United Arab Emirates: good to know
The general-information half of trip planning: how expensive United Arab Emirates feels, what is considered polite, what is not, and the everyday practicalities - alongside our 90 written places.
Glass-tower modern atop deep Bedouin courtesy; public decorum is the deal.
✓ Considered polite
- Dress modestly in malls and public areas - shoulders and knees covered is the safe norm
- Accept dates and coffee when offered - the ritual welcome
- Use the metro's designated carriages correctly in Dubai
- Visit a mosque open to visitors - Sheikh Zayed in Abu Dhabi is breathtaking
✗ Better avoided
- Show affection publicly beyond holding hands
- Drink alcohol outside licensed venues or be drunk in public - laws are real
- Photograph people, government buildings or accidents
- Eat or drink publicly by day during Ramadan
Worth knowing
- Cards work everywhere
- Tipping is 10% if no service charge
- Taxis are cheap and metered; ride apps work too
- Friday brunch is the expat institution; the weekend is Saturday-Sunday now
Plugs and voltage: Wikipedia, «Mains electricity by country» (after the IEC World Plugs list), read 15 October 2026.
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Keep planning
Customs are living things - regions differ, cities relax, generations shift. Take these notes as a friendly head start, watch what locals do, and when in doubt a smile and a greeting in the local language cover almost everything.