- Currency: UAE Dirham (AED)
- Language: Arabic
- Key phrase to learn: As-salamu alaykum (Peace be upon you)
- Time difference: Dubai is four hours ahead of the UK in winter and three hours ahead in summer
- Average flight time: Seven hours
- International phone code: +971 4
- Emergency services number: 999
- Public holidays: (2016 dates given; Islamic holidays marked with * occur roughly 10 days earlier than they did the preceding calendar year) New Year’s Day (January 1), Al Isra’a Wal Mi’raj* (Ascension Day; May 5), Eid Al Fitr* (end of Ramadan; July 6-7), Arafat Day* (Haj; September 10), Eid Al Adha* (Feast of Sacrifice; September 11-13), Al Hijri* (Islamic New Year; October 2), Commemoration Day (November 30), UAE National Day (December 2), Milad Un Nabi* (Prophet Mohammed’s Birthday; December 12).
- Link to FCO travel advice: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/united-arab-emirates
Why go to Dubai?
Not many places on Earth are truly unique. Dubai is one of the few that are, and it’s not a word that we use lightly.
Rising above the Arabian coastline like some space-age seaside metropolis, this stylish short-break nirvana has become one of the most talked-about holiday destinations in world travel.
Having spent much of the last century as little more than a desert fishing settlement, the rampant escalation in the popularity of Dubai holidays over the last two decades has given rise to a gleaming array of five-star resorts, sky-piercing towers, fine dining restaurants and designer shopping centres. In 2016, Dubai does mindboggling luxury like nowhere else.
Rising above the Arabian coastline like some space-age seaside metropolis, this stylish short-break nirvana has become one of the most talked-about holiday destinations in world travel.
Having spent much of the last century as little more than a desert fishing settlement, the rampant escalation in the popularity of Dubai holidays over the last two decades has given rise to a gleaming array of five-star resorts, sky-piercing towers, fine dining restaurants and designer shopping centres. In 2016, Dubai does mindboggling luxury like nowhere else.
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Serious luxury and white-sand beaches
Dubai holidays now come with expectations of cutting-edge hospitality and world-class service levels.
All-inclusive in Dubai means setting the bar higher than anywhere else on Earth. Not content with having the world’s tallest building, largest shopping mall and richest horse race, Dubai also serves up almost every kind of fun-in-the-sun visitor attraction you might care to think of, from water parks to outdoor nightclubs.
Many people come for the long white beaches but it’s all-inclusive Dubai – and the extravagance that goes hand in hand with it – that keeps them coming back.
Traditional at heart
That’s not to say it doesn’t value its traditions. Fewer than 10 per cent of Dubai’s two-million strong population are Emiratis (if you’re looking for a cultural melting pot, this is the place), but the destination still holds close to its Arabian roots.
For visitors, a traditional Dubai holiday crams in everything from heritage forts, jewellery souks and cultural museums to camel rides, creek cruises and desert dinners.
Whatever your holiday desires…
Being easily accessible from the UK, Dubai is also somewhere that caters for various different kinds of getaway, from fly-and-flop beach escapes and all-inclusive holidays to short breaks and weekend breaks in Dubai.
Holidays here don’t have to cost the earth either. Compared to some of the longer-established resort destinations around the world, it’s easy to find cheap holidays in Dubai, particularly if you compare the many Dubai deals on package holidays.
When to go
When you book Dubai holidays, sunshine is pretty much a given. They say Dubai only has two seasons: hot and very hot. As such, most people tend to avoid the peak heat of the June to September period, while the cooler November to March window sees the destination at its most appealing.
If you’re looking for cheap holidays in Dubai, visit at the height of summer when prices are often considerably lower and the air-con is quite refreshing.
Another element to bear in mind is Ramadan: non-Muslim visitors certainly aren’t required to fast over the period, but eating and drinking in public during daylight hours is not permitted.
Events for your diary
If you want to coincide your holiday with an event, try bagging tickets for the Emirates Dubai Rugby Sevens Tournament in December or the Dubai World Cup horse race in March.
There’s a big month-long shopping festival, usually in January, and bear in mind too that the emirate also puts on a huge fireworks display each New Year’s Eve.