When I first told people I was going to
Dubai, I was bombarded with a whole load of this kind of advice;
“Don’t drink alcohol, you will get arrested!”
“Don’t take any pain killers with you or
you will end up in jail!”
“Make sure you cover yourself from head to
toe, it’s illegal to show any skin!”
Seriously, it got to the point that I was
actually getting kind of nervous about going.
I think Dubai and the United Arab Emirates
in general are widely misunderstood by many of us westerners, so I wanted to
debunk some of the myths that surround this beautiful country, answer some of
the questions I asked and have been asked and pull together a bit of a list of
do’s and don’ts for a visit to Dubai, so that if you are considering a visit you
can go there and relax, and enjoy all the incredible things there are to do.
FIRST… A LITTLE ABOUT THE RELIGION IN DUBAI
Islam is the predominant religion in Dubai
and their customs and values are very important to them so it is incredibly
important that visitors show respect to both their beliefs and their practices.
Muslims in Dubai are called to pray five times a day and you can hear these
calls through speaker systems dotted all around the city. It is truly a
beautiful sound and one of the things I will always remember about my visit to
Dubai.
Other religions are accepted by the
Emiratis and visitors and expats are free to practice their beliefs in a
mutually respectful way.
HOW SHOULD I DRESS IN DUBAI?
Whilst Emiratis abide by their own
traditional dress code, it is expected that visitors also show respect for
local customs by dressing conservatively.
This doesn’t mean you need to cover
yourself from head to toe, but it does mean that you do dress modestly. It is preferable that you do cover your shoulders and
knees when in public, you do not
wear clothes with offensive slogans or expose offensive tattoos and you do not wear your swimmers
outside of the pool or beach areas.
CAN I HOLD HANDS WITH MY PARTNER IN DUBAI?
Married couples are allowed to hold hands
in public, but hugging and kissing and public displays of affection aren’t generally
tolerated. Again, you just have to remember that it is a very modest country so
your behavior should be modest at all times.
CAN I SHARE A ROOM WITH MY BOYFRIEND / GIRLFRIEND IN DUBAI?
Sex outside of marriage and living with
your partner out of wedlock is illegal in UAE as is sharing a hotel room with
your boyfriend / girlfriend… that being said… I asked the hotel staff about
this and they told me that most of the major hotels don’t enforce this rule -
BUT just don’t flaunt it in their face.
Call yourselves Mr & Mrs yadayada
anyway and stick to the rules about PDAs.
CAN SAME SEX COUPLES SHARE A ROOM IN DUBAI?
OK, so the deal is - homosexual behavior is
illegal in Dubai and actually considered a criminal offence… so again be
conservative. Book a twin share room for you and your partner and behave
modestly and discreetly in public.
CAN I DRINK ALCOHOL IN DUBAI?
Contrary to popular belief – Yes, tourists over
the age of 21 CAN drink alcohol in Dubai, but only in licensed restaurants,
hotels, bars and private venues.
It is against the law to drink outside of
these places and you cannot purchase alcohol in a liquor shop or market without
an alcohol license.
CAN I TAKE MY MEDICATION TO DUBAI?
There are very strict laws in Dubai when it
comes to medication and many medicines are forbidden. That being said, I took
with me Panadeine Forte, Anti Anxiety medication, and Epipen and antihistamine.
It is recommended however that you carry with you a letter from your Doctor
detailing your medication and their reason for use.
Make sure you only take the amount you need
whilst you are there and keep it in its original packaging with a prescription
label – even for non prescription drugs.
Like most countries, illegal drugs are
strictly forbidden and carrying, using or even residual on your luggage could
lead to imprisonment or deportation. Don’t be a fool about drugs at all in this country.
CAN I SMOKE IN DUBAI?
Yes, you can smoke tobacco in Dubai. You
must be over 18 years old and only smoke in permitted areas.
IS IT TRUE YOU GET ARRESTED FOR SPITTING IN DUBAI?
Ewww, I mean spitting in general is pretty
gross and yes, you can get arrested for spitting. You can also be arrested for
swearing, sticking your finger up and being aggressive in general. You could
also face immediate deportation.
CAN YOU FREELY PHOTOGRAPH IN DUBAI?
Of course you can, but like anywhere, if
you don’t know someone, ask their permission before you take their photo. Don’t
take photos of Arab women as it is considered rude and do not take photos of
government buildings.
SHOULD YOU SHAKE HANDS IN DUBAI?
I got confused with this one as I had read
that women should not shake hands with men in Dubai. But the rule of thumb is
men do not shake hands with Muslim women and some local men prefer not to shake
hands with women in general.
Follow their lead – wait for a hand to be
offered.
CAN YOU DRINK THE WATER IN DUBAI?
Yep, totally. The water is safe to drink
but bottled water is available everywhere too.
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO GO TO DUBAI WEATHER-WISE?
July (summertime) can get to over 50˚c so
pretty darn hot and humid. You are in the desert after all. January
(wintertime) is milder and the temperature can get as low as 15˚c so it really
depends on what floats your boat.
We were there in winter and the weather was
pretty much perfect in my books.
Everywhere is air-conditioned in Dubai so
make sure you carry a cardi or a wrap with you too.
IS THE SHOPPING GOOD IN DUBAI?
Ummmm is the Pope a Catholic?
YES!
The currency in Dubai is the Dirham and
currently $1 Australian is equivalent to 2.97 Dhs.
You can use your keycard and credit cards
to pay in shops and to withdraw money from ATMS but most markets and souks only
deal in cash.
Gold is especially affordable in the souks,
but do your research first and know what you should pay before you negotiate.
Speaking of negotiating, it is acceptable to bargain in souks and markets but
not in a mall or regular shop.
If you want to have a go at bargaining in
the souks, ask for their starting price and offer 50% of that price as your
first offer then go from there. Be respectful and do not agree on a price and
then renege.
The shopping in Dubai is phenomenal… I mean
HELLO The Dubai Mall! Shops in malls are generally open between 8am-10am and
10pm Saturday to Thursday and some shops and malls are closed on Fridays and
during Ramadan until 2pm.
We found most of the souks closed for a
rest period from around lunchtime until 5pm and shopping comes alive again in
the cool of the night.
DO I NEED A VISA TO GO TO DUBAI?
If you are from Australia, you do not need
to source an advanced VISA. You are given a 30-day visit visa when you pass
through immigration.
Our guide explained to us that Dubai has
evolved a lot in recent years and the government has relaxed many of their
rules and regulations to become more tourist friendly.
It IS truly a fabulous country to visit.
Not only is Dubai culturally rich and a feast for your ALL of your senses, it
is fun and safe and the perfect place for a family holiday or a wonderful place
to stopover en route.
