Tipping
๐ฅTipping is appreciated but not mandatory. 10โ15% at restaurants is standard. Round up for taxis.
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Tipping 10โ15% is appreciated at restaurants, though many include a service charge; hotel staff expect 10โ20 QAR, and Uber or Karwa taxi drivers don't require a tip.
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Public Transport
Dubai has an excellent metro and buses. Buy a Nol Card for all public transport in Dubai. Abu Dhabi has buses but no metro yet.
โPublic displays of affection on public transport can result in fines or arrest. Maintain respectful behavior on all public transit.
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Doha has a modern, clean metro with three lines (Gold, Red, Green) that connects major attractions and Hamad International Airport.
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Tourist Healthcare
Healthcare quality is excellent but expensive. Travel insurance is strongly recommended. Many hospitals have English-speaking staff.
โMany medications that are legal elsewhere are controlled or banned in the UAE. Check the UAE Ministry of Health list before bringing any prescription medication.
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Qatar has excellent hospitals including Hamad Medical Corporation (public) and top private hospitals, with English widely spoken at all major facilities.
โSome medications that are legal elsewhere are controlled in Qatar. Check the Ministry of Public Health list before bringing prescription drugs and carry a doctor's letter for any controlled medicine.
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Local Laws
The UAE has strict laws around alcohol, public behavior, drugs, and dress. What is legal in your home country may be a criminal offense here.
โDrug laws in the UAE are among the strictest in the world. Traces of drugs in your system (from use before arriving) have led to tourist arrests. Carry no controlled substances whatsoever.
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Qatar has strict laws around alcohol, drugs, public behavior, LGBT relationships, and criticism of the government โ violations can mean arrest or deportation.
โDrug trafficking is a capital offense in Qatar. Even traces of controlled substances in your system or luggage have led to tourist arrests โ carry nothing.
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Emergency Numbers
Dress Code
Dress modestly in public. Shoulders and knees should be covered in malls, markets, and public areas. Swimwear is only for beaches and pools.
โWearing bikinis or swimwear off the beach or pool (e.g., walking through a hotel lobby in a bikini) can result in a fine in the UAE.
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Cover shoulders and knees in all public areas; beachwear is acceptable at beaches and hotel pools, and no full-face veil is required of tourists.
โWearing overly revealing clothing in public spaces such as Souq Waqif or government buildings can result in a fine or being asked to leave.
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Alcohol Rules
Alcohol is only legal at licensed hotels, restaurants, and bars. Drinking in public is illegal. Legal age is 21. Ramadan has extra restrictions.
โBeing drunk in public (even without a bottle in hand) can result in arrest and detention in the UAE. Drink only at licensed venues.
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Alcohol is only available at licensed hotel bars and restaurants; it is completely banned in all public spaces, and tourists cannot purchase from the Qatar Distribution Company.
โBeing visibly intoxicated in a public space or on the street is a criminal offense in Qatar, even if you consumed alcohol at a legal licensed venue.
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Bargaining Culture
Bargaining is expected in traditional souks and markets. Fixed prices apply in malls and modern shops. Always negotiate at gold and textile souks.
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Bargaining is possible in Souq Waqif and the gold souq but most modern malls and tourist shops have fixed prices.
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Photography Rules
Photographing government buildings, military sites, and people without consent is illegal. Tourists have been arrested for innocent-seeming photos.
โTourists have been arrested and deported for photographing police stations, checkpoints, or Emirati women without permission. When in doubt, put the camera away.
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The Doha skyline and tourist sites are freely photographable, but photographing government buildings, palaces, military sites, and people without consent is illegal.
โPhotographing the Emiri Diwan, government ministries, military checkpoints, or police vehicles can result in detention and equipment confiscation.
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Sunday & Holiday Hours
The UAE weekend is SaturdayโSunday. Businesses close on Friday for prayers. Malls are open 7 days a week. Ramadan significantly changes all hours.
โDuring Ramadan, eating, drinking, or smoking in public during daylight hours (including in your car) is illegal for everyone, including non-Muslim tourists.
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Qatar's weekend is FridayโSaturday; most malls and tourist venues are open seven days a week, but prayer times cause brief closures and Ramadan dramatically shifts all hours.
โDuring Ramadan, eating, drinking, or smoking in public during daylight hours is illegal for everyone โ including non-Muslim tourists. Use hotel restaurants or eat discreetly indoors.
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Taxi & Rideshare
๐ฅWater Safety
๐ฅTap water is desalinated and technically safe to drink, but most residents and tourists use bottled water due to the heavy chlorination and taste.
โDehydration is a genuine health risk in UAE summers. Drink at least 3โ4 litres of water per day when outside in hot weather.
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Tap water is technically safe but heavily desalinated and chemical-tasting โ most residents and tourists drink bottled water, which is cheap and widely available.
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ATMs & Cash
ATMs are widely available and the UAE is largely cashless, but carry AED 200โ500 for souqs and small traditional vendors.
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Qatar is largely cashless in modern venues โ Apple Pay and Google Pay are widely accepted โ but cash is still needed at some souq vendors and smaller shops.
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SIM Card & Internet
๐ฅdu and Etisalat (e&) are the two UAE carriers โ both sell tourist SIMs at the airport with excellent 5G coverage, but VoIP calls are blocked.
โVoIP services including WhatsApp voice calls, FaceTime audio, and Skype are blocked in the UAE. A VPN may circumvent this but using a VPN to bypass blocked services is a legal grey area.
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Tourist SIMs from Ooredoo and Vodafone Qatar are available at Hamad International Airport and require your passport; 5G coverage is excellent across the country.
โVoIP and internet calling apps including WhatsApp voice/video calls and FaceTime may be blocked on Qatari carrier networks โ use a VPN if these services are essential to you.
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Electricity & Plugs
๐ฅScams to Avoid
Haggling is expected at traditional souqs but scams are rare โ the UAE has a very low scam culture overall.
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Qatar has very low scam rates overall, though some tourist restaurants overprice and occasional taxis overcharge if the meter is skipped.
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Crime & Safety
The UAE is one of the safest countries in the world with extremely low crime rates โ road accidents are a greater real risk than crime.
โRoad traffic accidents are a genuine risk. Drive defensively, always wear a seatbelt, and never exceed speed limits โ cameras are everywhere.
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Qatar is one of the world's safest countries with extremely low crime rates โ petty theft is almost unheard of and violent crime against tourists is exceptionally rare.
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Cultural Etiquette
Ramadan etiquette is critical, public displays of affection are inappropriate, and small gestures like accepting offered coffee show respect.
โEating or drinking in public during Ramadan daylight hours is a fineable offense. This applies to all visitors regardless of religion.
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Accept offered gahwa (coffee) and dates, dress modestly, avoid rushing hosts, and observe Ramadan rules carefully โ Qatar values hospitality and measured formality.
โPublic displays of affection โ including kissing or sustained embracing in public โ are illegal in Qatar and can lead to a fine or arrest.
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Language Basics
Arabic is the official language, but English is so widely spoken in tourism and business that there is effectively no language barrier for visitors.
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Arabic is the official language but English is very widely spoken throughout Doha due to the large expat population โ most tourist interactions require no Arabic at all.
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Beach & Swimming
The UAE has excellent public beaches with warm water year-round, but appropriate swimwear and flag safety systems apply.
โWearing a thong bikini or extremely revealing swimwear on public UAE beaches can result in a fine. Stick to conventional swimwear on public beaches.
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Qatar has accessible public and resort beaches on the Persian Gulf with warm water year-round; modest swimwear is expected at public beaches.
โJellyfish are present in the Persian Gulf seasonally, particularly from May to September. Check local advisories before swimming and treat stings with vinegar.
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Driving Rules
Drive on the right, roads are excellent, but speed cameras are everywhere and the UAE has one of the world's highest road accident rates.
โThe UAE has a very high road accident and fatality rate. Drive defensively, maintain safe following distances, and strictly observe speed limits.
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Drive on the right; an international driving license is valid; traffic in Doha is heavy with speed cameras everywhere, but petrol is extremely cheap.
โQatar has zero tolerance for drink-driving โ even a trace of alcohol in your system while driving is a criminal offense carrying fines, imprisonment, and deportation.
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Restaurants & Food
The UAE is a global food destination โ all cuisine is halal, pork is restricted to licensed venues, and Friday brunch is a beloved local institution.
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Qatar offers excellent local cuisine including machboos and harees alongside a vast international food scene, but all food is halal and pork is unavailable.
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Religious Site Etiquette
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque welcomes non-Muslims with free abayas provided; remove shoes, dress modestly, and visit outside prayer times.
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The State Mosque (Grand Mosque) welcomes non-Muslim visitors outside prayer times with proper dress; robes and head coverings are provided at the entrance.
โEntering a mosque during prayer time without permission or without appropriate dress can cause serious offense and may result in being escorted out by authorities.
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Weather & Best Time
Visit October to April for comfortable outdoor weather โ May to September is extremely hot and humid with temperatures above 45ยฐC.
โSummer heat in the UAE (MayโSeptember) is a genuine health hazard. Prolonged outdoor exposure above 45ยฐC can cause heat stroke rapidly โ limit time outside and stay hydrated.
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Visit November to March for comfortable outdoor weather; summers (MayโSeptember) are brutally hot at 45ยฐC+ and largely unsuitable for outdoor sightseeing.
โSummer heat in Qatar (JuneโAugust) can be life-threatening for outdoor exertion. Limit outdoor time to early morning and evenings, stay hydrated, and never leave children in parked cars.
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Money-Saving Tips
The UAE is expensive but cheap eats, free beaches, the Dubai Metro, and hotel happy hours can significantly reduce your costs.
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Qatar is expensive overall, but cheap shawarma restaurants near the Corniche, free beach access, free entry to Souq Waqif, and using Careem over Karwa taxis all help reduce costs.
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