Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
city and town. A letter to Europe costs Dh4.75, while a postcard costs Dh3 and a 1kg par-
cel costs Dh95.50. Rates to the US or Canada are almost identical: Dh5.50 for letters, Dh3
for postcards and Dh97 for the 1kg parcel. Mail generally takes about a week to 10 days
to Europe or the USA and eight to 15 days to Australia.
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
As well as the major Islamic holidays (
Click here
)
, the UAE observes the following public
holidays:
New Year's Day
1 January
Accession Day
(of HH Sheikh Zayed) 6 August
National Day
2 December
A mourning period of up to one week usually follows the death of a royal family member,
a government minister or a head of a neighbouring state. Government offices, some busi-
nesses and state-run tourist attractions (such as museums) are closed on these days. Events
may be cancelled.
PRACTICALITIES
»
News & Magazines
Widely read English-language dailies are
The National
,
Gulf News
,
Gulf Today
and
Khaleej Times
. Content is government-controlled.
Time Out
produces the most popular weekly listings
magazine, with separate editions for Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
What's On
is a less insightful monthly. International
magazines and newspapers are readily available.
»
Radio
Popular stations include BBC Worldwide (87.9) and Dubai Eye (103.8) for news and talk; Dubai FM
(92), Channel 4 FM (104.8) and Emirates Radio 1 (104.1) and 2 (99.3) for music.
»
TV
There are several English-language TV channels, including Abu Dhabi's Channel 48 and Dubai One, and
scores of English-language satellite channels.
SAFE TRAVEL
The UAE has a low incidence of crime and even pickpocketing and bag snatching are
rare. One very real danger is bad driving. Courtesy on the road simply does not exist.
People will cut in front of you, turn without indicating and race each other on highways.
Out of the cities, remember the left lane is for passing only - block them at your own
risk as speeds of up to 200km/h are not unusual. Some drivers also have a tendency to
zoom into roundabouts at frightening speeds and try to exit them from inside lanes. Pedes-
trian crossings are no guarantee that drivers will stop or even slow down.
