Lamb, veal, poultry, fresh and canned fruits are widely used in the national cuisine. Various spices are used in large quantities in dishes. The developed tourist infrastructure of the UAE will offer you a wide selection of dishes in cafes, eateries and restaurants located on every corner. You will get acquainted with the intoxicating aromas and variety of spices of Arabic cuisine. Recently, Russian restaurants have also begun to appear. In small bars on the city streets, miraculous nectar will be prepared before your eyes – a delicious cocktail of many tropical fruits. Restaurants close at one in the morning. Night clubs and discos are open until three in the morning.
You can not photograph government institutions, sheikhs’ palaces, military facilities, women.
Tipping is not required, but recommended.
Men are greeted with a slight bow, without shaking hands.
Married women should not be taken by the arm.
It is forbidden to enter the house of an Arab with shoes on. If the owner walks ahead of you and enters in shoes himself, then this prohibition is lifted.
Food and drink should be given and taken with the right hand. If there are no forks, then you need to rinse your right hand with water and take food with a pinch.
It is strictly not recommended to offer local residents alcoholic drinks as gifts or souvenirs.
You can not pass in front of the worshipers.
In Ramadan, never eat, drink, smoke, chew gum on the streets and in public places before sunset, Ramadan is the month of Muslim fasting, and disrespect for traditions can lead to a fine and even imprisonment.
According to FUN-WIKI.COM, the United Arab Emirates is one of the world’s gold trading centers. Also here you can profitably buy clothes, shoes, audio and video equipment. It is customary to bargain in the markets. The widest selection of goods and affordable prices. The Emirates is called a paradise for buyers. The main centers of trade are Dubai, the capital of the country is Abu Dhabi, as well as Sharjah and Ajman. Bargaining is common in stores that do not have fixed prices. Discount can reach 50%, and on sales up to 80%. Some stores conduct such a pricing policy in order to first scare the buyer with the price, and then please him with a special individual discount. The East is a delicate matter – you have to bargain!
A shopping festival is held annually in Dubai, it attracts many participants from all over the world with amazing discounts, a variety of entertainment programs, and various lotteries. Most shops are open from 09.00 to 13.00 and from 16.30 to 22.00, practically seven days a week (only half a day on Friday).
It is not allowed to be drunk on the street (for this they are put in jail).
Both men and women can serve in the army, there are no service obligations.
The United Arab Emirates has twice received the title of the safest tourist destination. Crime in the UAE is practically absent: both day and night it is absolutely safe.
Drunk driving is prohibited. For this, you can be expelled from the country, and in some cases even put in jail. The fine for not wearing seat belts in the UAE is $150.
The main form of transportation in the Emirates is cars. Tourists are better off using a taxi or renting a car. There are currently two types of taxis in Dubai – unmetered taxis and Dubai Transport metered taxis. In a taxi with a meter, landing is paid 2 dirhams and then 1 dirham for each kilometer. In a taxi without a meter, it is better to agree on the cost of the trip in advance. The minimum cost of a taxi ride is 5 dirhams.
Visas may be denied to unmarried women under 30 and women under 30 who arrive in the country with their spouses but do not have their husband’s last name. A tourist visa cannot be extended or reissued. Entry and exit from the country on a tourist visa is possible only through the same airport. Visas are not issued for Israeli passports.
Duty-free import of 400 cigarettes or 2 kg is allowed. tobacco, two liters of wine and spirits for each adult tourist. The import of drugs and medicines, narcotic drugs and potent sedatives is restricted.
Dubai Airport has the world’s largest duty-free shop, where prices can be 50% lower than in Moscow.
Tipping in the UAE is a gesture of goodwill. In most cases, they are already included in the bill.
Customs can seize suspicious (contrary to the norms of Islam) materials from a tourist for censorship viewing for up to several days. And if you are found guilty, you face a prison sentence of several years.
A non-Muslim has the right to duty-free import of alcohol, cigarettes, tobacco, perfumes into the country. The import of weapons and drugs is prohibited. Video and printed materials can be viewed at the border. It is forbidden to import printed and video products of an erotic nature, as well as those capable of offending the religious feelings of Muslims or perceived as unfriendly to the state. The import of alcoholic beverages into the UAE is generally prohibited for citizens of the country. Officially, alcoholic drinks are served only in restaurants and bars of the airport or hotels.
Photographing Arab women is perceived as an insult. It is also not recommended to photograph government institutions, banks and military facilities.
Most of the beaches in the UAE are located on the shores of the Persian Gulf, where coastal currents can drag you into the sea. Swim with caution.
When sunbathing, you should definitely use protective creams, otherwise your vacation will be ruined.
On paid beaches and in water parks there are “women’s days” (Wednesday or Saturday), when men are not allowed to enter.
The best exchange rate for $100 banknotes. A relatively good rate is offered only in banks, in “exchangers” it is not profitable, and in hotels it is better not to change money at all.
The monetary unit of the country is the dirham, which consists of 100 fils. The exchange rate of the dirham to the dollar is constant and is 3.65 Dhs per dollar. Import and export of foreign and national currency is not limited. There are banknotes in circulation in 5, 10, 50, 100, 200 and 500 dirhams. Banks are open from 08.00 to 13.00 from Saturday to Wednesday, on Thursday from 08.00 to 12.00, the day off is Friday.
