вторник, 26 април 2011 г.

Everything about Dubai

Downtown Dubai, previously known as Downtown Burj Dubai, is a large-scale mixed-use complex under development in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is the home of some of the city's most important landmarks including Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall, and Dubai Fountain. It covers an area of 2 square kilometres (0.77 sq mi), and estimated to cost US$20 billion (Dh73 billion) upon completion.
The complex is situated along Sheikh Zayed Road across from Al Wasl locality on the north-west. It is bounded to the south by Business Bay and to the north-east by Financial Centre Road, which separates it from Zabeel 2 and Trade Centre 2. It is connected to the Dubai Metro via the Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall Metro Station. The First Interchange, which is in the last phases of construction, will guarantee the free flow of traffic to and from the area.
Development is divided into 11 projects: Burj Khalifa, Dubai Fountain, Dubai Mall, Burj Park Island, and The Address Downtown Dubai hotel are at the center of the complex. The Old Town and The Old Town Island is mostly low-rise residential buildings, in addition to three hotels and Souq Al Bahar. Emaar Boulevard, The Residences and South Ridge comprise high-rise residential towers. And Emaar Square is a low-rise office complex.

Dubai Mall



The Dubai Mall is the world's largest shopping mall based on total area and sixth largest by gross leasable area. Located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, it is part of the 20-billion-dollar Burj Khalifa complex, and includes 1,200 shops. Access to the mall is provided via Doha Street, rebuilt as a double-decker road in April 2009.
Twice delayed, Dubai Mall opened on November 4, 2008, with about 600 retailers, marking the world's largest-ever mall opening in retail history. However it is not the largest in gross leasable space, and is surpassed in that category by several malls including the South China Mall, which is the world's largest, Golden Resources Mall, SM City North Edsa, and SM Mall of Asia.
The Dubai Mall has recorded a visitor turn-out of more than 60,000 tickets sold for the Dubai Aquarium and Discovery Centre in the first five days, following its opening. The Dubai Mall hosted over 37 million visitors in its first year of operation,and attracts more than 750,000 visitors every week.

Dubai.Tourism and retail



Tourism

Tourism is an important part of the Dubai government's strategy to maintain the flow of foreign cash into the emirate. Dubai's lure for tourists is based mainly on shopping, but also on its possession of other ancient and modern attractions. As of 2007, Dubai was the 8th most visited city of the world. Dubai is expected to accommodate over 15 million tourists by 2015. Dubai is the most populous emirate of the seven emirates of United Arab Emirates. It is distinct from other members of the UAE in that a large part of the emirate's revenues are from tourism.
Dubai has been called the "shopping capital of the Middle East". Dubai alone has more than 70 shopping malls, including the world's 7th largest shopping mall, Dubai Mall. The city draws large numbers of shopping tourists from countries within the region and from as far as Eastern Europe, Africa and the Indian Subcontinent. While boutiques, some electronics shops, department stores and supermarkets operate on a fixed-price basis, most other outlets consider friendly negotiation a way of life.
Dubai is also known for its souk districts located on either side of the creek. Traditionally, dhows from the Far East, China, Sri Lanka, and India would discharge their cargo and the goods would be bargained over in the souks adjacent to the docks. Many boutiques and jewellery stores are also found in the city. Dubai is known as "the City of Gold" and Gold Souk in Deira houses nearly 250 gold retail shops. Dubai Duty Free at the Dubai International Airport offers merchandise catering to the multinational passengers using the airport.

Sunday, 24 April 2011

Dubai Sports City



The Dubai Sports City is a $4 billion, 50,000,000 square feet (4,600,000 m2) mixed-use sports city currently being constructed in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The city will consist of apartment buildings as well as several sports facilities. The first structures opened in late 2007. Many people believed it was going to be used in Dubai's possible bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics, but Dubai never submitted a bid.
Dubai Properties is master developer of this project for infrastructure. The project is expected to be complete in 2011.

Some facts :
  • The world's first integrated sports city
  • Formally launched in March 2004 as a cornerstone project of Dubailand
  • Dubai Sports City is set on 50,000,000 square feet (4,600,000 m2) and incorporate world-class sporting venues and sports academies, as well as residential and commercial properties and all related amenities such as hotels, entertainment outlets, schools, medical facilities and retail opportunities
  • Total project cost - US$4 billion
  • The first completed facility in Dubai Sports City is the 18-hole championship golf course, The Els Club, Ernie Els’ first golf course design concept in the Middle East, which is now open for play to members.
  • Estimated population of 70,000 within Dubai Sports City

Friday, 22 April 2011

Work in dubai for foreigners



While Dubai tries to promote itself as the business and entertainment capital of the world, the government has a complex and at times frustrating work permit procedure that one should not attempt on their own unless they have prior experience. Therefore, it is best to go through official channels when looking for work in Dubai as spot inspections are frequent and if found working illegally, both the employee and the employer will be subject to fines and even deportation.
All the necessary forms and documents are written and processed in Arabic and is best left to a professional or a "P.R.O" to handle your paperwork.
Different nationalities have different rules about changing jobs and its frequency. South Asian Nationals have to work for a minimum of 1 year before looking out for another opening elsewhere or face a 6 month ban on working in the country. Western European and North American nationals however, need not worry as this rule does not apply to them.
With the price of rentals ever soaring in Dubai and neighbouring Emirates, it is a good idea to discuss a housing allowance when negotiating a pay package.
Despite all this, there are a few upsides, Dubai companies are generous with holidays averaging almost 39 days a year of paid vacation (including public holidays), a round trip ticket home once a year (depending on your contract) and most importantly all your earnings are 100% tax free!
Recruitment fraud is quite pervasive in this part of the world. Read your employment contract carefully before signing and do not pay any fees to recruitment agencies, as they are usually paid by the companies. Your passport is your personal property and cannot be withheld by the employer unless you are in a position of trust or are handling large sums of money.

Dubai.Food



Food

Arabic food is very popular and is available everywhere in the city, from the small shawarma diners in Deira and Al Karama to the restaurants in Dubai's hotels. Fast food, South Asian, and Chinese cuisines are also very popular and are widely available. The sale and consumption of pork, though not illegal, is regulated and is sold only to non-Muslims, in designated areas of supermarkets and airports. Similarly, the sale of alcoholic beverages is regulated. A liquor permit is required to purchase alcohol; however, alcohol is available in bars and restaurants within hotels. Shisha and qahwa boutiques are also popular in Dubai. Dubai is known for its nightlife. Clubs and bars are found mostly in hotels due to the liquor laws. The New York Times described Dubai as "the kind of city where you might run into Michael Jordan at the Buddha Bar or stumble across Naomi Campbell celebrating her birthday with a multiday bash".

Emirates



Emirates is the national airline of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is the largest airline in the Middle East, operating over 2,400 passenger flights per week, from its hub at Dubai International Airport Terminal 3, to 105 cities in 62 countries across six continents. The company also operates three of the ten world's longest non-stop commercial flights from Dubai to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Houston.Emirates is a subsidiary of The Emirates Group, which has over 50,000 employees, and is wholly owned by the Government of Dubai directly under the Investment Corporation of Dubai. Cargo activities are undertaken by the Emirates Group's Emirates SkyCargo division.

Emiratesavenue



One of the most popular online shopping website from Dubai, UAE is :emiratesavenue.com . Provides healthy and beauty products, creams, essential oils and perfumes.

http://www.emiratesavenue.com/buy-in-dubai/

Emirates Stadium



The Emirates Stadium formerly Ashburton Grove, is a football stadium located in London and is the current home of Arsenal FC. The stadium opened in July 2006 and has an all seated capacity of 60,355, making it the second largest football club stadium in England behind Manchester United's Old Trafford, and the third largest stadium of any kind in London, after Wembley and Twickenham, and overall the fifth largest football stadium in the United Kingdom. It was initially known as Ashburton Grove after the road it was located on, before a naming rights deal with the airline Emirates was struck in October 2004. The project cost £390 million, including the cost of the associated infrastructure.

Getafe.Dubai



The Royal Emirates Group is to buy the Primera Liga club Getafe for about €90m (£80m), the Dubai firm has announced, reacting to reports linking it to the purchase of a Spanish club.
"It is Getafe … we will announce it in a big way tomorrow," Suleiman al-Butti, the project manager of REG, said.
REG, an investment firm chaired by Sheikh Butti Bin Suhail al-Maktoum, said in statement the club would be named "Team Dubai", although it was not clear whether that would become the team's official name.
The deal would be the third for a La Liga club involving a non-Spanish buyer in the past year following the sale of Málaga to a member of the Qatari royal family and the purchase of Racing Santander by an Indian businessman.
REG said Dubai's minister of culture, the Spanish ambassador and "many other corporate icons and members of the ruling family of Dubai" would attend an event scheduled for Thursday to announce the deal.
Getafe are 14th in La Liga with 37 points from 32 games and hovering just above the relegation zone.

Dubai.Climate



The climate of Dubai features a hot arid climate. Summers in Dubai are extremely hot, windy and dry, with an average high around 40 °C (104 °F) and overnight lows around 30 °C (86 °F). The highest recorded temperature in Dubai is 49 °C (120 °F). Most days are sunny throughout the year. Winters are cool and short with an average high of 23 °C (73 °F) and overnight lows of 14 °C (57 °F). Precipitation, however, has been increasing in the last few decades with accumulated rain reaching 150 mm (5.91 in) per year.The climate of Dubai is an arid subtropical climate because of its location within the Northern desert belt.The weather in Dubai can bring short and irregular rainfall as is typical for the Middle East. Most of the rainfall in Dubai occurs between December, January, February and March.The weather between December and March remains cool and is considered as most comfortable climatic conditions throughout the year.

Dubai.Geography



Dubai.Geography

Dubai is situated on the Persian Gulf coast of the United Arab Emirates and is roughly at sea level (16 m/52 ft above). The emirate of Dubai shares borders with Abu Dhabi in the south, Sharjah in the northeast, and the Sultanate of Oman in the southeast. Hatta, a minor exclave of the emirate, is surrounded on three sides by Oman and by the emirates of Ajman (in the west) and Ras Al Khaimah (in the north). The Persian Gulf borders the western coast of the emirate. Dubai is positioned at 25°16′11″N 55°18′34″E / 25.2697°N 55.3095°E / 25.2697; 55.3095 and covers an area of 1,588 sq mi (4,110 km2), which represents a significant expansion beyond its initial 1,500 sq mi (3,900 km2) designation due to land reclamation from the sea.
Dubai lies directly within the Arabian Desert. However, the topography of Dubai is significantly different from that of the southern portion of the UAE in that much of Dubai's landscape is highlighted by sandy desert patterns, while gravel deserts dominate much of the southern region of the country.The sand consists mostly of crushed shell and coral and is fine, clean and white. East of the city, the salt-crusted coastal plains, known as sabkha, give way to a north-south running line of dunes. Farther east, the dunes grow larger and are tinged red with iron oxide.
The flat sandy desert gives way to the Western Hajar Mountains, which run alongside Dubai's border with Oman at Hatta. The Western Hajar chain has an arid, jagged and shattered landscape, whose mountains rise to about 1,300 meters in some places. Dubai has no natural river bodies or oases; however, Dubai does have a natural inlet, Dubai Creek, which has been dredged to make it deep enough for large vessels to pass through. Dubai also has multiple gorges and waterholes which dot the base of the Western Al Hajar mountains. A vast sea of sand dunes covers much of southern Dubai, and eventually leads into the desert known as The Empty Quarter. Seismically, Dubai is in a very stable zone—the nearest seismic fault line, the Zagros Fault, is 200 km (124.27 mi) from the UAE and is unlikely to have any seismic impact on Dubai.Experts also predict that the possibility of a tsunami in the region is minimal because the Persian Gulf waters are not deep enough to trigger a tsunami.
The sandy desert surrounding the city supports wild grasses and occasional date palms. Desert hyacinths grow in the sabkha plains east of the city, while acacia and ghaf trees grow in the flat plains within the proximity of the Western Al Hajar mountains. Several indigenous trees such as the date palm and neem as well as imported trees like the eucalypts grow in Dubai's natural parks. The houbara bustard, striped hyena, caracal, desert fox, falcon and Arabian oryx are common in Dubai's desert. Dubai is on the migration path between Europe, Asia and Africa, and more than 320 migratory bird species pass through the emirate in spring and autumn. The waters of Dubai are home to more than 300 species of fish, including the hammour. The typical marine life off the Dubai coast includes tropical Fish, jellyfish, coral, dugong, dolphins, whales and sharks. Various types of turtles can also be found in the area including the Hawksbill turtle and Green Turtle which are listed as endangered species.

Thursday, 21 April 2011

Dubai.GSM


Dubai. GSM

GSM— Those with GSM phones can expect auto roaming from their home countries. As roaming fees are quite high (easily 3 USD per minute and often more for a call to Europe) and incoming calls are also charged, consider to buy a local prepaid GSM SIM card, designed especially for tourists, from one of the two cellular providers of the U.A.E.:
  • Etisalat - product Ahlan - 90 Dirhams - available at the Duty Free Shop (arrival hall) of Dubai Airport
  • Du - product Visitor Mobile Line - 70 Dirhams - available at the Telefonika kiosk in the arrival hall of Dubai Airport.
Using these products, calls to Europe will be charged at maximum of about 0.55 USD per minute. Incoming calls are free of charge.

Dubai


Cafes
  • Filli Cafeteria, Al Mamzar. & Modern Coffee Shop, Hor Al Anz. - Probably the two most popular tea spots in town, especially Filli, who serves over 4000 cups a day!. Try either the zaffrani chai (milk tea with saffron) or the doodh kadak(strong milk tea). edit edit
  • Basta Art Cafe, Bastakiya, +971-4-3535071. Set in a lovely garden courtyard in a restored house, Basta is a great place to take a breather with a cold drink and write some postcards. The sandwiches-and-salads menu is aimed squarely at tourists, but if you are sick of kebabs, they will cater to your salmon-avocado wrap and mango smoothie cravings. The "Basta Special" drink of mint and lemon is also excellent. Dhs 50.

Wednesday, 20 April 2011

Dubai.Markets



Markets
  • Gold Souk— Not a mall, but a historic market that has been a part of Dubai since the origin of Dubai itself. Located at the mouth of the creek, it dazzles people by selling gold in large quantities and with little visible security. A must visit for shoppers and sightseers. Most of the gold is 22ct quality and quite expensive - although even here the shopkeepers are prepared to bargain - and the craftsmanship can be remarkably detailed. The gold items are sold by weight with a "making charge" added on top to cover the workmanship. It pays therefore, to go shopping armed with the current gold price and a knowledge of the making charges in order to hone the bargaining process. Many outlets are part of chains that also have branches in malls, so are generally reliable.
  • Spice Souk— As above, not a mall, but a historic market that has been a part of Dubai since the origin of Dubai itself. Located at the mouth of the creek, it is not far from the Gold Souk, but has sadly declined a bit in recent years as supermarkets take over the spice trade. If you're actually shopping for spices, odds are you'll get better prices and quality with much less hassle at Carrefour. Both the Spice Souk and the Gold Souq are a rather hot and sweaty experience with limited air-conditioning, so wear appropriately cool, loose clothing if visiting in mid summer. Individual shops are air conditioned. Although regularly visited by tourists, none of the souks are considered a tourist area and as such modest dress should be worn to avoid causing offence or attracting unwanted attention.

Dubai.Health

Dubai generally has a high standard of Medical care, both in primary health and in Hospital facilities. It must be remembered that the conditions in the Middle East are quite different from our home countries and these conditions lead to some special precautions and requirements to live in Dubai in a healthy manner.
Your employer will provide you with Private Health Insurance which will cover you for almost 100% of your personal health needs. Your families may not be covered by this or you may elect to utilize the public health facilities which are open to anybody holding a resident visa. These require a Health Card which are available through the public hospitals (Dept. of Health), they enable you or your families to attend the Public Hospitals and Community Health Centres. Cost of issue of the Health Card is approximately 300 Dhs. HCT staff and dependants are covered by DAMAN
Primary Care -Many Medical Centres exist around the city, the private clinics are mostly for the local community, there are several catering to the specific needs of the expatriate community. Most provide after-hours care and some ,house calls. Look for a clinic which provides for your specific family’s needs. (See Dubai Connector Publication for a comprehensive list )
Hospitals -The public hospital system provides a high quality of care, especially in the case of a accident or injury, long waiting lists exist for elective procedures. Private hospitals provide very good care as inpatients and outpatient facilities. Specifically, American Hospital (Ph.3367777) and Wellcare Hospital (Ph. 2827788).
Dentists-High quality of care available for general Dentistry and Orthodontics, all are reasonably expensive but very good. (eg. Jumeira Beach Dental Clinic Ph.3499433 and Drs. Nicholas and Asp Dental Clinic Ph. 3454443 Full list in Connector)
Pharmacies -Are located on every street corner, they are well stocked , try to buy well known brands or company products. The staff have very little training and don’t rely on their advice.

Ambulances. - run by the Government and are obliged to take people to a Public Hospital. Response time can be extremely variable.




Specific health Issues.
  • Food -There is a large variety of foods available in Dubai. It is important to wash vegetables, salads and fruit well before consumption some people treat their fruit and vegetables with chlorine based agents. Fish is generally fresh and safe to eat. It may take time for stomachs to adjust to food changes especially to Middle Eastern foods. If persistent diarrhoea presents it is important to have a stool culture to exclude bacterial gastro-enteritis.
  • Water
  • The tap-water in Dubai is safe to drink, most people prefer to drink bottled water as the taste of tap-water is rather metallic. Local companies provide home delivery (eg. Oasis Water Ph.04 8845656). It is essential to drink large amounts of water in this climate 2.5 litres/day, needs may increase up to 2-3 times this if playing sport or gardening. If you are passing plenty of urine then you are drinking enough. Remember to carry large amounts of water if you are travelling out into the desert.
  • Sun
  • It is important to respect the damage the sun can inflict on the skin, eyes and as a contribution to dehydration. Always wear a broad brimmed hat, apply sun-block and wear 100% UV filtering sunglasses. Almost 100% of skin cancers seen in the UAE are in Caucasians. Always block out your children and encourage them to wear sun-glasses. Beware children can burn their feet on metal grates exposed to the sun.
  • Vaccinations.
  • To live in Dubai the WHO recommend Hepatitis A and Typhoid vaccinations. There is debate about the value of TB vaccination but it is generally recommended. It is a good opportunity to ensure that all of your vaccinations are up to date (eg. Tetanus, Polio, Hepatitis B etc.)
  • Travel
  • Dubai is a central hub for travel to other countries, make sure that your travel vaccinations are up to date well before departure. There have be some cases of malaria from the north-east emirates area, some prophylaxis is recommended.
  • Children
  • Ensure your children are up to date with their routine vaccinations, there is a relatively high incidence in Dubai of bacterial infections eg. tonsillitis, ear infections etc. Gastro-enteritis is quite common, usually mild.
  • Bites/Crawly things
  • There are no deadly spiders or reptiles in the UAE. Bad allergic reactions are commonly seen to spiders, ants, jelly-fish etc. Beware of dog-bites, most domestic dogs are quite safe but consideration of Rabies if bitten by a wild dog, consult your doctor.
  • Safety issues
Be extra careful around swimming pools and the beach, fencing etc. is often inadequate (non-existent), some body in the family should be skilled in CPR. Awareness of safety issues at the beach, (Sunburn, dehydration, jelly-fish bites, sea-urchins on rocks etc.) Be very careful on Dubai’s roads, always wear seat-belts for all passengers, never carry small children in the front seat, never trust the other drivers (they are mad until proven other-wise). If travelling into the desert always go with an experienced person ,carry plenty of water and mobile phone. There is a large variety of foods available in Dubai. It is important to wash vegetables, salads and fruit well before consumption some people treat their fruit and vegetables with chlorine based agents. Fish is generally fresh and safe to eat. It may take time for stomachs to adjust to food changes especially to Middle Eastern foods. If persistent diarrhoea presents it is important to have a stool culture to exclude bacterial gastro-enteritis. run by the Government and are obliged to take people to a Public Hospital. Response time can be extremely variable. Are located on every street corner, they are well stocked , try to buy well known brands or company products. The staff have very little training and don’t rely on their advice. . High quality of care available for general Dentistry and Orthodontics, all are reasonably expensive but very good. (eg. Jumeira Beach Dental Clinic Ph.3499433 and Drs. Nicholas and Asp Dental Clinic Ph. 3454443 Full list in Connector) The public hospital system provides a high quality of care, especially in the case of a accident or injury, long waiting lists exist for elective procedures. Private hospitals provide very good care as inpatients and outpatient facilities. Specifically, American Hospital (Ph.3367777) and Wellcare Hospital (Ph. 2827788).Many Medical Centres exist around the city, the private clinics are mostly for the local community, there are several catering to the specific needs of the expatriate community. Most provide after-hours care and some ,house calls. Look for a clinic which provides for your specific family’s needs. (See Dubai Connector Publication for a comprehensive list )

Dubai



By taxi

Taxis ply the streets of Dubai and are relatively easy to spot. The easiest place to find them is at the taxi queue at one of the malls or outside a hotel. Waving down a taxi on the road is possible, but can be difficult during rush hours. At peak times (7-9AM & 4-7PM workdays, and Friday evenings) demand far exceeds supply, and not only are taxis hard to find, but those who deign to pick you up may demand crazy off-meter fares or refuse short rides in congested areas entirely. The standard of driving in Dubai ranges from poor to wild - taxis are some of the worst on the roads. Taxi drivers are pretty good at knowing where the main shopping malls and hotels are, however less well known places will mean the driver calling his brother-in-law to get directions, whilst he drives around in circles on your time - hence it is a good idea to have a rough idea of where you are heading or what a nearby landmark is.
Taxis are metered at 1.60 dhs/km, so no haggling is necessary. The rates of all taxi companies — Dubai Transport, National, Cars, Metro, and Arabian — are identical, so just take the first one that comes along. From the airport, there is a standing charge of 20 dhs; all other street pickups attract a standing charge of 3.00 dhs during the day, 3.50 at night (10 PM-6AM), but a minimum fare of 10 dhs applies, and there is a surcharge of 20 dhs for going to Sharjah. Taxis are exempt from the Salik road toll charges. Beware of unmarked hotel taxis and limousines though: while some of these are metered, they are not tied to the official rates, and can be much more expensive.
If you can't find one otherwise, you can attempt to call a taxi at 04-2080808, there's a surcharge of 3 dhs to book. The booking system was notorious for its unreliability but with a significantly increased taxi fleet, many taxis now deliberately wait in unofficial holding areas waiting for bookings. As a result, on a good day it can be possible to book a taxi and have it arrive within less than five minutes. If you absolutely have to get somewhere at a certain time (say, the airport or a meeting), it's still best to book a hotel taxi in advance, and get their estimate of how bad the traffic will be.
Women should travel in the back of the taxi as some drivers see it as an invitation if you get in the front.

Tuesday, 19 April 2011

Dubai



By metro

Dubai's 52-km long Red Line, opened in September 2009, is the second metro in the Arab world after Cairo. As of May 15, 2010, 21 stations are open and the rest are scheduled to open by the end of the year. While the line does not serve the old city center, it's handy for zipping along Dubai's long coastline and includes stops at the airport, Burj Khalifa and the Mall of the Emirates. The Green Line, which will burrow through the city core, has been pushed back to August 2011. Single tickets range from Dh2-8.50, or double that for use of the "Gold" first class carriage. Train run every 3-5 minutes from 6 AM to 11 PM every day except Friday, when services are limited to 2 PM-midnight. All stations are air-conditioned and there's a large network of feeder buses.
In addition, a 5 km monorail system shuttles passengers across the Palm Jumeirah to the Atlantis hotel, but it's not connected to the metro network and is thus of very limited utility.

Dubai



Sharjah International Airport (IATA: SHJ) is located in the emirate of Sharjah. It is only 30 min by road from Dubai and takes an increasing number of international flights as Dubai airport struggles to keep up with demand. The principal carrier here is Air Arabia , a low-cost carrier serving the Middle East and South Asia. The airport is fairly basic but is being expanded. A taxi ride to Dubai will typically cost Dhs 50. A Bus service by Air Arabia also runs from the Airport to the Rashidiya Metro Station in Dubai. Rashidiya metro station is located close to the Dubai International Airport.

Dubai



Dubai International Airport (IATA: DXB) is the largest hub in the Middle East and the home base of Dubai's flag carrier Emirates and its low-cost wing FlyDubai . In fact, it has grown at such a furious pace that the present terminals are bursting at the seams, especially during the peak hours around midnight.
The Dubai International Airport has three terminals and another one in the making as of end 2010.
  • Terminal 1 is the main terminal, used by most major airlines and long-haul flights.
  • Terminal 2 serves regional and low-cost flights, including all FlyDubai flights.
  • Terminal 3 is used exclusively by Emirates.
Terminals 1 and 3 are directly connected to each other via the airside (no immigration needed for transfer), while Terminal 2 is located at the other end of the airport. Terminals 1 and 3 are models of modern airport design, but Terminal 2, despite the recent renovations, is still reminiscent of developing world airports, with long check-in lines, queue-jumping and every other passenger checking in 70 kg of luggage. Shuttle buses between the three run every 20-30 min. However shuttles to Terminal 2 are sporadic at best, so a 30 min taxi ride may be your only option. A low-cost option for traveling to Terminal 2 is to catch the metro to a nearby station, such as GGICO metro station, and from there catch a taxi to Terminal 2.
The airport is famous for its duty-free shopping . However, prices in the airport's duty-free stores are equal or higher than what you can find in the many malls of the city. Alcohol here is very cheap, though. Alcohol is also available at an inbound duty free store situated in the baggage reclaim area. The amount of alcoholic beverages and beers should not exceed 4 liters of alcohol beverages, or 2 cartons of beer (each consisting of 24 cans, not exceeding 355 ml for each can or its equivalent).
Taxi: Most visitors will opt for public taxis from the airport, which are readily available just outside arrivals, which use the meter and start at Dhs 20. Taxis are on the left when you come out of terminal 1.
Public transport: Terminals 1 and 3 are served by the Dubai Metro. There are also buses just steps from the baggage claim, the most useful for visitors being lines 401 and 402 (Dhs 3), which go to the Al Sabkha and Al Ghubaiba bus terminals respectively.
Apart from the Dubai International Airport, Dubai is also developing the massive Al Maktoum International Airport located close to Jabel Ali within the Dubai World Central project. As of end 2010 only a few freighters are operating through this airport but commercial flights are expected to operate from this airport once completed, making this airport one of the busiest air hub for both cargo and passenger transportaion.