Practical Tips for the UAE

Time and money

• The UAE is four hours ahead of GMT.
• The currency is the UAE dirham (AED), also written Dh or Dhs, divided into 100 fils. Notes come in AED 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1,000, and coins in AED 1, 50 fils and 25 fils.
• The dirham has been pegged to the US dollar since February 2002, at AED 3.6725 to USD 1.

Source: UAE Government Portal: Fact sheet¹

Phones and emergency numbers

Source: UAE Government Portal: Fact sheet¹

The international dialling code is +971. Area codes are 02 for Abu Dhabi, 03 for Al Ain, 04 for Dubai, 06 for Sharjah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain, 07 for Ras Al Khaimah, and 09 for Fujairah and Khor Fakkan.¹

Power and plugs

The standard supply is 230 volts at 50 Hz, and sockets are the three-pin type G used in the United Kingdom. Visitors from countries with other plugs need an adapter, and devices built only for 110 volts need a converter.²

The working week

The federal government works a four-and-a-half-day week, from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm Monday to Thursday and 7:30 am to 12 noon on Friday, with Saturday and Sunday off. Sharjah government entities work Monday to Thursday. Most private companies close only on Sunday; others close on Saturday and Sunday.^3,1

Avoid booking meetings with government offices on Friday afternoons, and check Ramadan hours before you travel.

Driving

• Traffic drives on the right.
• Visitors who drive into the UAE need an international driving permit and valid vehicle insurance. Residents of GCC countries can drive with the licence of the country where they live.
• Under the Markhoos initiative, some visitors can drive with their national licence and exchange it for a UAE licence if they become residents.
• There is zero tolerance for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Source: UAE Government Portal: Fact sheet; UAE Government Portal: How to get to the UAE; UAE Government Portal: Getting a driving licence; UAE Government Portal: Road safety, legal provisions^1,4,5,6

Customs allowances

Passengers aged 18 and over can bring in, free of duty, 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars or 500 grams of tobacco, and up to 4 litres of alcoholic drinks or two cartons of 24 cans of beer of up to 355 ml each. Duty and VAT are charged on anything above these limits.⁷