Welcome to the
United Arab Emirates
Al Imarat al Arabiyah al Muttahidah
The United Arab Emirates, one of the world's fastest growing tourist destinations, has all the right ingredients for an unforgettable holiday, sun, sand, sea, sports, unbeatable shopping, top-class hotels and restaurants, an intriguing traditional culture, and a safe and welcoming environment.
 The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is situated along the south-eastern tip of
the Arabian peninsula between 22 50 and 26 north latitude and between
51 and 56 25 east longitude. Qatar lies to the north-west, Saudi Arabia to
the west, south and south-east and Oman to the south-east and north-east.
Occupying a total area of about 83, 600 sq. km (32,400 sq. miles) roughly
the size of Portugal the UAE has 700 km of coastline, 600 km along the
Arabian Gulf and 100 km bordering the Gulf of Oman.
The best time to visit the UAE is from October up until May.
In October the weather may still be quite hot (up to 35C), blue skies are the norm and the evenings are warm. At this stage the tourist season is well under way.
Daytime temperatures are ideal during November, December, January and February (around 24C) although the evenings may be a little cool (13C). North-westerly winds (shamal) sometimes blow during these winter months, bringing choppy seas. Most of the annual rainfall occurs between December and March, but this tends to be in the form of short heavy downpours that rapidly clear away. Indeed some winters are totally dry.
By March/April, temperatures are beginning to rise during the day (early 30s) but humidity is still low and the evenings are warm. May can be quite hot again (late-30s).
 June/September are to be avoided, especially the July/August period which is very hot (high 40s) and humid (100 per cent). However hotels and golf clubs and other facilities offer very good deals during the summer months and it is worth remembering that hotels, shops, in fact all buildings, cars, buses etc are air-conditioned.
Travel to the UAE has never been easier since it is now one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Most of the leading airlines of the world fly into the UAE, but you can also travel by road or sea. The vast majority of visitors take advantage of the excellent deals on offer through a number of tour operators.
The UAE is one of the safest places in the world to visit. In fact, it has been designated the world's safest holiday destination by the international travel industry on two occasions. Nevertheless, it is a good idea to take out travel insurance and to take the normal precaution to safeguard yourself and your valuables.
There are several types of visas for visitors to the United Arab Emirates. Nationals of "Israel" may not enter the Emirates. A penalty charge of Dh 100 per day is imposed on visitors who overstay. For nationalities that require a sponsor, airlines may seek confirmation that the sponsor is holding a valid visa for the incoming visitor. Please click here for the latest updates on visa requirements to the United Arab Emirates.
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