Time Difference
The UAE are three hours ahead of London (GMT).
Money
The currency is the United Arab Emirates dirham (DH).
Electricity
In Dubai, electricity operates on a 230V supply voltage and 50Hz. The plug type in G, which is the same as the UK.
Shops and Amenities
The UAE is home to some of the world’s largest malls so it’s not surprising that their opening hours exceed general timings. Shop till you drop from 10am until 10pm (some even close at midnight on Friday and Saturday). Some more traditional shops in Old Dubai and the souks open at 8am and close at 9pm with a break for lunch from 1 to 4 pm.
Media
There are seven Arabic newspapers and twelve English language newspapers, including The Arabian Post, Emirates Today and The National. The main free to air English television channels are Dubai One, MBC 4 and MBC 2. Most shows are broadcast in English, with Arabic subtitles. Dubai One, MBC 4 and MBC Action show mostly well-known US and UK series.
Post
To ship parcels to the UAE with Royal mail international standard, tracked and signed, shipments take between five and seven working days. To send parcels to the UK, deliveries can take between three and seven working days for delivery of cargo by air freight, and up to four weeks via sea freight.
Phone
To call the United Kingdom from the UAE, dial: 011 - 44 - area code – and a landline number or 011 - 44 – plus a mobile number. To make a call from the UK to the UAE, dial: +971 – and a landline number.
Internet and Mobile Coverage
There are two major network operators; Du (based out of Dubai) and Etisalat (based out of Abu Dhabi), and both offer coverage throughout the UAE. And with an average 5G download speed of 316.8 Mbps, the UAE has some of the fastest and high-quality internet servers and providers in the world.
