Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Banking Hours
Bank opening hours vary throughout the region, but usually operate from 8am or 9am to noon or 1pm,
either five or six days a week. Some reopen for a couple of hours in the afternoon. Foreign-exchange facilities usually
keep longer hours.
Ramadan Hours
Government offices work shorter hours during Ramadan and businesses tend to open much later and
close earlier, or else not open at all during the day but remain open for much of the night. Note that many restaurants
close during the day throughout Ramadan - or even remain closed for the month.
Tourist Attractions
You can't rely on tourist sites opening as prescribed. If you're determined to see a particular mu-
seum or other attraction and haven't time to waste, it's worth calling ahead to make sure it's open as stated. That, alas, is
still no guarantee!
OPEN SESAME
Where possible throughout this topic we have given the opening times of places of interest. The information is
usually taken from notices posted at the sites. However, often the reality on the ground is that sites open pretty
much when the gate-guard feels like it. On a good day he'll be there an hour early, on a bad day he won't turn up
at all. Who can blame him when in little-touristed sites, like some of those in Yemen or Oman, he may not see a
visitor for days? All opening hours must be prefaced, therefore, with a hopeful
insha'allah
(God willing)!
Photography
Restrictions
Do not photograph anything vaguely military in nature (including the police) or anything construed as
'strategic' (including airports, bridges and ports). In general terms, Bahrain and the UAE are the most relaxed countries
on the Peninsula when it comes to photography, while Kuwait, Oman and Yemen seem to have the broadest definitions
of what constitutes a 'strategic' site. In Saudi Arabia it often seems that the authorities just don't like cameras.
Photographing People
Do not photograph anyone without their permission, especially women. In the more conservat-
ive countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and some parts of Yemen, you can cause real offence in this way and may
risk having stones thrown at you.
Photographing Poverty
People on the Peninsula are often offended when you take photographs of run-down houses or
anything that resembles poverty, as the tendency is to emphasise what the country has achieved in the last few decades.
Religious Sites
Photography is usually allowed inside religious and archaeological sites (when entry is permitted), un-
less there are signs indicating otherwise. Avoid taking photos of religious observance.
ISLAMIC HOLIDAYS 2013-2018
Dates of Islamic holidays are dependent on moon sightings and consequently may occur a day later, but not generally
earlier, than listed. Not all countries spot the moon on the same day (cloud cover doesn't count), so regional differences
between countries occur each year. In fact, speculation regarding whether or not tomorrow will bring
eid
is the subject
of great public debate and private expat exasperation. The following is therefore to be treated as a guide only!
EID
AL-
FITR
YEAR
HEJIRA
NEW
YEAR
ASHURA
PROPHET'S
RAMADAN
BEGINS
EID AL-
ADHA
BIRTHDAY
