Government

Dubai is the second largest emirate and commercial capital of the United Arab Emirates. The capital of UAE is Abu Dhabi, the largest emirate; the other members of the federation in addition to Abu Dhabi and Dubai are Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.

Culture

The UAE is an Islamic country. Arab traditions influence the lifestyle, yet considerable tolerance is shown towards the Eastern and Western practices of the large expatriate community. Dubai is a clean and virtually crime-free city with an easy-going atmosphere and reputation for hospitality. A popular tourist destination, it offers visitors and residents superb golf courses, a variety of water sports and excellent shopping bargains.

Infrastructure

Dubai's infrastructure is well developed and efficient. Its service sector includes major international banks, lawyers, accountants and other professionals. International ATM access is widely available.

Communications

Global links, including GSM mobile telephones and pagers and Internet, are world-class and inexpensive. Local and foreign television, radio newspapers, magazines and books are readily available. The official language is Arabic, but English is widely used, especially in business. Dubai is four hours ahead of GMT.

Currency

The monetary unit of the UAE is the Dirham (Dhs.), which is divided into 100 fils. The dirham is pegged to the US dollar at the rate of Dhs. 3.67 to $1.00.

Business Hours

Office hours vary but are generally from 8am to 1pm and from 4pm to 7pm from Saturday to Thursday. Most government offices are open from 7:30am to 2:30pm from Saturday to Wednesday and are closed on Thursday. Banks are open from 8am to 1pm from Saturday to Thursday; some remain open later. Friday is the weekly holiday for all office workers. Some companies also close on Thursday afternoons; others, notably in the service sector, work all day on Thursday but are closed on Saturday.

Airport

Dubai International Airport is served by some 70 airlines, which fly to more than 100 destinations around the world. Flights in and out of the city are frequent and travelling is easy.

Tax Free Shopping

The world famous Dubai Duty Free offers cheapest prices for cosmetics, electronics, tobacco and alcohol. Dubai Duty Free also offers departing, arriving & transiting passengers the chance to win luxury cars.

Transport

Hiring a car is recommended for getting around in Dubai. International driving licences are accepted by most car hire agencies. Metered taxis are abundant. Airport taxis and taxis standing at hotels charge a surcharge.

Accommodation

The options range from large villas to five-star beach hotels to small serviced flats. Standards are uniformly high.

Education

English is the medium of instruction in most schools. Annual fees vary dramatically. An academic record of your child is required for admissions. Some schools conduct entrance tests. Schools offer GCSE, 'A' Levels, French, American, Indian, Japanese and any other system that you can think of! Standards are above average. Click here to search for nursery, primary, secondary schools and colleges.

Amenities

Dubai has many well-equipped public and private hospitals offering high quality healthcare. At public hospitals, emergency treatment is free; a health card, available at reasonable cost, is needed for non-urgent health care. Schooling from pre-kindergarten to college is available in a variety of institutions, with private schools catering to most of the expatriate communities.