Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
In small businesses, including cheap restaurants, bus stations and budget hotels, and in rural areas, you will need cash
for most transactions.
Credit Cards
Credit cards are widely accepted on the Peninsula (except Yemen) and almost everything can be paid for by plastic, right
down to your morning coffee.
Visa and MasterCard are the most popular credit cards; Amex is less widely accepted. It's possible to get cash ad-
vances on credit cards.
Moneychangers
Moneychangers are easy to find in all Peninsula cities but the rates do not differ much from banks.
SECURITY
On the whole, theft is rare in the region. Scams involving ATMs sometimes occur so beware of any unusual-look-
ing key pads or signs of tampering.
Tipping
Tips are not generally expected in the Gulf and the concept of
baksheesh,
well known throughout the rest of the Middle
East, is little known on the Peninsula. That said, those who have contact with tourists (such as guides or hotel porters)
have grown to expect tips.
Note that the service charge added to most hotel and restaurant bills is not an automatic gratuity that goes to the
waiters. It usually goes into the till and is often the restaurant's way of making the prices on the menu look 10% to 15%
cheaper than they really are. Waiters in the Gulf tend to be paid derisory wages, so a small tip discreetly left on the table,
while not required, is greatly appreciated if the service is good. The practice of automatic lavish tip-giving, however, can
backfire as many establishments simply reduce the wages of their employees if they know that tips are expected.
Travellers Cheques
Travellers cheques (particularly from Amex and Thomas Cook) are exchangeable in big cities but seldom encountered
and are becoming increasingly redundant in the region. With low levels of theft, it is hard to find a good reason to re-
commend using them in the Peninsula.
Opening Hours
Regional & Seasonal Variations
Business hours vary from country to country and sometimes from region to region
within a country (depending on climatic differences, such as those in highland/lowland Yemen). They also vary from in-
stitution to institution and from season to season (especially during Ramadan). Above all, Arabs are not known for blind
obedience to rules, and business hours are often taken with a pinch of salt.
Weekend
In Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the UAE, the weekend is Friday and Saturday; elsewhere it is Thursday
and Friday. Shops stay open for six days a week in all countries and many open for a limited period on Friday evening
too. Major tourist sights usually open during the weekend - at last.
