| Essential
visitor information
Abu Dhabi & the United Arab Emirates Abu
Dhabi is the name of both the capital city of
the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the largest
of the seven individual emirates that make up
the country. The UAE was created as a federation
and became a unified independent sovereign state
in 1971.
Language
Arabic is the official national language, although
English is widely spoken and understood. A wide
range of European languages are spoken within
the hospitality industry.
Local Currency
The local currency is the Dirham (official abbreviation
AED, unoffical Dh) available in the following
banknote denominations: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200,
500 and 1000.
In addition to a 1 Dirham coin, there are also
coins denominated in Fils (100 Fils = 1 Dirham).
Coins are available in the following denominations:
5, 10, 25, and 50 Fils (the 5 and 10 are rarely
used so prices are usually rounded up or down
to the nearest 25 Fils).
Shop opening hours are generally 8am to 9:30pm,
seven days a week and food prices are roughly
equivalent to those in the UK. Friday is the Official
Muslim weekend and there are certain restrictions
at that time. Negotiating cost is acceptable in
the markets (souks) but not in shops or supermarkets.
Visa Requirements
All visitors to the UAE require a visa except
nationals of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
countries; Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Saudi
Arabia. However, nationals of 33 other countries
can obtain a one-month visit visa upon arrival
at UAE airports or other ports of entry. These
countries are Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium,
Brunei, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France,
Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland,
Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia,
Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway,
Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States and
the Vatican.
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Taxis
A more convenient option to get around Abu Dhabi
city and neighbouring regions or emirates is by
hiring a taxi. Minimum taxi fare in Abu Dhabi
is at AED 3, where an additional AED 0.75 is charged
for every succeeding kilometre of a journey. Presently,
there are plenty (about 7,000) of taxis operating
in the emirate, which can be hailed from almost
any area at any time. Some operators (e.g. Al
Ghazal and NTC) also accept advanced booking for
their services.
Taxi Service Abu Dhabi
Al Ghazal Express +971 2 444 5885
Al Ghazal Taxis +971 2 444 7787
National Transport Company (NTC) +971 2 622 3300
Car Rental/Hire
Renting a car in Abu Dhabi is a convenient and
inexpensive way to explore the emirate. There
is a wide choice of car rental companies to choose
from, in both Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. Major international
car rental agencies such as Hertz, Europcar and
Avis, are present in Abu Dhabi while a large number
of local car rental companies also provide quality
services.
AVIS (02) 575 7180
Budget (02) 575 7188
EuroStar (02) 575 7674
FAST (02) 575 7137
Hertz (02) 575 5331
Thrifty (02) 575 7400
Climate & Weather
The climate in the United Arab Emirates is sub-tropical
and arid. During summer (April to September) the
weather is hot (around 50 degrees C) and extremely
humid. At other times the humidity is less and
the temperature generally ranges from 20-35 degrees
C, with an average night time temperature of -15
degrees C. Rainfall is infrequent and usually
occurs between November and March, with an average
annual rainfall of 152mm (6 in.). There can be
occasional sandstorms from the desert and some
winter mornings bring fog, although this usually
dissipates fairly quickly.
Click here to check Current Weather Conditions in Abu Dhabi
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