United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates, one of the world's fastest growing tourist destinations, has all the right ingredients for an unforgettable holiday, sun, sand, sea, sports, unbeatable shopping, top-class hotels and restaurants, an intriguing traditional culture, and a safe and welcoming environment.

When To Visit
The best time to visit the UAE is from October up until May.
In October the weather may still be quite hot (up to 35C), blue skies are the norm and the evenings are warm. At this stage the tourist season is well under way.

Weather
Straddling the Tropic of Cancer, the UAE is warm and sunny in winter and hot and humid during the summer months. Winter daytime temperatures average a very pleasant 26°C, although nights can be relatively cool, between 12–15°C on the coast, and less than 5°C in the depths of the desert or high in the mountains. Local north-westerly winds (shamal) frequently develop during the winter, bringing cooler windy conditions. Summer temperatures are in the mid-40s, but can be higher inland. Humidity in coastal areas averages between 50 and 60 per cent, touching over 90 per cent in summer and autumn. Inland it is far less humid.

Getting There
Travel to the UAE has never been easier since it is now one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Most of the leading airlines of the world fly into the UAE, but you can also travel by road or sea. The vast majority of visitors take advantage of the excellent deals on offer through a number of tour operators.

Visas and Immigration
Citizens of the following countries will be issued with a free-of-charge VISIT VISA on entry to the UAE: 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.

Hotel and Other Accommodation
Accommodation in the UAE is of a very high standard and many of the world’s top hotel chains run five-star hotels in the major emirates, the piece de resistance being the seven-star Burj al-Arab in Dubai. There are also a number of excellent locally run properties suitable for both tourists and business travellers. Several of the hotels are outstanding examples of modern architecture. Swimming pools, tennis courts and fully equipped health centres are the norm. Most waterfront hotels have excellent beaches and extensive watersports facilities. If your budget does not extend to a five-star hotel, there are alternatives, most also of a high standard. There are a number of youth hostels for which a HI card is required, however you can buy a yearly membership for Dh75 if you do not have a card.

Travel Tips
The UAE is one of the safest places in the world to visit. In fact, it has been designated the world’s safest holiday destination by the international travel industry on two occasions. Nevertheless, it is a good idea to take out travel insurance and to take the normal precaution to safeguard yourself and your valuables.

Food and Drink
Visitors from many parts of the world along with a multi-ethnic resident community have ensured that a sophisticated and innovative food culture has developed in the UAE. Almost any type of food is available, from classic European to Pacific Rim. You can eat Mexican, Polynesian, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Korean, Indian, Pakistani, Persian, Italian and French cooking, and more, at some of the finest restaurants in the Middle East. International fast-food chains, serving the standard fare of hamburgers, chips, pizzas etc (McDonalds’s, Pizza Hut, Pizza Inn, Hardee’s, Wimpy, Dunkin’ Donut) are also located in the larger cities. Kentucky Fried Chicken seems to be a particular favourite. International theme restaurants such as TGI Friday’s, Planet Hollywood, Fashion Café, Hard Rock Café and Henry J Bean’s are all represented in the Emirates. If you cannot find anything to suit in that list, small ethnic cafés and corner stalls are ubiquitous. Shisha cafés offer an opportunity to smoke a shisha (hubble-bubble pipe) and serve food, coffee, tea and fruit juices and corner stalls serve sharwarmas and other sandwiches.

Night Life
There is ample opportunity to pursue an active nightlife in all of the major urban centres in the UAE, except for Sharjah which does not have any bars or discos. The choice of night-time activities is obviously more limited in the rural areas.

Bars range from sophisticated cocktail lounges to informal traditional British and Irish pubs and Western style saloons. In addition, there are numerous piano and jazz bars. Clubs and discos host both local DJs and big international names. You can also visit local nightclubs with Arab singers, belly dancers and musicians. World famous groups and individual stars from the the West, the Arab world, the Indian subcontinent and the Far East are frequent visitors.

Museums & Heritage Villages
The people of the UAE have seen dramatic change in the few short years since the state was established, change that has provided them with all the benefits of a modern, developed society. At the same time, however, both government and people are determined that their heritage shall be preserved, in line with the late Sheikh Zayed's belief that 'a people that knows not its past can have neither a present nor a future'. To act as repositories of this heritage and a source of information for both visitors and the younger generation who have not experienced a traditional lifestyle, museums and heritage centres have been developed throughout the UAE.