Is
there a hotline for DSF queries?
Yes! Call Ahlan Dubai at 00971+4+09040099. Applying for visit visas?
The Dubai government has made it relatively easy for tourists to get visit visas during
the Shopping Festival.
There are several ways of acquiring a visit visa.
1. A hotel or tour agent in Dubai could arrange a visit visa for you. Relatives
living here and falling into a stipulated salary bracket would be another option. The Department of Naturalisation and Residence
welcomes applications online. It generally issues visas within 72 hours of application
provided all papers are in order. Visit visas are valid for 60 days. Citizens of the
United States and Germany can approach the UAE embassies in their respective
countries. British citizens can apply for a visa when they reach the Dubai airport.
Travellers could also try to get a visa through an airline like Emirates. All rules
on visas are subject to change. Details on visa procedures can be found at the official DSF site.
Travelling:
Some consider renting a car and chauffeur the ideal situation especially during the
nights of the shopping festival when taxis are in great demand and difficult to come by.
The other option would be to dial for a Dubai taxi on 3313131 and ask to be picked up from
your location.
The best time to call your folks back home from
Dubai?
On Fridays and other national public holidays or between
9 p.m and 7 a.m on weekdays, when telephone rates are slashed by half.
Are international driving licenses valid here?
Yes! You may have to deposit your passport at the car rental
centre. Payment has to be made through a credit card.
Where can I get a daily schedule of DSF 2000?
At the official site of DSF
2000.
What kind of weather can we expect?
It's mild out here at this time but getting warmer. Visit our
weather page for a daily update.
Dress Code
Dubai is a tourist-friendly emirate, the second largest among
the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Tourists are welcome and
made to feel at home -- Western clothes, continental food, sauna, pool, Star TV et al. You
could wear anything from full-sleeved to half-sleeved to mega-sleeved to sleeveless tops
(but please keep your tops on) and nobody could care less. While trousers, long skirts,
knee-length skirts, minis, micro-minis, micro-micros and shorts are all the done wear,
restrict the bikinis to the beaches, or you could land yourself in some trouble. (The
Jumeirah Beach is a fun place and so is Mamzar Park, which has both real and artificial
beaches.)
From traditional and trendy modern wear to formals and
casuals, a wide range of clothes can be purchased at various sales outlets. Although local
showrooms and stores do offer a good selection, the shopping centres in Dubai may be an
easier bet for designer wear. |
