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Getting There By Air:

Dubai International Airport (DBX)
Tel: (04) 224 5555.
Website: www.dubaiairport.com  

Dubai International Airport, located 5km (3 miles) southeast of the city center, is the busiest airport in the Middle East with 28.7 million passengers passing through the airport in 2006, compared to 18 million in 2003, with a projected 60 million passengers by 2010. A new terminal, which will be used exclusively by Emirates (which aims to soon become the world’s largest long haul carrier), is currently underway. There are also massively ambitious plans for a second six-runway mega airport at Jebel Ali, the Dubai World Central International Airport.

Approximate flight times to Dubai: From London is 7 hours 45 minutes; from New York is 14 hours 50 minutes; from Los Angeles is 19 hours 55 minutes; from Toronto is 14 hours 10 minutes and from Sydney is 16 hours 15 minutes.

Airport facilities: These include ATM, bureau de change, banking, post office, medical center, pharmacy, cafes, restaurants, gym, health spa, executive lounges, left luggage, duty-free shopping, tourist information bureau, smoking areas, children’s playrooms and car hire from Avis, Budget, Fast Rent a Car and Hertz.

Business facilities: There are two airport business centers. The Global Link Business Center is located in the departure lounge, with facilities including six ISDN booths, workstations with Internet connection and fax machines, as well as an around-the-clock secretarial service. The Connect Business Center (tel: (04) 216 4278) is located in the International Hotel and has five meeting rooms and a conference room for up to 60 delegates. Eight workstations include ISDN terminals and fax machines. Secretarial and office services support is offered. There are a number of executive lounges in the airport, some offering excellent business facilities.

Transport to the city: Dubai Municipality (tel: 800 4848; website: www.dm.gov.ae) airport buses, with air conditioning and extra luggage space, leave for Al Subkha (bus 401) and Al Ghubaiba (bus 402) bus stations every 30 minutes daily 0600-2200 (journey time- 20 minutes). From the bus stations there are regular transfers to all parts of the city. Prepaid airport taxis must be booked in the arrival hall. These charge a fixed rate for destinations in the city center (journey time - 10 minutes). Otherwise, Dubai Transport taxis are available outside the arrivals terminal, with a hefty initial charge.

Getting There By Water:

Jebel Ali Port is located 30km (18.5 miles) from the city center. It is the world’s largest man-made port - over 120 shipping lines use the port and it has over 100 berths. Passenger services are limited however and are not designed to cater for tourists. A massive expansion program is currently underway but the developments are geared towards freight rather than passengers. A port tax of is levied on departures from the UAE. Dubai Port Authority (tel: (04) 881 5555; website: www.dpa.co.ae) provides further information. The government-owned Dubai Cruise Terminal (website: www.dubaitourism.ae/cruise), which is capable of dealing with two liners at a time, opened at Port Rashid in 2001, with an ever-increasing number of cruise liners now using the modern terminal. Facilities at the cruise terminal include reception check-in, an information center, VIP lounge, a relaxation zone and cafe, a big-screen entertainment center, duty-free, exhibits and an Arabian palm garden.

Ferry services: Ferry services operate to ports in Iran from Sharjah, although these are not recommended for tourists and timetables are erratic. Plans have been mooted for a more developed and comprehensive regional ferry service but these are very much on the back burner at present.

Transport to the city: Taxis are the best way of getting into town. Dubai Cruise Terminal has its own taxi stand.

Getting There By Road:

The United Arab Emirates boasts an impressive network of first-class roads that connect major towns and villages, including a multi-lane highway between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Highways and main roads in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates are designated by an Emirate Route Number. Driving in the UAE is on the right-hand side. Speed limits are clearly displayed on road signs and are usually 60-80kph (37-50mph) around town and 100-120kph (62-74mph) elsewhere. Seat belts are compulsory and it is illegal to use handheld mobile phones while driving. Certain minor traffic offences incur on-the-spot fines. Drinking and driving is illegal and the maximum legal alcohol to blood ratio for driving is zero. The police must be called to any road traffic accident (no matter how minor) and those involved in the accident must remain at the scene with their vehicles.

A valid International Driving Permit, a valid national license and a passport are required to drive in Dubai. Visitors from many European, North American and Pan-Asian countries can obtain a temporary local driving license if they do not have an international license - a valid national license, passport and two passport-size photographs are required for applicants to obtain this. Drivers must be over 18 years old. Third party insurance is compulsory.

Arabian Automobile Association (tel: (04) 266 9989; website: www.aaa-uae.com) can provide further information.

Emergency breakdown service: Arabian Automobile Association (tel: 800 4900).

Routes to the city: The main Emirate Route Numbers into Dubai are 77 from Jebel Ali, 88 from Sharjah, 44 from Wajajah, 66 from Al-Ain and 11 from Abu Dhabi.

Approximate driving times to Dubai: From Al-Ain - 1 hour 15 minutes; Abu Dhabi - 1 hour 30 minutes; Muscat - 4 hours.

Coach services: Buses for Muscat in Oman depart from the car park at the Airline Center, Al-Maktoum Road, Deira (tel: (04) 203 3923). Tickets can be purchased from the driver or the Airline Center. The Gold Souk Bus Station, off Al-Khor Street, and Al-Ghubaiba Bus Station, Al-Ghubaiba Road, are the main departure points for local and intercity services, which operate 0600-2300. Dubai Municipality (tel: 800 4848; website: www.dm.gov.ae) can provide further information. There are also buses from Dubai to Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. Dubai Transport Corporation (tel: (04) 264 1111; website: www.dubaitransport.gov.ae) operates minibus services to the main cities of the UAE, but it is only possible for travelers to catch these once they are out of Dubai city.

Getting There By Rail:

There are currently no railways serving Dubai.

Getting Around:




Public Transport
The car is the most popular method of transport in Dubai. In addition, the major tourist hotels provide shuttle bus services for guests. However, Dubai Municipality (tel: (04) 221 5555 or 800 4848 (dedicated freephone information line); website: www.dm.gov.ae) operates a reasonable public bus service on over 50 routes, daily 0600-2300. Fares depend on destination and are paid to the driver upon boarding; it is useful for travelers to have the exact change ready.

‘Period Passes’ are useful for those staying more than a week in Dubai, allowing cheaper bus travel on a smart card. Passes, timetables and bus maps are available from the bus stations in Deira and Bur Dubai. Routes and bus numbers are posted in both Arabic and English.

Basic wooden boats, locally referred to as abras, cross the creek from Bur Dubai to the Al-Sabkha Station. These are operated by Dubai Municipality daily 0600-2400 (journey time - 5 minutes) and are excellent value. They were joined in 2007 by the air-conditioned Dubai Waterbus (tel: 800 9090; website: www.rta.ae), which runs across the Creek charging four times as much for the same ride.

A hugely expensive 300km (186-mile) metro system is currently under construction, which will have four lines: the Red Line running from Rashidiya Station to Jebel Ali Station; the Green Line running from the Dubai Airport Free Zone to Dubai Health Care City; the Purple Line running between the existing airport and the new one near Jebel Ali; and the Blue Line which will stretch from Emirates Road to the airports. The metro is slated to partially open in 2009 or 2010.

Taxis
Air-conditioned taxis can be hailed on the street or pre-booked by telephone. The Dubai Transport Corporation (tel: (04) 208 0808) operates metered taxis. Occasionally, drivers do not have detailed knowledge of the city and might ask passengers for directions.  Fixed fares are applied to journeys outside the city boundaries. It is also possible to hire a taxi for half a day or a full day for sightseeing. Tipping is not expected.

Driving in the City
Dubai has an excellent and well-signposted road network and the majority of roads have two to four lanes. A massive expansion to the emirate’s road network is currently underway which will see the number of lanes crossing the Creek increased to 100 by 2010.

Unfortunately, driving standards do not match the quality of the roads. Many local drivers travel at speed and change lanes with wild abandon. In addition, drivers are prone to make sudden and dangerous maneuvers. Accidents occur frequently and visitors are advised to drive defensively. Outside the city center a good road map is essential, to avoid heading aimlessly out into the desert.

Increasingly traffic congestion is also a problem, particularly in Deira and along Jumeirah Beach. Toll roads were introduced for the first time in 2007 to help alleviate the emirate’s worsening traffic congestion problems, with plans to extend the toll network. Drivers should note that there is a tax to pay for driving out of the UAE.

Car parks are operated by Dubai Municipality (tel: 800 4848; website: www.dm.gov.ae). Two centrally located covered car parks are situated near the Spice Souk and Bani Yas Square in Deira.

Car Hire
A valid International Driving Permit, passport and credit card are required to hire a car in Dubai. Visitors from many European, North American and Asian countries can obtain a temporary local driving license if they do not have an international license. A valid national license, passport and two passport-size photographs are required in order to do this. Fully comprehensive insurance is essential. In the event of an accident, the police must be informed and a written police report obtained, otherwise the hire company’s insurance might not cover any damage. Drivers must be at least 21 years old and have held a full license for one year. The age limit is often raised to 25 years for more expensive models. Payment must be made by credit card. Collision damage waiver is sometimes additional.

Major providers include Avis (tel: (04) 224 5219; website: www.avis.com), Budget (tel: (04) 224 5192; website: www.budget.com) and Fast Rent a Car (tel: (04) 224 5040; website: www.fastuae.com).

Bicycle Hire
Considering the desert environment, Dubai is not a cyclist’s paradise and bicycle hire is not a roaring trade in the city. Nevertheless, some hotels hire out bicycles. Whether or not they will hire them to non-guests varies.

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