| United Arab Emirates | |
| Flag | |
 | |
| location | |
 | |
| Information | |
| Capital city | Abu Dhabi |
| System | federation |
| Currency | diram (dirham) (AED) |
| Time zone | 4:00 |
| Surface | 82,880 km² |
| Population | 9 400 145 |
| Official language | Arabic |
| Dominant religion | Islam (Sunni) |
| Telephone code | 971 |
| Electric voltage | 220 / 50Hz |
| Type of outlet | British |
| Car code | UAE |
| Car traffic | right hand |
| Internet domain | .ae |
United Arab Emirates (Arabic: الإمارات العربيّة المتّحدة) - the Arab state on Middle Eastlocated above The Persian Gulf and Oman. It borders with Saudi Arabia and Oman.
Characteristic
Geography
The United Arab Emirates shares a border with Saudi Arabia and Oman. The UAE has access to the Persian Gulf. A small country located in the eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula. The Emirati Federation is a desert country with a hot dry climate. The country is dominated by Islam with strict Sharia religious law. The Emirates are among the richest countries in the world, and the main sectors of the economy are tourism and banking.
fauna and Flora
Climate
The UAE is located in a tropical and dry zone.
History
Culture and art
Emirati culture is deeply rooted in Islam. The traditional forms of expression in art are primarily dance and music, to which it belongs liwa and yowla.
This is where Ahlam comes from - the first female pop star in the Gulf region. The famous artists of the local music scene also include: Moniem, Samar, Reem and Rouwaida.
The Emirati film is in its infancy, although there is an interest in short films. However, Bollywood producers eagerly choose this country as their scenery.
Policy
The federation of the emirates is led by the sheikh president, and the head of government is the sheikh prime minister. The emirates are headed by emirs who transfer power from father to son.
UAE does not recognize the existence of Israel. They maintain good relations with the EU and the United States, and are respected for their energy resources.
Economy
This state has a very liberal policy, encouraging foreign capital to invest. The Arab oil-holders are the driving force of the UAE economy. The country is developing rapidly and is one of the richest in this region of the world.
Society
Traditionally, the Arabs were inhabited by Arabs, but the port nature of life in these areas has always attracted other nationalities. With the current economic boom, this is even more evident, and in Dubai indigenous people make up only 20-25% of the population. The UAE is today a melting pot in which almost all the nations of the world are churning, and the largest groups in numbers are Pakistanis, Indians and Filipinos. Many British and Americans live here due to the extraction of oil. The Polish minority is not too big.
Traditions
Since many laws stem from Islam (ie Sharia), it is not surprising that polygamy, depriving women of many rights, etc. During Ramadan it is important to observe fasting (also by foreigners in the public sphere). However, the coexistence of many cultures has led to the emergence of centers of worship and other religions, which resulted in the creation of Christian churches and Hindu temples that function within the UAE's atmosphere of tolerance and mutual understanding.
Foreigners are not allowed to enter mosques.
In this latitude, it is normal to have an afternoon break from 1pm to 4pm. Weekends range from Thursday afternoon to Friday or even Saturday. Shops are usually closed only on Friday mornings.
Preparations
Guides
- Spectrum Guide to United Arab Emirates. Compiled and Edited by CAMERAPIX. ISBN 1-874041-29-6.
- Dubai.Insight Pocket Guide. ISBN 981-4120-95-2.
- Collection Around the World. Nr 31. United Arab Emirates - An oasis of splendor.DeAgostiniISBN 978-83-248-0575-4.
Travel time selection
In summer, temperatures are unbearably high (up to 50 ° C), which can be really difficult to withstand in high humidity. The recommended time to visit the UAE is October - April.
Visas
Poles need a visa to stay in the UAE, despite being a country EU (???). The easiest way to obtain a visa is through the so-called a sponsor seeking it on behalf of the traveler. This sponsor is usually the airline or travel agent or hotel. The tourist receives a visa promise and the actual visa is issued upon arrival in the Emirates.
To apply for a visa, the passport should be valid for at least 6 months and the passport must not contain an Israeli visa. (According to the information provided by the employees of Discoverdubaj.pl, the regulations have changed for 2 years and the Israeli visa is no longer a problem when applying for a UAE visa). You also do not need a transit visa if you do not leave the transit area at the airport (http://poradnik.poland.gov.pl).
The visa fee ranges from $ 120 to $ 140.
Customs regulations
You cannot bring to the UAE: materials containing obscene content and violating Muslim customs, drugs and intoxicating substances, psychotropic drugs (if you need to take this type of medicine, you must have individual prescriptions), video cassettes containing content contrary to customs or the orders of Islam, which Emirates is the state religion. You must obtain a permit to import alcohol (only allowed for people over 18: 2 liters of alcohol over 22%, 2 liters of wine), but this requirement is not always strictly enforced when entering the UAE. The permit is also required to purchase alcohol at dedicated points of sale in the UAE (alcoholic beverages are served without special permission in many hotels and clubs with limited access). Information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Currency exchange
The official currency in circulation in the UAE is the dirham (international abbreviation AED, local dhs). The exchange rates are 5 AED for 1 euro and 6 AED for 1 British pound. The notes in circulation are: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000 dirhams. There are also 1 dirham coins, divided into 25 and 50 fils (100 fils = 1 dirham). On top of that, there are also 5 and 10 fils coins, but hardly available (which is an excuse for sellers to round up prices and not spend change).
Currency exchange points are found wherever they are most useful: at airports, in shopping malls, in bazaars. They often have a separate window at a bank branch. There are many currencies, the most common of course being the US dollar ($ 1 = AED 3.67) and the euro (EUR 1 = AED 5.30). Sometimes you can settle the payment in a foreign currency, e.g. in a taxi, but it is better to ask for it in advance and take into account a small loss.
In addition, it is not difficult to find an ATM (ATM), and debit cards (Visa Electron or Maestro) from Polish banks are handled by them.
Insurance
Only the insurances of international companies are respected.
Equipment
All the basic things can be safely obtained on the spot.
Clothing should be adapted to the season - on winter evenings the temperature drops to several degrees Celsius and, at the same time, the wind can be annoyingly cold. In emirates with more conservative laws, women should cover their bodies more fully so as not to expose themselves to unpleasantness. Longer legs and sleeves can also be a good choice for men.
Phrase book
You can communicate in Arabic and English.
Drive
By plane
This mode of transport is the most natural choice. There are several international airports in the UAE of which Sharjah and Dubai they are the most popular and probably the best connected. You can also choose the capital airport and the one in Ras al-Khaimah. The airport in Fujairah.
By train
The Emirates cannot be reached by rail. There are also no railroads inside the country. Dubai it is currently building a city rail system that is intended to extend beyond the emirate.
By car
You can quite comfortably cross the road border with Oman if Saudi Arabia. The roads in the Emirates are of the highest quality and usually well described. Due to continuous construction works, any maps relatively quickly lose their relevance - this applies mainly to the pattern of city streets and the road network of the whole country. You can rent a car without any worries. You can use the offer of well-known and reputable companies (such as Avis), but if we want to save several dozen dirhams a day, choose local rentals, where we will pay about 70 dirhams for a Toyota Yaris with no mileage limit (data from July 2009). Fuel is cheap, because one liter of gasoline costs about PLN 0.60. If we use Sheikh Zayed Road, we have to pay tolls for using this road. We pay the fee at the rental company on the basis of the register of journeys available on the Internet.
By bus
Rather not very much possible.
By ship
Ships sail from Iranian ports, and the connection with the island seems particularly interesting for tourists Kish.
Border crossings
An administrative division
The UAE is a federation of 7 emirates. Each of them has different laws - in particular, this applies to traffic laws (e.g. the obligation to wear seat belts) and moral laws (e.g. the possibility of buying alcohol).
The names of the emirates and their capitals are the same:
- Dubai (eng. Dubai)
- Abu Dhabi (eng. Abu-Dhabi)
- Ajman (eng. Ajman)
- Fujairah (eng. Fujeirah)
- Sharjah (eng. Sharjah)
- Ras al Khaimah (eng. Ras al Khaimah - CANCER)
- Umm al-Kajwajn (eng. Umm al-Qaiwain - UAQ)
Cities
According to official data from 2005, the United Arab Emirates had over 50 cities with a population of over 1,000. residents. The capital of the country, Abu Dhabi, ranks second, Dubai as the only city with over a million inhabitants; 2 cities with a population of 500 ÷ 1000 thousand; 3 cities with a population of 100,000 ÷ 500,000; 1 city with a population of 50,000 ÷ 100,000; 3 cities with a population of 25,000 ÷ 50,000 and the rest of the cities below 25,000 residents.
Interesting places
The UAE does not have any historically spectacular places. If someone focuses on this type of sightseeing, he may return disappointed, because archaeological finds exhibited in museums and open-air museums, the so-called Heritage Village does not knock you to its knees, nevertheless seekers of tradition and folklore of the local lands should be satisfied.
- Badiyah - halfway between Dibba and Chur Fakkan is the oldest mosque in the Emirates, probably built sometime between the 15th and 16th centuries. It is known as Ottoman mosque, it was built on a square plan with four round flattened domes supporting one central pillar. It does not have a minaret.
- Dibba - great diving site with a good hotel base.
- Hatta - located in the green area of the Hajar Mountains by mineral waters
Transport
Between Abu Dhabi and Dubai line buses run.
Public transport in cities is rudimentary or absent (only Dubai has a bus network and two overground metro lines).
In most cases, the only means of travel will be a taxi. Taxi it is not expensive: you pay 2-3 AED for slamming a door (ATTENTION! at Dubai airport: 20 AED), and every minute within the city limits is roughly 1 AED. Many taxis have a taximeter and its indications are followed. When crossing the emirate border, you must take into account an additional fee (a ride from the center of Dubai to the Sharjah border with Ajman will cost about 90 AED).
In the Emirates, the best means of transport is a car. Gasoline in the UAE is quite cheap (refueling a tank is an expense of AED 50). So when you arrive, it's worth renting a car right away. Rentals in this country are difficult to count, but it is worth choosing one that offers a full set of insurance. Before leaving, better try to get International driving license, although even without it, Polish powers will rather work. It is worth remembering that without a credit card the situation becomes very complicated and probably the vast majority rent-a-car will refuse to hand over the car.
It is unacceptable to drive a car after drinking alcohol. Such abuse is punishable by imprisonment and severe flogging and fines! Road speed is checked by densely placed speed cameras. The maximum speed is 120 km / h. The speeding fine is AED 600. And the second crossing of the red light ends in the cell.
Trip
Consider looking into Omanbecause Polish citizens can obtain a visa to this country at the border post. Muscat it has beautiful beaches and offers more purely Arab experiences, but is slowly following in the footsteps of its richer neighbor. The return to the UAE may be a problem, unless we have previously arranged an appropriate Emirate visa or have a plane with Muscat by Dubai and we stay in the transit zone.
It is also close to the Emirates Iranwhich offers incomparably more tourist attractions. It is easy and inexpensive to get to the other side of the Persian Gulf using Iranian airlines. Island Kish seems to be the most natural choice, especially since there is no need for an Iranian visa (15-day stay only with the border stamp). A 7-day visa can be issued immediately at the airport in Tehran upon presentation of the departure ticket. Otherwise, you have to take care of the Iranian visa before departure.
Tongue
Although the official language is Arabic, English can be used basically anywhere. Besides these two languages, languages are very common in the Emirates India, Pakistan, Bangladesh if Philippines.
Shopping
Arab Emirates are the perfect place for shopping. Dubai it is basically a must-see for pilgrim shoppers.
It is an exceptionally good time Dubai Shopping Festival usually from the end of January to the end of February (2008: January 24 - February 24). Dubai's malls gather boutiques and stores of all brands, from high-end to mid-range. This city is also famous for gold - so it's worth going to Golden Souk.
Gastronomy
Hotels serve European meals, you can easily find a restaurant with the world's favorite cuisine.
It is popular among the locals shaurma.
Accommodation
In addition to large cities, you can cheaply spend the night in Furnished Flats (furnished apartments), where a day costs about 100-150 AED. Usually these are rooms with a double bed and bathroom or apartments (of course their price is at least double). You cannot count on cleaning the room or changing the towels.
In tourist centers, we can easily find a hotel in a suitable category and price.
Science
work
Finding a job in the UAE should not be too much of a problem. The ultra-liberal economic policy also allows you to easily open your own business in this country. Many free economic zones have been created.
Security
The United Arab Emirates is a very safe country, not involved in any interstate conflicts (except for the anti-Zionist policy, characteristic of the countries belonging to the League of Arab States).
Road traffic offenses constitute the largest number of crimes and are punished more and more severely. Emirati drivers like to drive fast, which often ends with a fine. It is absolutely forbidden to drive after drinking alcohol, because the tolerance is 0 per mille.
The most common crimes are those related to illegal stay in the territory of the UAE.
Health
contact
Telephone
Payphones are easy to locate, there are many of them. The calling card costs AED 30. There are also special purpose cards (20 AED) with which no local numbers can be reached.
Internet
Finding an internet cafe should not be a problem, as well as being within the range of a hot-spot.
Emirates telecommunications is blocking the use of Skype, especially when it comes to calling normal phones.
post
Tourist information
- Discover Dubai (fledgling but good site dedicated primarily to Dubai)
- Government side of the United Arab Emirates - in English English
- Emirates travel page - in English English
Diplomatic representations
The Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Abu Dhabi
Address: Intersection of Delma and Karamah Streets (13th and 14th streets) P.O. Box 2334, Abu Dhabi
Telephone information on consular matters is provided from Sunday to Thursday at: 02 446 52 00
You can also submit inquiries via e-mail at:
UAE Embassy in Warsaw
ul. Złota 59, Skylight building, floor 19, 00-120 Warsaw
Phone: 48 22 222 20 20
Fax: 48 22 222 20 40
Web page: https://sp.mofaic.gov.ae/EN/DiplomaticMissions/Embassies/Warsaw/Pages/home.aspx
E-mail: [email protected]