Travelling To Dubai
Dubai Tourism - Travelling To Dubai by Dubai City Guide Summer 2008
Three hundred days of sunshine, duty-free shopping extravaganza, energetic commercial activity, job opportunities and the unique cultural blend are among the many things that attract travellers to Dubai, the wondrous Arabian beauty. With so much to offer, Dubai sees nearly 6 million travellers every year. Travelling to Dubai has many sides to the story, because Dubai is everything – a luxury holiday destination, business hub, prime property location, international sporting venue and an entertainment giant.
Dubai is located at the cross roads of Asia, Europe and Africa, allowing easy access via air and sea to the emirate. Most Western, European, Asian and African capital cities have direct flights to Dubai via 80 airlines making the most of Dubai’s open skies policy. The award-winning international airlines, Emirates, is based in Dubai and serves over 90 worldwide destinations.
Visiting Dubai requires a visa and each issued visa type depends on various factors. Visas are issued as entry permits, visit, tourist, multiple-entry, 96-hour transit, 14-day transit and of course, the residency visas. Each visa type requires the applicant to satisfy a specific criterion. Tourist visas are valid for a 30-day period and Visit visas are valid for 60 days and can be extended for another 30 days. Overstaying will incur fines. Business travelers can get the Multiple Entry visa, which is valid for six consecutive months and allows a 30-day stay period during each visit.
Passport holders of Australia, Andorra, Austria, Brunei, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Finland, Greece, Germany, Holland, Hong Kong, Ireland , Iceland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Monaco, Norway, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore, San Marino, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States of America and the Vatican are exempted from entry visa requirements.
The peak tourist season in Dubai is between December and May, when the sunshine is mild and the breezes are plenty. Summer, between June and September, has the cheapest rates, because it’s too hot outside and tourism dwindles down to a mere trickle. The Islamic holy month of Ramadan, falling between September and November each year is best avoided for travel, because the entire community goes into a lull, with businesses closing early and restaurants keeping their doors closed during daytime.
