Some useful facts about Dubai

Information provided is true and correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of publishing.

• No taxes on income and capital gains
• Freehold title & ownership
• Simplified Purchase, Ownership and
  Sale Experience
• Residence Visas arranged for purchasers and family
• No EU reporting of income or investments
• Outstanding modern facilities
• Served by one of the worlds best airports, with over 100 airlines connecting to over 140 destinations
• Stable Government committed to the prosperity of the Emirate
• Beautiful pristine beaches overlooking the Palm Islands
• The fastest growing leisure & sporting destination in the World
• Unbeatable tax free shopping
• Modern banking and e-business facilities
• Regional free zones, media and internet hubs
  

Credit Cards
American Express, Diners Club, Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted in larger and more expensive establishments.

Currency
The United Arab Emirates dirham is divided into 100 fils. Bills come in 1000, 500, 200, 100, 50, 10, and 5 dirham notes. Coins are minted in 1 dirham, 50 and 25 fils. Most banks, hotels and legal moneychangers will handle the exchange of foreign currency. Banks offer the best rates. If you are given grubby and soiled notes, hand it back as these may be refused by other establishments. No exchange controls are in place.

Visas
Before arriving, all tourists are issued a limited term visit or tourist visa by the Immigration & Naturalisation Department. Citizens from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and KSA do not require visas. Those wanting to stay in Dubai for a long time need permission in the form of a residence permit. Unless you are joining a spouse who is already a resident and working in Dubai, you must have a job to get a residence permit.

All visit visas only allow one entry to Dubai. Some nationalities can extend their visit for another 30 days but after that you must leave the country. Please contact your local UAE Embassy or Consulate for more information on visas to the United Arab Emirates.

Tipping
Hotels and restaurants often include a 10% service charge, which makes tipping unnecessary. However, if a service charge has not been included to your bill, tip 10% to 15% of the bill to the service staff. Hotel porters are tipped a couple of dirhams per piece of luggage. Cab drivers need not be tipped.

Useful Numbers
Country dialling code - 971
Dubai Area Code - 4
Police - 999
Ambulance - 998
Fire - 997

Time Zone
GMT+4, same as Muscat. Dubai is three hours behind Bangkok and eight hours ahead of New York.

Holidays
Jan 1 2005 New Year's Day
Jan 21 Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice)
Feb 10 Al-Hijra (Islamic New Year)
Apr 21 Mouloud (Birth of the Prophet)
Aug 6 Accession of HH Sheikh Zayed
Sep 1 Leilat al-Meiraj (Ascension of the Prophet)
Nov 3-5 Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan)
Dec 2 National Day