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Tips & Facts

SEASON
Best time to visit Dubai is between November and March, marked by an extremely pleasant climate. The winter months of January and February experiences light showers bringing the temperatures down. Summers are hot with high humidity. The mean daily maximum is 24 Deg C in January rising to 41 Deg C in July.

SOCIAL CUSTOMS
Muslim religious laws should be observed. During Ramadan, it is illegal to eat, drink or smoke in public.

Dubai is a friendly city but as anywhere else an appreciation of the prevailing customs would help largely in an enjoyable stay.

While men could do well with formal attire, women are expected to dress conservatively. Nudity is strictly forbidden. Swimsuits are to be confined to hotel swimming pools only.

Alcoholic beverages are served in bars and many restaurants. Tipping practices are similar to most parts of the world. Where service charges are not included, 10% is adequate.

CURRENCY
The basic monetary unit of UAE is the Dirham (Dh). The paper currency comes in denominations of 1000, 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5 and coins in Dh 1 and fils 50, 25, 10 and 5. A Dirham is divided into 100 fils.

There are no restrictions on import and export of both local and foreign currencies. Hotel bills can be paid in cash, travellers cheques or credit cards.

CUSTOMS REGULATIONS
It is prohibited by law to import the following items into the UAE:

Drugs, firearms, ammunition and pornographic material.

SHOPPING
In Dubai, shopping is regarded as a pleasure. From the most modern shopping malls to the traditional souks (markets), Dubai provides an endless scope for shoppers. In terms of sheer variety, quality, and service, Dubai as a shopping centre stands second to none. Customs duties being low, luxury goods are cheaper than in most countries. Best buys include clothes and fabrics (check out the designer label outlets at Karama and Al Satwa), carpets and rugs, electronics, sports goods, perfumes, jewellery, ethnic gifts and novelties, spices, etc. Shopping complexes like City Centre, Bur Juman Centre and Al Ghurair Centre are certainly worth a visit. The amazing gold souk, one of the largest retail gold markets in the world is in Deira.

The award winning Dubai Duty Free complex at the international airport is where one can buy the latest in high-tech electronics and cameras to luxury goods from all over the globe, bearing brand names and labels of international repute. The duty-free is one of the best in the world.

Shopping malls are open from 10 am to 10 pm. Normal shopping hours are from 9 am to 9 pm with a three-hour break from 1 pm to 4 pm. Supermarkets stay open till late in the night with a few going round the clock. On Fridays all shops close for prayers from 11.30 am to 1.30 pm. Visitors can also enjoy the spree and treat themselves to some longed-for purchases during the annual Dubai Shopping Festival and the Dubai Summer Surprise.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Telecom Services include International Direct Dialling (IDD) service to all subscribers in UAE, Home Country Direct telephone (HCD), special Star services, specialized information-based Value Added Network Services (VANS), on-line information service, Radio Paging Systems, Al-Zajel Voice Mail service, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) with Prepaid GSM SIM Card, Bulletin Boards, toll-free Service 800, the Common User Message Management System (CUMMS), Electronic Mail Network (Emnet) enabling subscribers to make calls worldwide, the Emirates Data Network (Emdan), Internet services, marine communications, Inmarsat-M&B, and the Etconsult, a consultancy service for telecom and computer companies, besides the regular telecom services. Phone calls within the emirate are free.

The facilities are provided by the Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat) head-quartered at Abu Dhabi.

NEWSPAPERS
Three daily newspapers are published from Dubai, Al Bayan in Arabic, Khaleej Times and Gulf News in English.

TOURISM AND COMMERCE INFORMATION
The wide range of high quality promotional and information materials produced by Government of Dubai, Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, from time to time, covers almost all the major areas of tourism and commerce and gives detailed information on the resources and tourism facilities available in Dubai. Tel: +971-4-2230000, Fax: +971-4-2230022. Their Internet website http://www.dctpb.gov.ae/ will also provide extensive information on Dubai.

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