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Dubai is the second largest emirate and commercial capital of the United Arab Emirates.
The capital of UAE is Abu Dhabi, the largest emirate; the other members of the federation in addition to Abu Dhabi and Dubai are Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.
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| Climate |
The UAE has a sub-tropical, arid climate. Rainfall is infrequent and irregular. Falling mainly in winter, it amounts to some 13 centimeters a year. Temperatures range from a low of about 10 degrees Celsius to a high of 48 degrees Celsius.
The mean daily maximum is 24 degrees in January rising to 41 degrees in July.
Dubai International Airport is served by around 70 airlines, which fly to more than 100 destinations around the world. Flights in and out of the city are frequent and traveling is easy.
The monetary unit of the UAE is the Dirham (Dhs.), which is divided into 100 fils. The dirham is pegged to the US dollar at the rate of Dhs. 3.67 to $1.00.
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The UAE is an Islamic country. Arab traditions influence the lifestyle, yet considerable tolerance is shown towards the Eastern and Western practices of the large expatriate community. Dubai is a clean and virtually crime-free city with an easy-going atmosphere and reputation for hospitality. A popular tourist destination, it offers visitors and residents superb golf courses, a variety of water sports and excellent shopping bargains.
Dubai's infrastructure is well developed and efficient. Its service sector includes major international banks, lawyers, accountants and other professionals. International ATM access is widely available.
Global links, including GSM mobile telephones and pagers and Internet, are world-class and inexpensive. Local and foreign television, radio newspapers, magazines and books are readily available.
The official language is Arabic, but English is widely used, especially in business. Dubai is four hours ahead of GMT.
Telecommunications in Dubai are operated by the Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat) & Du.
Postal services in Dubai are operated by the General Postal Authority (GPA). The GPA provides a range of services such as Al Mumtaz post and ordinary, registered postal drafts.
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| Business Hours |
Office hours vary but are generally from 8am to 1pm and from 4pm to 7pm from Saturday to Thursday. Most government offices are open from 7:30am to 2:30pm from Saturday to Wednesday and are closed on Thursday. Banks are open from 8am to 1pm from Saturday to Thursday; some remain open later. Friday is the weekly holiday for all office workers. Some companies also close on Thursday afternoons; others, notably in the service sector, work all day on Thursday but are closed on Saturday.
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