Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, is a huge place that takes up to 80% of the countries territory. Abu Dhabi is the richest of all the Emirates because it holds nearly 10% of the world’s oil supply. Abu Dhabi is a very old place that is filled with culture and tradition.
If you are planning on visiting Abu Dhabi, there are things you should know before making the trip.
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1. Things to Wear
The first thing you should know before visiting Abu Dhabi is to understand what you can and cannot wear if you are a female. This might not sound nice to some people, but Abu Dhabi has very strict rules for females. While disobeying these rules will not necessarily get you into trouble, it will draw unwanted attention.
source:packslight.com
When in public places, women are required to have their legs and shoulders covered. Wearing a bikini is perfectly fine, as long as you are at the beach or the hotel premises. When going to a restaurant or nightclub, make sure to be covered to and from the venue. Citizens of Abu Dhabi take great offend if visiting women don’t obey their rules, so always wear pashmina when visiting Abu Dhabi.
2. The Language
While Abu Dhabi does have extremely religious beliefs, they are quite open to the western world. As a westerner, language shouldn’t be a problem if you’re staying in a 4 or 5-star hotel. All of the staff in these types of hotels will speak English perfectly, and some hotels even employ Russian, German, Chinese, French, Spanish, and even Arabic speaking staff to better accommodate their guests.
source:luxos.com
According to www.valueaddedtravel.com, it will always be helpful if you know the basics of worlds when at the Abu Dhabi airport such as As-salam Alaykum (hello), Wa Alaykum As-slam (to reply back when someone says hello), and Shukran (thank you).
3. Tipping for Services
source:thenational.ae
In Abu Dhabi, its common practice for tourists and citizens to tip waiters, hotel staff, taxi drivers, and car valets for good service. When in a restaurant, make sure to check the bill as most high-end hotels will add 10% to the bill for services. This is common practice all throughout Europe, predominantly Italy.
4. Transportation
In Abu Dhabi, there are a lot of cab drivers. Compared to western countries, hailing a taxi is considered quite cheap due to the cheap prices of petrol. Most hotels and malls have dedicated taxi stands, so you don’t even have to call one.
In Abu Dhabi, there are several types of taxis. Silver taxis charge by the meter and are operated by taxi companies, while the white and gold cabs are older and you can sometimes negotiate the fare in advance. There is another type of taxi in Abu Dhabi which is pink taxis. Pink taxis are exclusive to female passengers and families and are driven by female drivers.
5. When to Visit?
source:luxos.com
Abu Dhabi is sunny all year round. However, it can be extremely hot during the summer months of June, July, and August. The best time to visit Abu Dhabi would be eighter October, or May, or anything between those two months.
