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Dubai Information, UAE Travel Guide |
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The second largest of the seven emirates which make up the United Arab Emirates, Dubai is located on the southern shore of the Arabian Gulf.
It has an area of some 3,900 square kilometres. Outside the city itself, the emirate is sparsely inhabited and characterised by desert vegetation.
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Economy : Oil contributes just 20 per cent of economic production. Trading, manufacturing and services — including tourism — now dominate the economy.
Local Time : The UAE is four hours ahead of GMT.
Population : The population of Dubai was estimated at 971,000
Climate : Dubai has a sub-tropical, arid climate. Sunny, blue skies can be expected most of the year. Rainfall is infrequent and irregular, falling mainly in winter.
Temperatures range from a low of about 10.5°C/50°F to a high of 48°C/118°F. The mean daily maximum is 24°C/75.2°F in January rising to 41°C/105.8°F in July.
Language : The official language is Arabic but English is widely spoken and understood. Both languages are commonly used in business and commerce.
Religion : Islam is the official religion of the UAE and there are a large number of mosques throughout the city.
Other religions are respected and Dubai has two Christian churches, St Mary’s (Roman Catholic) and Holy Trinity (Inter-denominational).
Currency : The monetary unit is the dirham (Dh) which is divided into 100 fils.
Special Drawing Right of the International Monetary Fund. It has been held constant against the US dollar since the end of 1980 at a mid-rate of approximately US$1= Dh3.67.
Banks : Both the local banks and the many international banks represented by branches in Dubai provide the usual commercial banking services. Transfers can be made without difficulty as there is no exchange control and the dirham is freely convertible.
Bank opening hours are 8.00am to 1.00pm, from Saturday to Wednesday, although some also open from 4.30–6.30pm. On Thursdays, banks operate only from 8.00am to noon.
Exchange houses are open from 8.30am–1.00pm and 4.30–8.30pm.
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Business Hours : The weekend has traditionally been Thursday afternoon and Friday, but some organisations now close on Friday and Saturday, working through Thursday afternoon instead. Government offices are open from 7.30am– 1.30pm (7.30am–12.00 noon on Thursday).
Private sector office hours vary, but are generally from 8.00am–1.00pm, re-opening at either 3.00pm or 4.00pm and closing at 6.00pm or 7.00pm.
Shop hours are similar in their opening times, but most shops remain open until 9.00–10.00pm. Department stores, boutiques, souks and many food shops remain open on a Friday, apart from prayer times (between 11.30am and 1.30pm), while larger shops re-open on a Friday afternoon at around 4.00–5.00pm.
Embassies and consulates are generally open from 8.45am–12.30pm and are closed on Fridays and in most cases on Saturdays, but usually leave an emergency number on their answering machines.
Facilities for the Handicapped : An increasing number of public areas now have access and facilities for people with disabilities.
Several of the city’s leading hotels also have specially adapted rooms and facilities for the handicapped. These are: City Centre Hotel, Crowne Plaza Dubai, Hilton International Dubai, Hyatt Regency Dubai, Jebel Ali Hotel & Golf Resort, The Jumeirah Beach Hotel, JW Marriott Hotel, Metropolitan Palace Hotel, Oasis Beach Hotel,
Radisson SAS Hotel Jumeira Beach, The Ritz-Carlton Dubai and Renaissance Hotel Dubai. For more detailed information about available facilities, see each hotel’s individual entry in the section Places To Stay.
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