United Arab Emirates
Area: 83,600 sq km
Population: 4,621,399
Population density: 64 per sq km
Capital: Abu Dhabi
Area: 83,600 sq km
Population: 4,621,399
Population density: 64 per sq km
Capital: Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates country information
Passport & visa | Getting there | Cycling & maps | Cost of living | Accommodation | Food | Bike shops | Climate | Distances
Passport & Visa
| Passport Required? | |
|---|---|
| British | Yes |
| Australian | Yes |
| Canadian | Yes |
| USA | Yes |
| Other EU | Yes |
| Visa Required? | |
| British | No |
| Australian | No |
| Canadian | No |
| USA | No |
| Other EU | 1 |
Passports
Passport valid for a minimum of six months from date of arrival required by all nationals referred to in the chart above. Often a sponsor will hold a visitor's passport. In these cases a receipt will be issued. This will generally be accepted in place of a passport where a transaction may require one.The government
of the United Arab Emirates refuses entry and
transit to those holding transit documents issued
from Lebanon or the Syrian Arab Republic, and
travel documents issued by the Coalition Authority
in Iraq, should their visas be obtained through
an associate in the UAE.
Applications to:
Working Days Required
Passport valid for a minimum of six months from date of arrival required by all nationals referred to in the chart above. Often a sponsor will hold a visitor's passport. In these cases a receipt will be issued. This will generally be accepted in place of a passport where a transaction may require one.
Visas
Not required
by nationals referred to in the chart above
for business or tourist visits lasting 30 days
(extendable on request up to 90 days), provided
they meet the requirements of the Resident and
Nationalisation Authorities, except the following:
1. nationals of Bulgaria, Cyprus,
Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania,
Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic and Slovenia,
who do need a visa for touristic or business
stays of up to 30 days, unless transit passengers,
provided holding valid onward or return documentation
and not leaving the airport for up to 12 hours.
Note: (a) UK nationals must travel
with a passport reading 'British Citizen' as national
status. (b) Nationals not referred to in the chart
above are advised to contact the embassy to check
visa requirements.
Visa Note
The government
of the United Arab Emirates refuses entry and
transit to those holding transit documents issued
from Lebanon or the Syrian Arab Republic, and
travel documents issued by the Coalition Authority
in Iraq, should their visas be obtained through
an associate in the UAE.
No problems in entering
the UAE occur for those travelling with an Israeli
stamp endorsement.
The embassy only issues visas for visits of an
official nature - usually diplomatic or certain
business visits. For routine travel, visas for
tourists, travellers (intending to visit family)
and business travellers must be arranged via a sponsor (the hotel/package tour operator
or UAE resident/company concerned). This includes
transit visas. To obtain approval, the sponsor
will require the visitor's proposed flight and
passport details in advance. Business visits are
made by invitation only and proof of company trading
licence is required. The sponsor will then confirm
to the visitor that a visa has been arranged,
usually by fax, and that she/he will be met at
the airport.
Types of Visa and Cost
Visitor and Business: £100 for one month; £200
for three months. Multiple-entry visas (£400)
are only issued in very special circumstances.
In case of visa being arranged by a sponsor, the
request for multiple-entry should be marked clearly.
Prices given are for UK embassy. Price may vary
according to nationality. Transit: 96-hour transit visas are available on arrival.
Validity
30 days from
date of entry and two months from date of issue.
It may be possible to extend visas on request
for up to a maximum of 90 days at the local immigration
office. Visitors over 40 should be aware that
they will need to obtain local health insurance
in Abu Dhabi before the visa extension will
be granted.
Applications to:
Sponsor (as
described above). For official visits, the embassy
in London has limited visa services.
Working Days Required
Between one
and five when arranged through a sponsor. However,
allowances should be made for possible delays
in approval procedure. It is strongly advised
to apply well in advance of departure date.
Getting there
Getting There by Air
The national airlines are Emirates (website: www.emirates.com ) and Etihad (website: www.etihadairways.com ).
Approximate Flight Times
From London to Abu Dhabi or Dubai is 7 hours; and from Sydney to Dubai is 14 hours 45 minutes.
Main Airports
Abu Dhabi (AUH) (website: www.abudhabiairport.ae ) is 32km (20 miles) east of the city (journey
time - 40 minutes). To/from the airport: Buses and taxis are available at the airport. Al-Ghazal taxis operate a fixed-rate
service. Facilities: Duty-free
shop, bank, bar, snack bar, bureau de change,
post office and car hire.
Dubai (DXB) (website: www.dubaiairport.com ) is 4km (2.5 miles) southeast of the city (journey
time - 10 minutes). To/from the airport: Buses (tel: 800 9090; website: www.rta.ae ) and taxis are available at the airport. Bus
stations are opposite both Terminal 1 and 2. Facilities: Duty-free shops,
bank, post office, shops, car hire, restaurant,
snack bar and bar. The airport consists of four
terminals.
Sharjah (SHJ) (website: www.shj-airport.gov.ae ) is 10km (6 miles) from the city. To/from
the airport: Taxis are available at
the airport. Facilities: Duty-free
shop, car hire, restaurants, snack bars, ATM
and bureau de change.
Ras al-Khaimah (RKT) (website: www.rakairport.com ) is 15km (9 miles) from the city. To/from
the airport: Taxis are available at
the airport. Facilities: Duty-free
shop and restaurant/snack bar.
Departure Tax
AED30 from
some airports, usually incorporated into the ticket
price.
Getting There by Water
Main ports: Jebel Ali, Rashid and Zayed (Abu Dhabi), Khalid
(Sharjah), Saqr (Ras al-Khaimah)
and Fujairah.
Cruises regularly call at Abu
Dhabi and the cruise terminal in Dubai, and there
are passenger services to the
USA, the Far East, Australia and Europe. There
are regular sailings between
Sharjah and Bandar-é-Abbas (Iran).
Getting There by Road
There is
a good road into Oman and also a good one into
Saudi Arabia, which connects with the Trans-Arabian
Highway on the overland route to Europe.
Buses run daily between
Dubai or Abu Dhabi and Oman. There are also services
between Dubai or Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia and
between Abu Dhabi and Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and
Syria.
Cost of living
| all prices in United Arab Emirates Dirhams (AED) | |||||
| drinks and snacks | food: local markets; restaurants; and stores | ||||
| water (mineral) juice soft drink (can) soft drink (bottle) |
1 litre 1 litre 300ml 1 litre |
1.50 7.00 tba 2.25 |
bread loaf-white bread loaf-whole grain |
550g 750g |
3.00 4.20 |
| Pakistani- low budget Keralan thali-local eatery fast food - falafel pizza-restaurant |
one meal bottomless each med |
20-25.00 5-8.00 3.00 80.00+ |
|||
| beer-local wine |
330ml 750ml |
3.50 25.00 |
|||
| tea coffee (cafe / bar) Nescafe instant coffee-ground |
25 bags per cup 125g 500g |
6.20 7.50 11.30 16.00 |
rice (white) pasta eggs tinned tomatoes |
kg 500g per dozen 250g |
4.00 2.40 6.25 2.30 |
| milk yoghurt / curd cheese Magnum icecream |
1 litre 200g kg each |
5.50 2.50 18.00+ tba |
potatoes onions tomatoes green beans |
kg kg kg kg |
3.75 2.50 2.25 7.90 |
| chips salted peanuts dried apricots |
200g pack kg kg |
tba tba tba |
apples oranges bananas |
kg kg kg |
4.75 5.25 2.75 |
| cornflakes chocolate biscuits-plain biscuits-chocolate |
375g pack 100g block 200g pack 200g pack |
7.50 2.00 3.50 4.70+ |
pineapple (can) oil (olive) |
500g can 500ml |
4.50 6.50 |
| peanut paste jam |
500g jar 400g jar |
tba 4.50 |
|||
| accommodation | personal | ||||
| budget city hostel budget city hotel |
95 per dorm bed 150-230 single with ensuite 300+ double with with ensuite |
deodorant - roll-on soap shampoo toothbrush toothpaste disposable razor toilet paper |
50ml 150g bar 200ml each 100ml 5 pack each |
8.50 3.50 7.50 tba 7.00 9.30 tba |
|
| camping |
tba | ||||
| internet | 9.00 per hour | ||||
|
* tba = price to be announced * January 2009: at time of writing 1.00 USD = 3.68 AED all prices have been taken from internet resources such as wikitravel, hostel world, leading supermarket chains, travel blogs, forums and of course our own travel experiences and purchases of everyday products in food markets, bazaars and local shopping facilities. They are only an indication and designed to give you a general impression of the cost of living in UAE. Items are geared towards the budget conscious traveller with an occasional craving for a bit of luxoury. |
Source:www.exchange-rates.org |
A couple of extra tips:
* Bargaining at markets is perfectly acceptable
* Tipping isn't widely practiced in the United Arab Emirates as restaurants normally add a fairly hefty 10% sales tax and a service charge between 10 and 15% on top of the bill, however if they don't then a 10% tip is probably expected and you may bear in mind that waiting staff are on fairly low wages.
* The dress code in UAE is conservative and women especially should choose to wear loose cut trousers and long dresses.
Accommodation
Like the number of restaurants, the accommodation throughout the the United Arab Emirates is plentiful. However, it ranges from fancy through to fancier. The country has some of the most expensive hotels in the world; a prime example is the seven star Burj al Arab hotel in Dubai, arguably the most luxurious hotel in the world. But expect to pay from $1,000 to $27,000 per night here...
If you want something half decent at the lower end of the UAE market expect to pay no less than 300 Dirhams or $80 for a double room. When in Dubai, you could try the Youth Hostel, Panorama Hotel on Mankhool Road or Al Uruba Hotel in the heart of town on Old Gold Souq (market). Most budget hotels are located in the Deira area of Dubai, the city's centre, although there are also some budget options available in Bur Dubai, the historic district across the Dubai Creek and home to the Grand Mosque.
Abu Dhabi's hotel scene is located in the city centre and at the beach front, where the beach (or Tourist Club Area) has a bigger density of five star hotels than the city centre. Due to its world class infrastructure, interesting attractions, entertainment and shopping, the capital city is expected to attract an estimated 2 million tourists this year and there is plenty of choice in accommodation for everybody's budget.
Food & drink
|
The United Arab Emirates kitchen, commonly
known as Gulf Cuisine, is a blend of traditional
Arabic foods with both Indian and Persian influences.
While dishes throughout the Middle East can
bear similar names, they are often slight variations
of each other. Time and travel have adapted
them to suit local culture, traditions and available
ingredients.
From a vegetarians point of view, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and other large cities offer a range of dining options. Once again HappyCow has detailed lists of Chinese and Indian restaurants catering to your needs. Native dishes with influences from Egypt, Syria and Lebanon also make it perfect for the veggie lover. Furthermore, being a wealthy, modern country, you can feast on any range of world cuisine: Thai, Italian, Mexican: whatever. The only thing stopping you may be the price. When it comes to Arabian dining, hospitality plays an enormous role. Food time is normally the full family affair entailing a commonly shared rice and meat platter with a few side dishes of spicy tomato vegetables, salads, dips and bread. As a vegetarian, this may put you in an uncomfortable position when deciding if you'll accept the invitation of dinner. Use your discretion, but whatever you do don't just rock up without warning your hosts first. You will more than likely be duly accommodated without even knowing how much extra work you caused. Remember to take a gift of fruit or sweets for the occasion.
|
Tea not only accompanies every meal, drinking it is a savoured pastime and occurs regularly throughout the day. Ghawah: dark roasted Arabian coffee, will most likely finish off the feast. |
As Dubai is a Muslim city, many restaurants, especially at the cheaper end of the market, are not licensed to serve alcohol. However, you'll be able to find a cold beer in the business and tourist hotels. Though you can expect to pay for the priviledge.
| Why not try these
for starters? |
Red Lentil Soup A Meze Delight - a selection of dips, salads and bread to nibble
at while you spend the afternoon in one of the
many local food establishments. The following
are the more commonly known vegetarian varieties: Fattoush Salad - [Syrian
and Lebanese origins] Samboosa and Pakora - [Indian
roots] Firnee And those sweet options just keep
coming... Ghawah and Batheeth |
Bike shops
| Dubai | Cycle Sports Shop No. 1, Al Waleed Bldg., Al Barsha First, Dubai Tel: +971 4 3415415, Website: www.cyclesportsuae.com |
| Dubai | Wolfi's Bike Shop
Sheikh Zayed Road PO Box 72327 Dubai - UAE Tel. +971 4 339 44 53 Fax +971 4 339 44 52 Website: www.wbs.ae |
| Sjarjah | CycleSport Tr. Est. Shop No. 14, Al Tawun Mall Sharjah. Tel +971 6 577 5701 Website: www.cyclesportsuae.com |
