GeoStats:

Time Zone: 4 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (+4GMT), 9 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time (+9EST)

7 Emirates: Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, Umm al-Quwain

Country Name: United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Languages: Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu

Passport/Visa Requirements: Americans with US passports valid for more than 6 months are welcome to enter the UAE and no longer need a visa if staying less than 1 month.

Nationalities: Indian, Emirati, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, other Arab, Western

Religions: Muslim (main), Shi’a, Hindu, Christian

Monetary Unit: Dirham

Voltage Requirements: 220/240 volts

Telephone codes: 971, country code; 4 Dubai, 2 Abu Dhabi

Destination:

Dubai


Getting Ready

topBooks

City of Gold: Dubai and the Dream of Capitalism
Jim Krane

An award-winning journalist describes how the city transformed from a little-known village in 1960 to the cutting-edge capitalist metropolis and tourist haven it is today. Buy now

Dubai, The Vulnerability of Success
Christopher M. Davidson

Davidson traces the transformation of Dubai from sleepy backwater to major player on the world stage in in-depth, authoritative detail, showing how the semiautonomous sheikdom has diversified its economy. Buy now

UAE - Culture Smart!: the essential guide to customs & culture
John Walsh

Culture Smart! offers illuminating insights into the culture and society of a particular country. Buy now

topDVD's

Impossible City (2009)
Discovery Channel

This special takes viewers on a journey to explore the eye-popping and often unprecedented engineering feats that are reshaping Dubai into a model for visionary urban development in the 21st century. Buy now

Syriana (2005)
Starring Kayvan Novak, George Clooney and Matt Damon

A major merger between two of the world’s largest oil companies reveals ethical dilemmas for the lawyer charged with making the deal, and major global implications beyond the obvious; a CIA operative discovers the truth about his work, and the people he works for. Action movie filmed in Dubai. Buy now