Quick Facts

All visitors require visas for entering the UAE, except nationals of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia), USA and most European countries.

Please contact your nearest UAE Embassy or airlines for visa assistance prior to your visit.

The monetary unit of the UAE is the Dirham (abbreviated to DHS or AED), which is divided into 100 fils.

Abu Dhabi has a comprehensive network of local and international banks as well as numerous ATMs. All major credit cards are widely accepted.

Licensed money-exchange facilities can be found all over Abu Dhabi, including at international hotels.

Here are the most recent exchange rates for some common currencies.

AED 1.00 equals:

A service charge of 10%, tourism tax of 3.5% and municipality fees of 2% will be applied. An additional municipality room fee of AED 10 per room, per night will also be applied. All services and products sold by the hotel are subject to a 5% value tax on top of the room charge and 10% tourism fees.

Tipping practices are similar to those in the rest of the world.  Taxi drivers do not expect it but do appreciate it when given something extra.

In restaurants, 10% is adequate if service is not included.

Bank Hours
8am - 1pm, Saturday to Thursday

Office Hours
8am - 6pm, Sunday to Thursday

Shopping Hours
9am - 1pm; 4pm - 10pm (General)
9am - 11pm (Everyday except Friday)

Medical services in the country are of a high standard and visitors should not find it difficult to obtain appropriate treatment and advice.

No health certificates are required to from visitors unless they are arriving from a cholera or yellow-fever infected area visited in the previous 14 days.

The attitude to dress in Abu Dhabi is relaxed, but all visitors should show respect for local culture and customs in public places by avoiding excessively revealing clothing.

Lightweight summer clothes are suitable year-round, but slightly warmer garments may be needed in the evenings during the winter months. A sweater or a cardigan may be required in malls, hotels and restaurants due to air-conditioning.

Swimming attire is acceptable at beaches and pools.

Abu Dhabi has a sub-tropical, arid climate and sunny blue skies with temperatures ranging from a low of around 10°C (50° F) in winter, to a high of around 48°C (118° F) in the summer.

The most pleasant time to visit is during the cooler winter months when temperatures are around 24°C (75° F) during the day and 13°C (56°F) at night.

Humidity can be somewhat high for prolonged stays outdoors during the hottest months (July and August).

Rainfall is almost nonexistent.