Dubai and its skyscrapers, luxury, desert and extreme modernity: the Emirates are a crossroads between East and West.
The United Arab Emirates are seven emirates on the Persian Gulf that in barely half a century went from pearl-fishing villages to a futuristic showcase of skyscrapers, air-conditioned malls and artificial islands. They are the most comfortable way to look into the Arab world: first-rate infrastructure, extremely high safety, everything signposted in English, and a mix of modern excess — the tallest building on the planet, indoor ski slopes — with desert, souks and mosques that remind you that you are still in Arabia.
Dubai is the shop window — beaches, shopping, nightlife and the old districts of Deira and Bur Dubai on the banks of the Creek; Abu Dhabi, the capital, plays the culture and serene luxury card with the Louvre and the Grand Mosque; and one or two hours away by motorway lie Sharjah (the most conservative and museum-rich emirate), the mountains of Ras al-Khaimah and the dunes of the Rub al-Khali. Everything is so close that you can build a 5 to 8-day trip combining city, desert and beach without rushing.
The best of it is how well everything works and how easy it is to get around; what surprises is that, used sensibly, it need not be the ruinously expensive destination of the postcard: you eat superbly for a few dollars, the metro is extremely cheap, and many of the best sights — the Grand Mosque, the souks, the public beaches — are free.
The local currency is the UAE dirham (AED), pegged to the US dollar at a fixed rate of around 3.67 dirhams to the dollar. Cards are accepted almost everywhere, but carry some cash for taxis, souks, tips and small shops. There are ATMs everywhere and exchange offices with good rates in the malls.
Full converter for AED →Most international flights arrive at Dubai (DXB), one of the busiest airports in the world and the Emirates hub, or Abu Dhabi (AUH), the base of Etihad, with direct routes from across Europe, North America and Asia. Within Dubai, the metro is modern, cheap and very practical for moving between the tourist areas; in Abu Dhabi the bus or a taxi is better. Taxis are plentiful and inexpensive, and apps like Careem work across the country. To tour the different emirates and the desert, hiring a car is a good option: driving is on the right, the roads are excellent and the distances short.
The ideal window is November to March, the Gulf's 'winter': sunny days of 24 to 30 °C, cool nights and low humidity, perfect for the beach, the desert and walking around the city. It is high season, with higher hotel prices and major events like the Dubai Shopping Festival in January and numerous trade fairs; book in advance.
Summer, June to September, is brutal: 40 to 48 °C, very high humidity, and much of life takes place indoors with air conditioning. In exchange, that is when hotel and flight prices drop, so if you can stand the heat and plan to move between malls, museums and pools, you get the best destination for less money. April, May and October are transition months, still hot but more manageable. Bear Ramadan in mind — the dates shift every year: many restaurants adjust their hours and you do not eat or drink in public during the day, although the tourist areas keep operating.
The food is a multicultural feast: thanks to the enormous expatriate population, in a single day you can eat Arab, Indian, Pakistani, Iranian, Filipino and Lebanese cooking. The essentials: shawarma (the street classic, from AED 5 / USD 1.35), Lebanese hummus and mezze, biryani rices, machboos (spiced rice with meat or fish, a typical Emirati dish), and for dessert kunafa or dates with Arabic coffee (gahwa). Try karak chai too, the spiced milk tea everyone drinks for under a dollar.
Eating cheaply and extremely well is entirely possible: a generous plate at a neighbourhood Indian or Pakistani restaurant costs USD 4 to 8, and street food under USD 5. A mid-range restaurant runs USD 15 to 30 per person; the luxury places with a view have no ceiling. Alcohol is expensive and sold only in licensed bars and restaurants, generally in hotels: a beer can cost USD 10 to 15. Tipping is not obligatory but 10% is appreciated if no service charge is included. Prices verified July 2026.
The Emirates are one of the safest countries in the world for travellers: violent crime is very rare, you can walk at night without concern and serious scams are uncommon. What you do need to do is respect the local laws, which are strict: no drugs at all, with very harsh penalties; no excessive public displays of affection; no photographing people — above all local women — without permission; and dress modestly in mosques and conservative areas like Sharjah. Alcohol only in licensed venues, and never drive after drinking: tolerance is zero.
On health there are no compulsory vaccinations and the standard of care is extremely high, with first-world hospitals, though expensive ones: travel insurance is essential. Tap water is drinkable because it is desalinated, though almost everyone drinks bottled for the taste; it is very cheap. The biggest real risk is the heat: in summer you must hydrate heavily and avoid the midday sun. The emergency numbers are 999 for police and 998 for ambulance.
Dubai has a reputation for being ruinously expensive, but you can travel for far less than the postcard suggests. A careful backpacker manages on USD 45 to 60 a day: a hostel dorm bed in Bur Dubai or Deira (USD 16 to 33), food at Indian and Pakistani restaurants and street stalls (USD 5 to 10 a meal), and the metro (a day pass costs AED 20, about USD 5.45; a single journey AED 3 to 7). A mid-range trip runs USD 100 to 160 a day with a three-star hotel, an excursion and better meals.
The big costs are the headline attractions and the alcohol, not the basics. Concrete references: Burj Khalifa floor 124/125 from around USD 45, a desert safari USD 40 to 70, Louvre Abu Dhabi around USD 17, a metro day pass around USD 5.45, and a beer in a bar USD 10 to 15. A great deal of the best is free: the Grand Mosque, the public beaches, the souks, the Dubai Fountain, and crossing the Creek by abra for USD 0.27. One good trick is travelling in summer, when hotels and flights drop sharply. Figures verified July 2026; the dirham is pegged to the dollar at around 3.67 AED, so it barely fluctuates.
The official language is Arabic, but English is effectively the lingua franca: in hotels, taxis, restaurants and shops you will be understood in English without difficulty, and much of the population are expatriates who use it daily. The society is Muslim and, although Dubai and Abu Dhabi are very cosmopolitan, it is worth respecting local etiquette: cover shoulders and knees away from the beach and the pools, ask permission before photographing people, and keep a low profile during Ramadan. Friday is the holy day and the local weekend is Saturday and Sunday.
Practically: the plug is type G, the British three flat pins, at 230 V, so bring an adapter. Connectivity is excellent; buy a tourist SIM from du or Etisalat at the airport or use an eSIM activated before you travel. Watch out for calling apps: WhatsApp and VoIP video calls are usually blocked or limited, so for video calls you may need a VPN or another arrangement. Careem and Uber work across the country, and the Dubai metro — clean, punctual and with a carriage reserved for women and families — is the best way to get around.
Few countries in the world have changed as much, or as fast, as the United Arab Emirates. Just three generations ago, this strip of coast and desert was home to tribes of pearl divers, Bedouin camel herders and date traders who moved between oasis and sea with the seasons. There were no paved roads, no running water, no modern schools and no state uniting the seven emirates. Today, on that same sand, stand the tallest building on the planet, islands built from nothing, airports among the busiest in the world and a society where citizens born in the country are a minority next to millions of workers who arrived from every continent.
But it would be a mistake to tell the story of the Emirates as if it began with oil. This land was the country of Magan that supplied copper to Mesopotamia more than four thousand years ago. It was a port on the Indian Ocean route, the 'Pirate Coast' that took on the Royal Navy and the 'Trucial Coast' that signed treaties with Britain, the kingdom of pearls and also the scene of their ruin. This is the long story of how seven Gulf sheikhs, pushed by the British withdrawal and guided by a Bedouin named Zayed, decided in 1971 to unite in a single country, and of how that unlikely country ended up as one of the crossroads of the 21st century. With real dates, names and figures, including the uncomfortable ones.
Read the full history of United Arab Emirates →Pick a region and open each destination to see what to do, prices and how to get there.
These are the sources we cite most across this country's guides, with how many times each appears. Hard data —tickets, opening hours, requirements, transport— comes from the official source and carries the date we checked it. Restaurant and hotel picks come from guides and reviews, and we say so on each page.
