Page 110 - (DK Eyewitness) Top 10 Travel Guide - Dubai & Abu Dhabi

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Currency the mobile number. North America and
and Banking Within the UAE, dial Australasia takes about
050/055/056 for mobiles, 10 days. It’s unreliable,
The UAE’s currency is 04 to call Dubai from however, so register
the UAE dirham, written outside the emirate and anything valuable or
as AED (Arab Emirates 02 to phone Abu Dhabi use a courier for anything
Dirham) or as Dh. One from another emirate. urgent. Emirates Post
dirham is divided into If you’re bringing your also provides surface
100 fils. Notes are in own mobile/cellphone and air delivery services
denominations of AED 5, from home, note that for sending large parcels,
AED 10, AED 20, AED 50, GSM phones (the type although courier services
AED 100, AED 200, AED typically used in Europe) are more reliable. Com­
500 and AED 1000. Coins will work in Dubai, but panies with a good
are available as 25 fils, 50 make sure any international reputation for service
fils and one dirham. The call bar is switched off. include Aramex, FedEx
UAE dirham is pegged to North American CDMA and DHL. All will pick up
the US dollar. US$1 is phones will not work, so from your hotel – you can
equal to AED 3.67. All you’ll have to either bring pay on collection if you
other currencies a non­CDMA phone from don’t have an account.
fluctuate, but at the time home or purchase a
of writing €1 was equal handset locally. TV, Radio and
to AED 4 and £1 was If you need a mobile, Newspapers
worth AED 5. it’s generally easier (and
Numerous international cheaper) to get a local The UAE has a number of
banks operate in the UAE, SIM card. The national daily English­language
including HSBC, Citibank telecommunications newspapers (mostly AED
and Standard Chartered company Etisalat offers 3–4), although all practise
Bank. Good local banks visitors a useful “Visitor some degree of self­
include National Bank Mobile Line” (AED 35, censorship in order to
of Abu Dhabi, Mashreq including 20 minutes of avoid offending the
Bank and National Bank free local calls), which government. The best
of Dubai. Globally linked gives you a SIM card and is The National, published
ATMs are everywhere. allows you to make calls in Abu Dhabi. Gulf News
American Express, at local rates. The card is (published in Dubai) is
Mastercard and Visa are is available at the Etisalat also reasonable, while
widely accepted and shops and other outlets. the online newspaper
credit cards can be used You’ll need to present Emirates 24/7 provides
almost anywhere. your passport when the latest updates.
There are also buying a SIM card. The biggest of the
numerous bureaux de There is WiFi access various Emirati television
change, including the everywhere. Etisalat channels is the English­
leading Al Ansari operates numerous WiFi language Dubai One,
Exchange, which has “hotspots” in shopping which mainly screens
branches all over the city, malls, restaurants, coffee repackaged US shows
including in many malls. shops and elswhere. and movies, plus a few
You can pay online with local programmes. There
Telephone a credit card, with rates are also several English­
and Internet starting at around AED 10 language radio stations
per hour. including Virgin Radio
To phone the UAE from Dubai (104.4 FM), though
abroad, dial your inter­ Post and Couriers none is notably interesting.
national access code, the
UAE country code 971, Emirates Post is the Opening Hours
then 4 for Dubai or 2 for UAE’s national postal
Abu Dhabi, followed by service. You can buy The UAE weekend is
the local number. To dial a stamps at any post office Friday and Saturday.
mobile from abroad, dial and at some stationery Business hours aren’t
971 50/55/56 followed by shops. Mail to Europe, fixed but, generally,

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