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Dubai - The
City of Gold, the traditional
and cultural hub of the Middle
East, a young and ever developing
city which has an outstanding
record as a host to International,
Regional and National Conferences,
Conventions and Exhibitions.
Since the time UAE, has been
founded, Dubai - the second
largest of the seven emirates
has made tremendous progress
in all fields.
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Known
for its blue skies and glorious sunshine
Dubai attracts many visitiors from
all around the world. There lies more
to Dubai, than just a modern city
skyline. Dubai encompasses a wide
range of landscapes from majestic
deserts, and rugged mountains to green
golf courses and parks. The emirate
blends its rich cultural heritage,
Arabian charm and hospitality with
all the comforts of the modern age
for people from all over the world. |
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Dubai, has
also emerged as a location of
choice for global corporations,
large numbers of which conduct
their local and regional operations
from the city. The city of Dubai,
with its fascinating shopping
malls and breathtaking recreational
facilities provide a kind of
amusing diversion to the scientific
discussions, which take place
in the region on a regular basis. |
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Dubai - the
vibrant city with a cosmopolitan community
offers not only trade facilities but
a pleasant stay with long lasting
memories.
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Area: 3,885 sq. kms.
Population: 971,000
(2001estimate) Majority live in Dubai
City and its suburbs which has a cosmopolitan
population. A small percentage lives
in village and agrarian communities.
Local Time: GMT plus four
hours
Religion: Islam is the
official religion of the UAE and there
are a large number of mosques throughout
the city.
Language: Arabic is the
official language. English is widely
spoken and understood. Hindi, Urdu,
Farsi, and other languages are widely
used by the large expatriate population. |
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Visas: All visitors except GCC countries
(Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar
& Saudi Arabia) Western
Europe countries (UK,
France, Italy, Germany, Holland,
Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland,
Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark,
Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Finland,
Spain, Monaco, Poland, Hungary,
Malta, Vatican City, Iceland,
Andorra, San Marino and Liechtenstein) Other countries (USA, Canada,
Australia, New Zealand, Japan, |
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Malaysia,
Hong Kong and South Korea) require
a Visa sponsored by a local entity
such as a hotel or company. There
are two types of visas; transit visa
for 14 days and visit visa for 60
days (Renewable)
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Climate: Temperature
ranges from 10° C/50° F to
40° C/118° F. During March
the average temperature is expected
to be 25° C/87° F.
Currency: The local currency
is UAE Dirham and is pegged to the
US dollar at an exchange rate 1$ =
3.68Dhs. (fluctuating).
Banks: Bank opening
hours are 8:00 am to 1:00 pm, from
Saturday to Wednesday, although some
also open from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm.
On Thursdays, banks operate only from
8:00 am to noon. However, ATM services
are available around the clock.
Credit Cards: American Express,
Diner, Visa, Access, MasterCard and
all other major credit cards are accepted
at leading hotels and shops but some
retailers offer better bargains for
cash. |
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Clothing: Lightweight
summer clothing is suitable
for most of the year, but jackets
or pullovers may be needed for
the winter months. Good quality
sunglasses are advised for all
season.
Tipping: Practice
is similar to most parts of
the world. Some restaurants
do include a service charge;
otherwise 10% is adequate. |
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Bargaining: Bargaining is
expected in the souks and smaller
shops.
Business
Hours: The
weekend has tradionally been Thursday
afternoon and Friday, but some organisations
now close on Friday and Saturday,
working through Thursday afternoon
instead. Government offices are open
from 7:30 am to 2:30 pm.
Private sector office hours vary,
but are generally from 8:00 am to
1:00 pm, re-opening at either 3:00
pm or 4:00 pm and closing at 6:00
pm or 7:00 pm., depending on the organisation.
Shop hours are similar in their opening
times, but most shops remain open
until 9:00 am to 10:00 pm. Department
stores, boutiques, souks and many
food shops remain open on a Friday,
apart from prayer times (between 11:30
am and 1:30 pm), while larger shops
re-open on a Friday afternoon at around
4:00 pm to 5:00 pm. |
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Medical
Care: Dubai
has a number of highly specialized
Hospitals. The Department of Health
and Medical Services runs the Al Maktoum,
Rashid, Dubai and Al Wasl ospitals,
in addition to 17 Health Centers/Clinics
distributed all over Dubai under Primary
Health Care. The Ministry of Health
runs the Medical and Health Services
in the entire UAE.
Money: Money can be exchanged
at banks and most hotels. There are
number of money exchange centers offering
competitive rates. |
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Shopping
Information: One
of Dubai’s greatest attractions
is indeed its superb shopping.
Apart from the shopping areas
and the traditional souks,
there are a growing number
of modern shopping malls and
commercial complexes, besides
the Dubai Duty Free at the
airport, offering a wide range
and selection for eager shoppers.
In Dubai shopping is regarded
a pleasure. From the most
modern shopping malls
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to
the traditional souks (markets),
Dubai provides and endless scope
for shoppers. In terms of sheer
variety, quality and services.
Dubai as a shopping center stands
second to none. Customs duties
being low, luxury goods are
cheaper. Best buys include clothes
and fabrics (check out the designer
label outlets at Karama and
Al Satwa.), carpets and rugs,
electronics, sports goods, perfumes,
jewellery, ethnic gifts and
novelties, spices etc. Shopping
complex like Burjuman Center,
Wafi Center and |
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City Center are certainly worth a
visit. The amazing gold souk, one
of the largest retail good markets
in the world is in Deira. |
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Conference Profile
