approx 1.4m. The population is expected to grow to at least 2m by 2010.

Language: Arabic is the official language however, as Dubai is such a cosmopolitan city the population ensures that English, Urdu and Hindi are widely spoken.

Currency: The UAE Dirham (AED). The £ today will get you between 6 and 7 Dirham’s and the € between 4 and 5 Dirham’s, (always check for the latest exchange rate). Credit cards are widely accepted in most stores while banks and ATM’s can be found throughout Dubai.

Weather and temperature: Dubai has warm, dry winters and hot, humid summers with blue skies throughout the year. It rarely rains is Dubai – just a few drops from November to March – but when it does it only lasts for a few minutes. Winter temperatures hover around 25C while in the summer temperatures can reach the high 40Cs with over 60% humidity. Everywhere is air-conditioned, which can be a welcome relief, and sea temperatures are always warm, making Dubai the ideal year-round destination.

Weekends and opening hours: Friday is the important religious day when banks and offices are closed, but most shops will open later in the afternoon. On all other days shops and malls tend to open early to mid-morning and close late, sometimes mid-night. Most banks are open from 8am to 1pm on Saturday through to Thursday. The souks are usually open from 9am to 1pm then from 4pm to 10pm.

The culture Though Dubai is very tolerant and welcoming it’s still important that visitor’s respect the local culture. Be prepared to dress conservatively in most public areas and remember that Muslims do not eat pork or drink alcohol. However, if you do want to have drink, then alcohol is available in the hotels.

Ramadan: Ramadan is the Holy Month in which Muslims commemorate the revelation of the Holy Koran. Followers must abstain from eating, drinking and smoking during daylight hours and visitors must refrain from these in public. After dusk, Iftar (the daily breaking of the fast) starts and festivities will usually continue till late – Ramadan tents packed with people from all walks of life eating traditional Arabic food – make it a celebration well worth experiencing. Ramadan is in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and the exact dates are determined by the first sighting of the moon.