A unique blend of timelessness and modern ambition, the UAE gives you the sense that anything is possible. Glittering skyscrapers meet ancient desert sands.
Transport in the United Arab Emirates is modern, affordable and easy to navigate, particularly in major cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Dubai’s Metro is clean and has air conditioning, and connects key areas including the airport, Downtown and the Marina, while public buses and trams fill in the gaps. Taxis are widely available, metered and reasonably priced, and ride-hailing apps such as Uber operate throughout the country. For travelling between emirates, intercity buses are reliable and budget-friendly, though many visitors choose to hire a car for more flexibility.
The United Arab Emirates has a desert climate characterised by long, intensely hot summers and short, mild winters. From May to September, daytime temperatures regularly exceed 40°C, particularly in inland areas, with high humidity along the coast in cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Winter, from November to March, is the most pleasant time to visit, with sunny skies, lower humidity and daytime temperatures averaging between 24°C and 30°C. Rainfall is minimal and largely confined to the winter months, usually falling in short, light bursts. If you’re planning outdoor activities such as desert safaris or beach days, the cooler winter season offers far more comfortable conditions.
I always book my accommodation through trusted providers like booking.com and Hostelworld, but always read the reviews carefully.
I always recommend checking the official government advice from your own country of citizenship. For example, I’m from the UK so I use the UK Government’s Foreign travel advice website, and navigate to the “Entry requirements” section of the country I wish to visit. That will show me the most up-to-date advice and the correct links to use to apply for a visa officially, without being scammed. E.g. “United Arab Emirates: Entry requirements”.
Be aware that if you just google “UAE visa”, you’ll find lots of 3rd party websites offering to do the application for you, which at best will charge you quite a lot of money and at worst may scam you completely.
If you would rather someone else take care of the application for you to save you time and hassle, I can recommend iVisa. iVisa offer an end-to-end visa application service where they take care of the entire application for you. You just need to sign up via their website and fill out the information they need from you for the application. Note that they charge a fee for this service, so it will be more expensive than applying directly yourself.
Here are some of the resources I’ve found particularly useful for travelling in the UAE. Download the apps before you go to ensure a smooth and stress-free experience! Check out my Useful Travel Resources page for my complete go-to list of websites and apps.
Currency:
United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED)
Capital City:
Abu Dhabi
Languages:
Arabic (Emirati dialect)
