| United Arab Emirates ((ar)دولة الإمارات العربيّة المتّحدة) | |
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| Flag | |
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| Information | |
| Capital city | Abu Dhabi |
|---|---|
| Area | 83 600 km² |
| Population | 9 400 145 hab. () |
| Density | 112,44 inhab./km² |
| Form of State | federal monarchy, absolute monarchy |
| Other languages | Arab (official) Persian English Hindi Urdu |
| Change | United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED) |
| Electricity | 220 V/50 Hz, English plug |
| Telephone prefix | 971 |
| Internet suffix | .ae, .امارات |
| Flow direction | Right-hand drive |
| Spindle | UTC 4 |
| Location | |
 24 ° 24 ′ 0 ″ N 54 ° 18 ′ 0 ″ E | |
| Official site | |
The United Arab Emirates are a country in the Persian Gulf, bordering theSaudi Arabia andOman.
Understand
Regions
 United Arab Emirates Map |
Cities
- 1 Abu Dhabi – capital ofEmirate of Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates.
- 2 Dubai – capital ofemirate of dubai with the famous tower Burj Khalifa
- 3 Sharjah – capital ofemirate of Sharjah.
- 4 Ajman – capital ofemirate of Ajman.
- 5 Umm al-Qaiwain – capital ofEmirate of Umm al-Qaiwain.
- 6 Ras al Khaimah – capital ofEmirate of Ras al-Khaimah.
- 7 Fujairah – capital ofEmirate of Foudjairah.
Other destinations
To go
Formalities
Access to the United Arab Emirates does not require a visa for many European countries such as Belgium, Switzerland or France.
A valid passport is required (with a minimum validity of 6 months from the date of entry into the United Arab Emirates).
- United Arab Emirates
- Exemption from Visa
- Visa on arrival
- Visa required
By plane
Two airlines dominate the country's market:
- a company based in Dubai: Emirates
- a company based in Abu Dhabi: Etihad
Fly Dubai is also quite present for regional flights.
It is possible to go to Dubai via many companies from the Gulf or Europe (stopover to be planned).
- 1 Sharjah International Airport (IATA : SHJ, ICAO: OMSJ) (13 km east-southeast of Sharjah in the emirate of Sharjah)
- 2 Ras el Khaimah International Airport (IATA : RKT, ICAO: OMRK, Ras Al Khaimah International Airport) (18 km south of Ras el Khaïmah, in the emirate of Ras el-Khaïmah)
On a boat
There are taxi-boat especially at the cove, a mythical place in old Dubai.
By train
There are no trains in the United Arab Emirates.
By bus
By car
The customs pass is required if you plan to bring your own vehicle, temporary insurance must be taken out at the border if you cannot present an international insurance certificate (orange in color ...) covering most Arab countries.
Circulate
By train
By bus
By car
It is compulsory to have a valid international driving license.
Speed limits:
- Highway: 120 km / h
- City : 60 km / h
Numerous speed cameras are installed approximately every kilometer in the city. And there are speed bumps every 400 meters. Only the "main roads" are not equipped with speed reducers. It is strictly forbidden to drive after having drunk alcohol. It's zero tolerance for alcohol, plus, with the age of 21, you have to be 21 or older to drive.
Speak
The official language isArab, but only Emirati citizens (and the Arabic-speaking immigrant minority, usually also English speakers) speak it. The vast majority of the population is made up of English-speaking immigrant workers (Pakistani, Indians and Filipinos, among others) to which is added a minority of also English-speaking expatriates. Everything (registrations, forms, advertisements, etc.) is posted in both languages. Urdu, Persian, Hindi are also spoken by the Indo-Pakistani immigrants who are very present.
Here are some words in Arabic:
- salam alikum : Hello, .
- to answer say alikum salam
- chokkran : thank you
- ouahad, tnin, tletta : 1, 2, 3
Buy
The official currency of the United Arab Emirates is the dirham (DH, درهم إماراتي, Emirati dirham, AED). Possibility to pay in US dollars only at certain resorts. There are many exchange offices in all shopping centers.
Eat
The typical cuisine of the United Arab Emirates is difficult to find outside of Emirati families but still accessible! Taste it, there are among others:
- rice which is prepared with meat or dried fruits;
- the dromedary (called "camel", as in English) roasted in the fire.
- multiple dishes based on mutton, goat and dromedary.
Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to find pork in some supermarkets used by expatriates such as SPINNEY'S (one near the Family Beach on the Corniche and one in Mangrove Village, for Abu Dhabi); there is a separate shelf, hidden at the back. The prices are equivalent to those practiced in France for most products, more expensive for imports, and less expensive for semi-local products.
Have a drink / Go out
Since the UAE is predominantly populated by Muslims, you won't easily find alcohol in retail. Do not try to import it, the local authorities are not joking on this subject. For tourists, however, it is very easy to find bars or hotels that sell alcohol, and it is possible to buy limited quantities at the airport and then return with it. There are also retail alcohol businesses which are normally only accessible to non-Muslims with a permit (very easy to obtain with a resident visa). The tolerance for drink driving is zero and it is therefore imperative to take a taxi after the very first drink. Places to go out are plethora of people. Emirati nightlife begins around 21 h - 22 h and continues late into the night, especially during Ramadan (in a particular way, of course).
In Abu Dhabi, the big hotels (Emirates Palace, Saint Regis, Shangri-la, Fairmont, etc.) have a large number of varied restaurants and offer multiple opportunities to frequent them for an affordable price: for a dinner on the beach ( El Qasr barbecue at the Emirates Palace, or Cedar Lounge at the Fairmont), a simple nonchalant shisha (the same), or a brunch (Saturday at the Shangri-la with benefit of the private beach afterwards until 18 h). The examples given are not exhaustive, of course, but the exhaustive list of possibilities is really too long.
In addition, tap water in recent housing is a priori drinkable but nobody drinks it (except porridge), in particular because of the possible presence of various bacteria in the water tanks of the buildings.
Housing
You will find many relatively inexpensive hotels in Dubai or Abu Dhabi.
Note that the Burj al Arab, located in Dubai, is considered one of the most luxurious hotels in the world. Famous for its architecture (in the shape of a sailboat, advancing on the sea), it offers luxury services, and the assurance of having a good stay in Dubai.
Learn
For a non-Arabic-speaking approach to the dialect of the Gulf countries, the Assimil pocketbook "Arabic of the Gulf countries", available on Amazon.fr, is a good start.
But if you really want to speak Arabic, you better go to Oman.
To work
Communicate
security
 | Emergency telephone number: All emergency services:112 Police :999 Ambulance:998 Firefighter :997 Coast Guard:996 |
No major security risk, the country is relatively safe. On the other hand, avoid going for a walk late at night. Be careful, the Emirs are kings there, avoid any clashes because the police will intervene quickly and tourists often have to pay fines.
Government travel advice
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Belgium (Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation) 
Canada (Government of Canada) 
France (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) 
Swiss (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs)
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Health
Private clinics sport the roads in Dubai, especially English clinics. You can find pharmacies in town, which do not ask for any prescription for any medication, as long as you pay. Note that codeine is completely banned in this country. If you are traveling with drugs that contain codeine, you must travel with a prescription and the packaging of the drug.
Respect
Ramadan date
Majority of Muslims insist on local sighting of the crescent moon to mark the start of Ramadan, but others insist on calculating the new moon or declaring it saudi to determine the start of the month. Since the first crescent after the new moon is not visible everywhere at the same time, the start and end dates of the month depend on what is visible in each location. Therefore, the dates vary from country to country, but usually only one day. |
Here are some simple rules to respect the people:
- Take off your shoes in mosques.
- We respect the sovereign because, contrary to fairly widespread ideas, he is not a dictator.
- Couples should not hold hands or kiss in public places, under penalty of a fine.
- Do not photograph Muslim women without their consent.
