United Arab Emirates Budget Travel Guide provides an introduction to the places and tourist destinations in this Middle East country. I created this guide especially for travelers on a limited budget - which is an even bigger challenge for this destination, as it is anything but economical. Nonetheless, where opportunity arises, I shall share information on how you can explore the United Arab Emirates without breaking the bank. Dubai is the largest city and the second largest state by area within the federation.
The United Arab Emirates or UAE is a federation of seven emirates located on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. The states forming UAE are Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Quwain, Ras al-Khaimah and Fujairah. Abu Dhabi is the capital as well as the country's political, industrial and cultural center.
Despite its relatively small size, the United Arab Emirates has the world's seventh largest oil reserve and one of the most developed economies in the Middle East. Its Gross Domestic Product stands at US$46,584 and the 14th highest purchasing power per capita. The country is classified as a high income developing economy by the International Monetary Fund.
Visitors to the United Arab Emirates will find an ultra modern country justaposed against a traditionally Arab lifestyle. As of 2010, there are probably more modern skyscrapers, in the boldest architectural styles, in the United Arab Emirates - particularly in Dubai - than in anywhere else on earth. Familiar Western brands from McDonald's to Ikea and Carrefour are familiar sights in the country. As the society transforms, so too the people's aspirations. The souks - traditional bazaar - of Abu Dhabi was demolished in 2006. If you want to catch a glimpse of this traditional market in UAE, you can still visit one in Dubai.
Budget Travel to United Arab Emirates
Nationals of the following country are granted a 30-day visa free-of-charge on arrival in the United Arab Emirates: Australia, Andorra, Austria, Brunei, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United States of America and the Vatican. All other nationalities must apply for a visa in advance.
The UAE is famously stringent in checking, not only for drugs, but certain medicine and painkillers are regarded as drugs. Medicine containing codeine, diazepam (Valium) or dextromethorphan (Robitussin) are banned and cannot be brought in unless you have a notorized and authenticated doctor's prescription - those breaking the rule risk deportation or worse, imprisonment.
Flying In
Dubai International Airport is the main airport for the United Arab Emirates. It is the base for Emirates. The airport receives international flights from all over the world. Second to Dubai is the Abu Dhabi International Airport, also receiving flights from across the world.
Budget travelers can fly the low-cost carrier Air Arabia to its hub at Sharjah Airport, which is quite near to Dubai. It has connections with cities in the Middle East and India.
Budget Travel within United Arab Emirates
Going from city to city means taking the Intercity Bus, which are fast and comfortable. Within the cities themselves, your choice is limited to the taxi, which is quite plentiful in the bigger cities of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.
Before booking a hotel room, make sure you are getting the lowest price for it. Different hotel booking websites offers the same room at different prices. If you stick with one site all the time, you could be paying more for the same room. Now why pay more?
The form below is a Research Engine. It doesn't take bookings. Instead it lets you find the hotel booking website that offers the room you want at the lowest price. You can see and compare what different sites are offering, and then click to choose the one with the best price. Do this, and you're guaranteed to save a whole lot of money on your room reservations!
If you're flying somewhere, use our Flight Checker to compare the rates from different airlines. To use it, enter where you will be flying from, where you will be flying to, your departure date and return date. Select the number of passengers, and then click search.
Our engine will return you a list of possible flights that you can take. You can compare the fare of different airlines for your trip. Click on your selected airline, and we transfer you to the airline website.
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