Sections

Overview

General Information

United Arab Emirates Overview

• Geography
• History

Economy

• United Arab Emirates Overview
• Dubai Overview
• Tourism Developments
• Tourism
• Key Dubai Projects
• International Relations
• Government & Ruling Family
• Government & Politics

Facts & Figures

• Population
• National Flag
• National & Cantonal Flag
• Local Time
• Social & Business Hours
• Public Holidays
• Electricity & Water
• Photography

Environment

• Climate
• Flora & Fauna
• Environmental Issues

Culture & Lifestyle

• Culture
• Poetry
• Language
• Religion
• National Dress
• Food & Drink

Entering United Arab Emirates

• Visas
• E-tickets and Electronic Check-in
• Meet & Greet
• Customs
• Leaving United Arab Emirates

Essential Info

• In Emergency
• Health Requirements
• Health Care
• Travel Insurance
• Women
• Children
• People With Disabilities
• Telephone & Internet
• Dress
• Dos & Don’ts
• Crime & Safety
• Police
• Lost & Stolen Property
• Tourist Information
• Dubai Tourist Info Abroad

Places to Stay

• Places to Stay
• Hotels
• Main Hotels
• Resorts
• Hotel Apartments
• Guest Houses
• Motels
• Hostels
• Campsites

Getting Around

• Getting Around
• Air
• Airport Transfer
• Boat
• Bus
• Car
• Cycling
• Motorcycles
• Taxi
• Train
• Tram
• Underground
• Walking

Money

• Money
• Local Currency
• Banks
• ATMs
• Money Exchanges
• Credit Cards
• Tipping

Further Reading

• Newspapers & Magazines
• Books
• Post & Courier Services
• Radio
• Television/Satellite TV
• Telephones
• Internet
• Websites

Annual Events

• Annual Events

Residents

Overview

• Overview
• Before You Arrive
• When You Arrive
• Essential Documents
• When You Leave

Documents

• Documents
• Entry Visa
• Health Card
• Health Insurance
• Residence Visa
• Labour Card
• ID Card
• Free Zones

Certificates & Licences

• Certificates & Licences
• Driving Licence
• Liquor Licence
• Birth Certificate & Registration
• Marriage Certificate & Registration
• Death Certificate & Registration

Work

• Working in Dubai
• Working Hours
• Finding Work
• Voluntary & Charity Work
• Working as a Freelancer/Contractor
• Employment Contracts
• Labour Law
• Changing Jobs
• ‘Banning’
• Company Closure

Financial & Legal Affairs

• Bank Accounts
• Financial Planning
• Taxation
• Legal Issues
• Crime

Housing

• Housing
• Renting in Dubai
• Real Estate Agents
• The Lease
• Main Accommodation Options
• Other Rental Costs
• Buying Property
• Purchasing a Home
• Property Developers
• Mortgages
• Other Purchasing Costs
• Real Estate Law

Residential Areas

• Residential Areas
• Al Barsha
• Al Garhoud
• Al Karama
• Al Qusais (incl. Al Twar & Al Nahda)
• Al Safa & Al Wasl
• Arabian Ranches
• Bur Dubai (incl. Al Mankhool)
• Deira
• Dubai Marina & Al Sufouh
• Emirates Hills
• Green Community
• Jebel Ali & The Gardens
• Jumeira
• Mirdif & Rashidiya
• Oud Metha & Um Hurair
• Satwa
• Sharjah
• Trade Centre
• Umm Suqeim

Setting up Home

• Setting up Home
• Moving Services
• Furnishing Accommodation
• Household Insurance
• Laundry Services
• Domestic Help
• Babysitting & Childcare
• Domestic Services
• DVD & Video Rental
• Pets

Utilities & Services

• Electricity & Water
• Electricity
• Water
• Gas
• Sewerage
• Rubbish Disposal and Recycling
• Telephone
• Internet
• Bill Payment
• Post & Courier Services
• Radio
• Television
• Satellite TV & Radio

Health

• General Medical Care
• Donor Cards
• Giving Blood
• Giving Up Smoking
• Main Government Hospitals
• Main Private Hospitals
• Private Hospitals
• Maternity
• Paediatrics
• Dentists & Orthodontists
• Opticians & Ophthalmologists
• Cosmetic Treatment & Surgery
• Alternative Therapies
• Rehabilitation & Physiotherapy
• Back Treatment
• Nutritionists & Slimming
• Counselling & Therapy
• Support Groups

Education

• Education
• Primary & Secondary Schools
• University & Higher Education
• Special Needs Education
• Learning LLL

Transportation

• Transportation
• Driving in Dubai
• Vehicle Leasing
• Buying a Vehicle
• Vehicle Finance
• Vehicle Insurance
• Registering a Vehicle
• Traffic Fines & Offences
• Breakdowns
• Traffic Accidents
• Repairs (Vehicle)

Exploring

Activities

Sports & Activities

• Sports & Activities
• Aerobics & Fitness Classes
• Aqua Aerobics
• Archery
• Art Classes
• Ballet Classes
• Baseball
• Basketball
• Beauty Training
• Belly Dancing
• Birdwatching
• Bowling
• Bridge
• Camel Rides
• Camping
• Canoeing
• Caving
• Chess
• Climbing
• Cookery Classes
• Crab Hunting
• Cricket
• Cycling
• Dance Classes
• Desert Driving Courses
• Dhow Charters
• Diving
• Drama Groups
• Dune Buggy Driving
• Environmental Groups
• Fencing
• Fishing
• Flower Arranging
• Flying
• Football
• Gaelic Games
• Gardening
• Golf
• Gymnastics/Trampolining
• Hashing
• Hiking
• Hockey
• Horse Riding
• Ice Hockey
• Ice Skating
• Jetskiing
• Karting
• Kayaking
• Kitesurfing
• Language Schools
• Libraries
• Martial Arts
• Mini Golf
• Mother & Toddler Activities
• Motocross
• Motorcycling
• Motorsports
• Mountain Biking
• Music Lessons
• Netball
• Orchestras & Bands
• Paintballing
• Parasailing
• Photography
• Polo
• Quad Bikes
• Rollerblading & Rollerskating
• Rowing
• Rugby
• Running
• Sailing
• Salsa Dancing
• Sand Boarding/Skiing
• Scouts & Guides
• Scrabble
• Scrapbooking
• Shooting
• Singing
• Skiing & Snowboarding
• Skydiving
• Snooker
• Snorkelling
• Social Groups
• Softball
• Speedboating
• Squash
• Summer Camps & Courses
• Surfing
• Swimming
• Table Tennis
• Tennis
• Thai Boxing
• Triathlon
• Wadi & Dune Bashing
• Wakeboarding
• Waterskiing
• Watersports

Leisure Facilities

• Leisure Facilities
• Beach Clubs
• Health Clubs
• Sports Centres
• Sports Clubs

Well-Being

• Well-Being
• Beauty Salons
• Hairdressers
• Health Spas
• Massage
• Meditation
• Pilates
• Reiki
• Stress Management
• Tai Chi
• Yoga

Expand Your Horizons

• Expand Your Horizons

Shopping

Going Out

Interactive Map

Latest News

Weather
Clear
low °C: 28
high °C: 33
Related Products

General Information » Further Reading » Books

If you want to read more about Dubai, the UAE and the Middle East region in general, there are plenty of books to choose from. Explorer Publishing also publishes the Abu Dhabi Expat, as well as expat guides to Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar. It also produces a range of regional activity guides, such as the UAE Off-Road and the Trekking Oman. The Dubai Red-Tape smashes through the ins and outs of bureaucracy in Dubai and is essential for anybody trying to get settled in the city.

If you are looking for beautiful photographs of the region, have a look at Images of Dubai and the UAE, Images of Abu Dhabi and the UAE, Sharjah's Architectural Splendour and Dubai: Tomorrow's City Today. Dubai Discovered is a more condensed pictorial tour of Dubai, featuring stunning images taken by Victor Romero, and published in six languages (English, Arabic, French, Russian, Japanese and German). And for a fascinating historical tour back in time, read Narain Sawlani's photographic record of Dubai's rapid development, Dubai Creek: Past and Present. All these photography books are published by Explorer Publishing and are available in bookshops and supermarkets.

TimeOut and Lonely Planet also produce guide books to Dubai and the region, and for a different perspective, read any of Wilfred Thesiger's books on his experiences in the deserts of the Middle East.





This excerpt was taken from

Dubai Explorer
Series: Complete Residents Guides