The Place
| Country | 2nd largest of the seven United Arab Emirates (UAE) |
| Time Zone | GMT + 4 (+3 for British Summer Time) |
| Area | Dubai approx. 2,500 sq miles (twice the size of Luxembourg)
UAE approx. 32,000 sq miles |
The People
| Population | Approx. 1.4 million: 80% expatriate; 100,000 British |
| Languages | Arabic and English are the main languages |
| Religion | Sunni Muslim country, most major faiths represented, Anglican and Catholic church here since the 1970s |
The Property
| Buying | Possible since 2002 on a freehold basis, certain areas have been master developed and designated by the Government for foreign ownership. A law has since been announced confirming this in 2006 |
| Residence | Completed properties in freehold projects entitles owners to apply for residents visas without having sponsors/employers, as long as they own the property. A residents permit is necessary for opening bank accounts, enrolling at schools, owning a car, obtaining a local driving licence and it is otherwise only available through employment. Foreigners can seldom obtain UAE citizenship |
| Costs | Expect around 2% transfer fees and 2% agency fees. All villas and apartments have annual service charges as in the UK |
| Renting | Usually on annual contract with rent payable either 12 months in advance or via 2 or 3 cheques over the year |
| Mortgaging | Usually around 7 - 8% interest, up to 70% of the current value (or the developer’s original price if not yet completed) over about 15 years |
Getting There
| From London | 6 hour flight |
| Direct | Emirates flies from the UK 11 times a day |
| Indirect | Etihad flies daily to Abu Dhabi, approx. 1 hour drive away |
| Visa entry | British citizens get 60 days free on each arrival, renewable on re-entry EU, North America, Australia get 30 days on arrival Israeli passports or passports with Israeli stamps not permitted Your passport should be valid for 6 months beyond date of entry |
The Money
| Currency | Dirham (AED or Dh) (pegged at Dh 3.67 to the US dollar) |
| Exchange rate | Exchange rates fluctuate regularly, currently approx. £1 = Dh 7 as at April 2007, updates available via www.xe.com |
| Credit cards | All widely accepted, although cash more popular than in Europe |
When to go
| Climate | Climate Lows of 10°C in winter, highs of 45°C in summer (particularly June - September) Rainfall scarce in winter, high humidity in summer (air - conditioning in all buildings and cars) |
| Working hours | Working hours Shops – 7 days 10pm or later, some closed on Friday mornings Offices – Friday and Saturday is the Arabic weekend |
Getting Around
| Driving | Driving On the right and overtake on the left, as in Europe. A UK driving licence is exchangeable for a UAE driving licence (residents only) |
| Petrol | Unleaded 20p a litre |
| Parking | Covered, valet and off-street parking freely available Meters 30p an hour in some areas between 8am – 1pm and 4am – 9pm Parking is free on Fridays |
| Car hire | Available with UK licence or International Driving Permit Starting approx. £115 a week |
| Taxis | Metered and available at hotel/mall ranks, on the street or on call |
| Transport | Limited public transport but a metro is under construction and the bus network is being expanded in the meantime |
| Telephone | IDD 00 971 - followed by area code and number Landline to landline free within each emirate, mobiles equivalent 5p/minute Calling UK around 34p/minute peak |
Expatriate not tourist?
| Health | Private health insurance necessary Several major hospitals with direct settlement from some UK insurance companies |
| Education | High pass rates in British National Curriculum schools up to age 18. International/European Baccalaureate and S.A.T. also available Fees similar to UK independent schools |
