Dubai and Abu Dhabi: money, dress codes, transport, the cooler months to visit, curated traveler tips, and mobile data via eSIM.
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The United Arab Emirates compresses superlatives into a small desert coastline: the world's tallest tower and biggest malls in Dubai, the Louvre and Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, and dunes, oases and mountain wadis a short drive from both.
It is an easy, safe introduction to the Gulf - English is everywhere and logistics are seamless - but it remains a conservative country at its core: dress modestly outside beach clubs and note that public displays of affection are best kept minimal.
Dubai is the spectacle — desert, skyline, a mall that contains a ski slope — and Abu Dhabi is the one that often surprises people more: the Grand Mosque, the Louvre, a slower Gulf city with room to breathe. Sharjah and the east-coast beaches are there if you want a third mood that is not a hotel buffet.
Go in the cool months, dress a little more modestly than you would at home, and treat Friday brunch as a cultural activity. The UAE is easy. The trick is remembering it is also someone else's home, not a theme park with a minibar.
Essentials
Traveler tips
Real advice from people who have been to United Arab Emirates, curated by our team with links to the original sources.
Swimwear is fine at pools and beaches, but cover shoulders and knees in malls, souks and especially mosques. It is rarely enforced on tourists, but you will feel and be treated noticeably better.
Even in winter, midday sun is strong; in summer it is dangerous. Do the desert safari at sunset, the Burj Khalifa observation deck in late afternoon, and save malls and museums for midday.
The weekend is Saturday-Sunday, but Friday remains special: many restaurants run lavish brunch buffets, and Friday mornings are quiet until prayers end. Book brunches ahead - they sell out.
Licensed hotels, bars and restaurants serve drinks; the street and the beach do not. Public drunkenness is a genuine problem here, not a vibe. Enjoy the brunch, then behave like a guest.
From the airport through Downtown to Dubai Marina, the driverless metro is cheap, air-conditioned and faster than sitting in Sheikh Zayed Road traffic. Get a Nol card, ride in Gold Class if you want a quieter car, and save Careem for the last mile.
TripAdvisor Forums
The E100 and E101 coaches between the emirates take a Nol card, but you cannot add credit once you are in Abu Dhabi. Load enough in Dubai or buy a paper ticket at the Abu Dhabi counter.
View sourceTripAdvisor Forums
Dubai's Nol and Abu Dhabi's Hafilat are different wallets. Ordinary city buses in the capital will not take the card you tapped on the Dubai Metro.
View sourceRTA Dubai
A Silver Nol card from a Dubai Metro machine pays metro, tram, buses, and some parking. Salik is the RFID gantry on Sheikh Zayed Road. Your hire car already has a tag; crossings appear on the invoice, sometimes with an admin fee per beep. Abu Dhabi’s rush-hour island crossings are Darb, a third system. There is no one card for the whole federation.
View sourceRTA Dubai
Fares are by zone. You tap in and tap out; forgetting the exit reader is how people get the maximum fare or a penalty. Sit in the Gold cabin on a Silver card and you have bought a double fare you did not mean. The women-and-children car is enforced. Cash is not a metro ticket. Load enough credit before the morning rush at Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall.
View sourceFAQ
WhatsApp messaging works normally, but voice and video calls over WhatsApp and FaceTime are blocked at the network level in the UAE regardless of which SIM or eSIM you use. Locals use licensed apps like Botim for internet calls; regular phone calls work fine.
Chat works; voice and video calls on WhatsApp and FaceTime are blocked on every UAE network, eSIM included. Use a licensed app or a normal number. Unlocked iPhone XS / Pixel 3 / Galaxy S20+ still get excellent 5G for maps and Careem.
Maps, ride apps, restaurant bookings and heavy photo uploads put most visitors at 1-2 GB per day, so 10 GB suits a week. If you plan to hotspot in the hotel or by the pool, go larger.
Coverage is excellent in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and along the highways between them, and desert safari camps near the cities generally have signal. Deep desert excursions and mountain wadis can drop out, so tell someone your plans on remote trips.
DXB sells tourist SIMs at a significant markup and the counters add time after a long-haul arrival. An eSIM installed at home connects you the moment you land - useful when your hotel transfer and booking confirmations all live in your inbox.
eSIM plans
With internet calling apps restricted and hotel Wi-Fi not following you into the dunes, reliable mobile data matters in the UAE. An eSIM connects you on landing at DXB or AUH with generous data for maps, bookings and messaging.
Hotel Wi-Fi dies at the lobby door, and internet calling apps are restricted anyway. An eSIM gives you maps, Careem and messaging on a network that is actually fast — which is the whole point of being in a city this connected.