Living in Dubai

Going beyond the abstract dream, this section deals with the realities of day to day living in the city of Dubai.

Thriving in Dubai

Sometimes when relocating to a new country it is the simplest things, those we take most for granted that cause us the biggest headaches. Unlike the UK where most utilities have been opened up to free market competition, things are quite simple in Dubai. If you need electricity you go to DEWA (Dubai Electricity and Water Authority). Water? DEWA. Sewerage? DEWA. Gas? Sorry, there is no mains gas in Dubai, so if you insist on using gas you will have to use cylinders. The main provider of telephone lines in Dubai is Etisalat. Once you have got all that sorted out you are ready to enjoy life in one of the most exciting cities in the world.

Dubai car hire deals from Lastminute.com (external) »

British Airways Holidays car rental offers (external) »

Find your way around Dubai with a map from Amazon (external) »

Browse books on living in Dubai from Amazon (external)

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Internet

Dubai is well served by high speed broadband connections, although there is regulation of internet content meaning that Israeli sites, adult sites, dating sites and some social networking sites are not accessible.

In 2001 the Dubai Municipality launched its e-Government project with the intention of providing forty of its city services through its web portal. Thirteen services were accessible at launch with further services due to be added in the future.

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Media

Dubai has a long established network of print, broadcast and electronic media, mainly based in Dubai Media City. Both Arab and international TV are available through cable or satellite as are local stations Dubai One, EDTV and Dubai TV.

Gulf News and Khaleej Times are the top English language newspapers in Dubai, with Al Khaleej and Al Bayan being the city's largest circulating Arabic newspapers.

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Free UAE Dirham currency converter

Although salaries are high in Dubai so is the cost of living. Work out how much everything costs with this handy tool that converts most major currencies to UAE Dirhams and back again.

Free UAE Dirham currency converter (external) »

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