Just Landed in United Arab Emirates? Your First 7 Days

The UAE has fast, reliable 5G and near-total coverage, but only two full-scale licensed operators, Etisalat (e&) and du, so shop on package and price rather than network quality. A prepaid SIM activates instantly on your passport; a postpaid plan needs your Emirates ID. Crucially, WhatsApp, FaceTime and Messenger voice and video calls are blocked over both mobile data and Wi-Fi, so residents rely on licensed apps such as Botim or pay for the operators' own internet-calling packages. Home broadband is fibre-based, fast and typically bundled with a TV package from e& or du.

Typical cost: AED 55-125/month for a postpaid plan with generous data and calls; prepaid tourist SIMs from around AED 55 including starter credit; home fibre broadband from roughly AED 300-400/month

The dirham is pegged to the US dollar at 3.6725 AED, so its value against the dollar is effectively fixed and predictable, which matters if you are paid or saving in USD. There is no personal income tax on salaries, though a 5 percent VAT applies to most goods and services. Cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay are accepted almost everywhere, contactless is the norm, and even parking and taxis increasingly take cards.

Opening an account: You generally need your Emirates ID and residence visa to open a full current account, plus a salary certificate or NOC from your employer. Emirates NBD, Mashreq (including its app-only Mashreq Neo), ADCB, FAB (First Abu Dhabi Bank) and HSBC are mainstream choices for newcomers; Wio and Liv are digital-first options that onboard within days and sometimes start before the physical ID lands. Watch for minimum-balance requirements, often around AED 3,000-5,000, below which monthly fees apply.

Cash: Largely cashless in the cities. Keep small notes for taxis, valet, car-park machines, tailors, barbers and traditional souks, where cash still rules and haggling is expected. Exchange houses such as Al Ansari, UAE Exchange and Lulu Exchange are the standard, cheap way to send money home and usually beat the banks on remittance rates.

Tipping: Not obligatory. A 10 percent service charge is often already printed on restaurant bills; rounding up or adding 10-15 percent for good service is appreciated. AED 5-10 is normal for valets, porters, petrol-pump attendants and delivery riders, who are often on modest wages and rely on it.

There is no municipal or town-hall address registration in the UAE, so you do not report to a local council when you move in. Instead, the legally required step for every resident is obtaining an Emirates ID and a residence visa, arranged through your employer or sponsor. This involves a compulsory medical fitness test and biometric enrolment, after which the residence visa is issued and linked to your passport and the Emirates ID card is produced and couriered to you. The Emirates ID then functions as your master identity document for banking, telecoms, tenancy registration, healthcare and government portals, and you must carry it and keep it valid.

Deadline: Complete the medical test, Emirates ID biometrics and visa stamping within the validity of your entry permit, which is typically 60 days from arrival; overstaying triggers daily fines

Where: ICP (Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security) centres nationwide, plus GDRFA and Amer/Tasheel typing centres in Dubai; the process is usually handled by your employer's PRO

Dubai and Abu Dhabi have clean, cheap and reliable public transport, plus abundant metered taxis and ride-hailing, though many residents outside the city cores still rely on a car. Dubai's Metro (Red and Green lines), tram and buses all run on a single rechargeable Nol card; Abu Dhabi uses the Hafilat card for its extensive bus network. Everything is air-conditioned, which is essential given the summer heat, and the Metro is genuinely quick and driverless. Fuel is cheap by Western standards, so owning a car is common and parking in central areas is paid via the RTA Dubai (S'hail) app or Mawaqif in Abu Dhabi.

From the airport: From Dubai International (DXB), the Metro Red Line runs from Terminals 1 and 3 straight into Downtown and the Marina for a few dirhams but stops around midnight; an RTA metered taxi to central Dubai costs roughly AED 50-90, and Careem or Uber pick up from designated bays. From Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport it is about 30-45 minutes by taxi into the city (roughly AED 70-90), with airport express buses a cheaper alternative.

Most expats rent through agents, and leases are annual with rent still very commonly paid in one to four post-dated cheques for the year, which surprises newcomers used to monthly payments. In Dubai, every tenancy must be registered with Ejari (via the Dubai REST app or a typing centre); in Abu Dhabi the equivalent is Tawtheeq. Always confirm the agent holds a valid RERA broker card, view the actual unit rather than a show flat, and get the contract before paying. Furnished short-term lets on platforms like Airbnb or serviced apartments are a sensible bridge for the first month or two.

Typical rent: A one-bedroom flat runs roughly AED 6,000-10,000/month in Dubai's mid-range communities and AED 4,000-6,500 in Abu Dhabi; prime areas such as Dubai Marina, Downtown or Palm Jumeirah cost considerably more, while Sharjah is well below

Deposit norm: A security deposit of 5 percent of the annual rent (10 percent if furnished), plus a roughly 5 percent agency commission and Ejari/Tawtheeq registration fees, all typically paid upfront alongside the first cheque

Health insurance is legally mandatory for every resident and is normally provided by your employer as part of the visa process; it is illegal to sponsor a visa without it. Private clinics and hospitals are modern, fast and English-speaking, and expats overwhelmingly use private care within their insurer's network. Public facilities exist but are geared mainly toward Emiratis and emergencies. Standards are generally high, especially in the large private groups such as Mediclinic, Aster, NMC and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

How to access it: In Dubai you also need a DHA health card linked to your Emirates ID; in Abu Dhabi, insured residents access care through their network (Emiratis use Thiqa). Book directly with clinics inside your insurer's network to avoid paying upfront, and check whether a referral is needed for specialists. For a GP visit you can often walk in or use a telehealth app; for genuine emergencies call 998 for an ambulance or go straight to a hospital A&E.

Insurance: Employer-provided cover is required by law but often basic, restricting you to a limited clinic network. Check whether your plan covers dependants, because you must separately insure any family members you sponsor, and consider upgrading if you want wider hospital access, maternity cover or dental. Keep your insurance card (usually in an app) on your phone.

• Dress modestly in public places, malls and government offices by covering shoulders and knees; beachwear is fine only at beaches, pools and hotels.
• Use your right hand for eating, greeting and handing over documents, as the left is considered unclean. A light handshake is standard, but wait for a woman or an Emirati to extend a hand first.
• Be discreet during Ramadan: do not eat, drink or smoke in public during daylight hours even if you are not fasting, and expect shorter working hours and quieter daytimes.
• Keep public conduct restrained; public displays of affection beyond hand-holding, swearing, and rude hand gestures can all lead to fines or arrest.
• Accept hospitality graciously; refusing an offered Arabic coffee or dates outright can seem rude, and a little Arabic greeting such as 'salaam alaikum' is warmly received.
• Respect the Friday-Saturday or Saturday-Sunday weekend (Fridays include midday prayers) and dress and behave conservatively when visiting mosques or heritage areas.
• Be patient and polite with officials and service staff; raised voices, aggression or perceived insults carry more weight here and can escalate quickly.

• Photographing people, especially local women, and government, military or airport buildings without permission can cause serious trouble.
• Alcohol is legal for adults in licensed venues, hotels and shops, but drinking or being visibly drunk in public is an offence, and there is absolute zero tolerance for drink-driving.
• Recreational drugs, including residue on clothing, poppy seeds and some CBD products legal elsewhere, carry severe penalties including prison and deportation.
• Certain prescription and even over-the-counter medicines require prior Ministry of Health approval to bring in; check before you travel with anything containing controlled substances.
• Social media and online conduct are policed: insulting people, religion or the state, or sharing others' photos without consent, can lead to fines or charges under cybercrime laws.