Dubai International Airport (DBX)
Tel: (04) 224 5555.
Website: www.dubaiairport.com

Dubai International Airport, located 5km (3 miles) southeast of the city centre, is the busiest airport in the Middle East with 28.7 million passengers passing through the airport in 2006, compared to 18 million in 2003, with a projected 60 million passengers by 2010. A new terminal, exclusively used by Emirates, opened at the end of 2008 with its own check-in, lounges and hotel. There are also massively ambitious plans for a second five-runway mega airport near Jebel Ali, the Al Maktoum International Airport.

Approximate flight times to Dubai: From London is 7 hours 45 minutes; from New York is 14 hours 50 minutes; from Los Angeles is 19 hours 55 minutes; from Toronto is 14 hours 10 minutes and from Sydney is 16 hours 15 minutes.

Airport facilities: These include ATM, bureau de change, banking, post office, medical centre, pharmacy, cafes, restaurants, gym, health spa, executive lounges, left luggage, duty-free shopping, tourist information bureau, smoking areas, children's playrooms and car hire from Avis, Budget, Fast Rent a Car and Hertz.

Business facilities: There are two airport business centres. The Global Link Business Centre is located in the departure lounge for terminal 1, with facilities including six ISDN booths, workstations with Internet connection and fax machines, as well as an around-the-clock secretarial service. The Connect Business Centre (tel: (04) 216 4278) is located in the International Hotel and has five meeting rooms and a conference room for up to 60 delegates. Eight workstations include ISDN terminals and fax machines. Secretarial and office services support is offered. There are a number of executive lounges in the airport, some offering excellent business facilities.

Transport to the city: Dubai Municipality (tel: 800 4848; website: www.dm.gov.ae) airport buses, with air conditioning and extra luggage space, leave for Al Subkha (bus 401) and Al Ghubaiba (bus 402) bus stations every 30 minutes daily 0600-2200 (journey time- 20 minutes). From the bus stations there are regular transfers to all parts of the city. Prepaid airport taxis must be booked in the arrival hall. These charge a fixed rate for destinations in the city centre (journey time - 10 minutes). Otherwise, Dubai Transport taxis are available outside the arrivals terminal, with a hefty initial charge.

Getting There By Water

Jebel Ali Port is located 30km (18.5 miles) from the city centre. It is the world’s largest man-made port - over 120 shipping lines use the port and it has over 100 berths. Passenger services are limited however and are not designed to cater for tourists. A massive expansion programme is currently underway but the developments are geared towards freight rather than passengers. A port tax of is levied on departures from the UAE. Dubai Port Authority (tel: (04) 881 5555; website: www.dpa.co.ae) provides further information. The government-owned Dubai Cruise Terminal (website: www.dubaitourism.ae/cruise), which is capable of dealing with two liners at a time, opened at Port Rashid in 2001, with an ever-increasing number of cruise liners now using the modern terminal. Facilities at the cruise terminal include reception check-in, an information centre, VIP lounge, a relaxation zone and cafe, a big-screen entertainment centre, duty-free, exhibits and an Arabian palm garden.

Ferry services: Ferry services operate to ports in Iran from Sharjah, although these are not recommended for tourists and timetables are erratic. Plans have been mooted for a more developed and comprehensive regional ferry service but these are very much on the back burner at present.

Transport to the city: Taxis are the best way of getting into town. Dubai Cruise Terminal has its own taxi stand.

Getting There By Rail

There are currently no railways serving Dubai.

Getting There By Road

The United Arab Emirates boasts an impressive network of first-class roads that connect major towns and villages, including a multi-lane highway between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Highways and main roads in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates are designated by an Emirate Route Number. Driving in the UAE is on the right-hand side. Speed limits are clearly displayed on road signs and are usually 60-80kph (37-50mph) around town and 100-120kph (62-74mph) elsewhere. Seat belts are compulsory and it is illegal to use handheld mobile phones while driving. Certain minor traffic offences incur on-the-spot fines. Drinking and driving is illegal and the maximum legal alcohol to blood ratio for driving is zero. The police must be called to any road traffic accident (no matter how minor) and those involved in the accident must remain at the scene with their vehicles.

A valid International Driving Permit, a valid national licence and a passport are required to drive in Dubai. Visitors from many European, North American and Pan-Asian countries can obtain a temporary local driving licence if they do not have an international licence - a valid national licence, passport and two passport-size photographs are required for applicants to obtain this. Drivers must be over 18 years old. Third party insurance is compulsory.

Arabian Automobile Association (tel: (04) 266 9989; website: www.aaa-uae.com) can provide further information.

Emergency breakdown service: Arabian Automobile Association (tel: 800 4900).

Routes to the city: The main Emirate Route Numbers into Dubai are 77 from Jebel Ali, 88 from Sharjah, 44 from Wajajah, 66 from Al-Ain and 11 from Abu Dhabi.

Approximate driving times to Dubai: From Al-Ain - 1 hour 15 minutes; Abu Dhabi - 1 hour 30 minutes; Muscat - 4 hours.

Coach services: Buses for Muscat in Oman depart from the car park at the Airline Centre, Al-Maktoum Road, Deira (tel: (04) 203 3923). Tickets can be purchased from the driver or the Airline Centre. The Gold Souk Bus Station, off Al-Khor Street, and Al-Ghubaiba Bus Station, Al-Ghubaiba Road, are the main departure points for local and intercity services, which operate 0600-2300. Dubai Municipality (tel: 800 4848; website: www.dm.gov.ae) can provide further information. There are also buses from Dubai to Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. Dubai Transport Corporation (tel: (04) 264 1111; website: www.dubaitransport.gov.ae) operates minibus services to the main cities of the UAE, but it is only possible for travellers to catch these once they are out of Dubai city.

© 2006 Columbus Travel Publishing Ltd. Disclaimer

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