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Best time to travel to the UAE
Visas in the UAE
UAE Holidays
Arriving in the UAE
Money in the UAE
Foreign Exchange in the UAE
Electricity in the UAE
Emergency phone number in the UAE
Homosexuality in the UAE
Internet Access in the UAE
Newspapers in the UAE
TV in the UAE
Smoking in the UAE
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Telephones in the UAE
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Getting to Dubai
What do people speak in Dubai and Abu Dhabi?
The official language is Arabic, with Gulf Arabic being specific dialect. English is widely spoken and is the lingua franca between all the different nationalities in the UAE, so you’ll be fine if you can speak English. English is used in most places, but less so, the further you go away from the main cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. However, English is used as a business language. However, it always helps to make an effort with the local language and you can find our basic Arabic phrases to help you gain some rapport. Having Urdu and Hindi would also be useful to have up your sleeve. Other languages spoken in the UAE include Farsi, Tagalog, Pashto and Malayalam due to the make up of the population.