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Population
The Emirate of Abu Dhabi's population, including Al Ain, the western region and the Islands, stood at 1,463,491 at the end of 2006, thus comprising one third of the UAE’s total population. The population includes many expatriate residents who have come to live and work in the Emirate from Asia, Africa, Europe and other Arabic nations as well as North and Latin America. Across the UAE, Emirati nationals comprise only around 20% of the total population.
Language and religion
Arabic is the official language, although English, Hindi and Urdu are widely spoken. Arabic is also considered the state’s official business language, but English is commonly used, all the way from the busy souqs to the executive boardrooms of the region’s blue chip companies. As a rule, the farther away you are from a business or city centre, the less English is spoken or understood. It is not uncommon for restaurant menus, street names and road signs in the UAE to be printed in both English and Arabic.
Islam is the official religion of the UAE and is widely practiced by Emirati nationals as well as expatriates from other Arab countries, Pakistan, Africa and India.
The Emirate of Abu Dhabi, as is the entire UAE, is tolerant of other religions. Residents who profess a different faith are free to perform their religious duties, such as attending worship services or mass in churches or chapels.
For the uninitiated, the following pointers are worth remembering:
• Friday is the Islamic holy day (compared to Sunday in other religions and states)
• Each Muslim is expected at least once in their lifetime to make a pilgrimage (called Hajj) to the holy city of Mecca (Makkah) in Saudi Arabia.
• A Muslim is required to pray five times a day facing Mecca; timings vary according to the position of the sun.
• Some Muslims may pray outside the mosque; basic courtesy requires you not to stare at people praying and not to walk over prayer mats.
Dress code
While the Emirate of Abu Dhabi is generally conservative, attitudes toward dress are relaxed. Visitors, both men and women, are advised not to wear excessively revealing clothing in public places, as a sign of respect for local culture and customs. On public beaches, swimmers should avoid excessively revealing swimming suits.
Most nightclubs require their guests not to wear shorts, caps, sport shoes or open-toed sandals on their premises. Unless otherwise indicated, official events usually require non-locals to wear formal dress; a suit and tie for men and an evening dress for women.
As for weather requirements, lightweight summer clothing is suitable for summer, spring and autumn, though a light sweater or cardigan could be handy when visiting a shopping mall, hotel or restaurant where the air conditioning might be kept very low to counter the outdoor heat. Slightly warmer clothes may be needed for the short winter season, especially in the evening.
Currency
The official currency of the United Arab Emirates is the dirham (abbreviated to Dhs or AED), with each dirham divided into 100 fils. Dirham notes come in 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, and 1000 denominations, while coins come in Dhs 1, 0.5, 0.25, 0.10 and 0.05. The two smallest denominations are rarely seen or used nowadays. The dirham is pegged to the US dollar at the official exchange rate of Dhs 3.6725 to every US dollar.
Credit cards such as MasterCard, Visa, American Express and Diners Club, are widely accepted in the United Arab Emirates, as are traveller’s cheques.
Banks and ATMs
Currently there are 22 locally incorporated commercial banks and 25 branches of foreign banks operating in the UAE. While these numbers have remained the same for some time, the banks have notably expanded in terms of branches. As of 2007, there are a total of 209 bank branches in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, 81.8% of them local banks.
While most banks operate five days a week, Sunday to Thursday, from 8:30 to 13:30, a few others also open on Saturdays from 8:00 until 12:00. Branches in prominent city centres and malls may operate longer hours, opening from 9:00 am until early evening. It would be very unusual to find any bank open at any time on a Friday.
Post offices
An extensive network of post offices covers the Abu Dhabi Emirate, offering fast and reliable postal services. Emirates Post, the sole provider of postal services in the UAE, has 22 offices across the Emirate, offering domestic and international mail and courier services. Working hours vary, with larger post offices remaining open till late evening while others open only until early afternoon. Mail services in Abu Dhabi are inexpensive; domestic mail costs 50 fils per letter (under 20 grams) and up to Dhs 3 per letter to Europe. Postcards cost up to Dhs 2 to Europe, America, Australia and the Far East.
Public holidays
1. New Year’s Day (1 January)
2. Al-Hijra (Islamic New Year)
3. Mouloud (Birth of the Prophet)
4. Leilat al-Meiraj (Ascension of the Prophet)
5. Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan)
6. Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice)
7. National Day (2 December)
Driving
Visitors to Al Ain can rent or drive a car in the Emirate if they have a valid international driving licence, issued by the country from which their driving licence has been granted. A national driving licence is not sufficient qualification for them to drive. UAE nationals and residents of other Gulf Cooperation Council countries do not require an international driving license, and can drive or rent a car in the Abu Dhabi Emirate using their GCC-issued driving licence for the duration of their visit in the Emirate, up to three months.
Telecommunications and internet
The Emirates Telecommunications Company (Etisalat) provides comprehensive telecommunications and internet services across the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
Etisalat operates dual rates - peak and off-peak - for national and international phone calls, whether from fixed or mobile telephone lines. Off-peak rates, which are significantly lower than peak rates, are offered during designated hours on ordinary days and all day on Fridays and other special holidays. Off-peak hours for mobile phone services (both voice calls and SMS) are between 2:00pm and 4:00 pm, then from 12:00 midnight until 7:00 am. Off-peak hours for calls within the UAE from one landline to another are between 2:00pm and 4:00pm and 7:00pm to 7:00am.
Outgoing national calls from a mobile phone during peak hours cost 30 fils for the first 60 seconds, and 15 fils for successive 30 seconds (or 12 fils for every 30 seconds during off-peak hours). Outgoing SMS costs 18 fils per message (national) or 30 fils per message (international).
Water and electricity
Tap water is perfectly safe to drink in Abu Dhabi, but if you prefer bottled mineral water, local and international brands are readily available in supermarkets and grocery stores everywhere.
Restrictions
Alcohol is served to non-Muslims in all major hotels and licensed restaurants, but public drunkenness and drinking and driving are not tolerated. The latter is a serious offence, with zero tolerance for driving while under the influence of alcohol. Serving, selling or giving alcohol to non-Muslims is also against the law. There is also no tolerance for drug use and visitors may face long prison sentences if apprehended with any drugs, however small the quantity.
The Ministry of Health’s Drug Control Department publishes lists of restricted drugs and medications that may otherwise be prescribed in travellers’ home countries, so travellers should take special care to ensure that their medications or other substances are not restricted before travelling.
Visitors to Abu Dhabi should avoid photographing women in general, and particularly national women, without their permission. It is always courteous to ask before photographing people. There are few other restrictions on photography in the Emirate, but military, government and airport installations are not allowed to be photographed.
Duty free
Travellers arriving in the Abu Dhabi Emirate are permitted to purchase up to two litres of spirits and two litres of wine (non-Muslim adults only), perfume in reasonable quantities and up to 2,000 cigarettes, 400 cigars or 2 kg of tobacco.
Emergency, safety & police services
There is virtually zero crime rate in the Abu Dhabi Emirate, and the Abu Dhabi Police
has highly efficient law enforcement and emergency procedures in place.
However, for emergencies you may call the following toll-free numbers:
998 - Ambulance services
999 - Police (also +971 2 4461461)
997 - Fire
999 - Helicopter Service
Hospitals, clinics and pharmacies
Abu Dhabi’s healthcare system consists of an extensive network of hospitals, clinics and medical facilities throughout the emirate. Visitors who become ill during their stay in Abu Dhabi can be assured of receiving the highest quality healthcare at any of the emirate’s private and public hospitals and clinics.
Please note that some prescriptions or over the counter medicines purchased in other countries are illegal in the United Arab Emirates. Codeine, for example, is banned in the UAE and no products containing codeine can be imported or sold in the country.
Pharmacies in Abu Dhabi are abundant. While most are generally open from 8:30 to 22:30, some are open 24 hours a day.
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