United Arab Emirates

Understand

Located on the coastlines of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, the United Arab Emirates covers an area of 83,600 km², slightly smaller than Austria. As a tribal federation, the country is like a visionary fairy tale of the One Thousand and One Nights; however, in recent times, it has developed into an international financial centre. Even well into the 20th century, the UAE was not on anybody's tourist itinerary. But investment of its fabulous oil and gas wealth, as well as a comparatively liberal interpretation of Islam (if you are a wealthy foreigner, that is), have changed that in a big way – megaprojects including artificial islands, gargantuan malls with everything on offer for those with wallets large enough, and the tallest building in the world have created a lot of buzz around the Emirates. The rapid expansion of the UAE's aviation industry in the 21st century, in large part due to the explosive growth of Dubai-based Emirates and Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways, has arguably turned the UAE into the center of the world. The less well-known side of the UAE includes remote, magnificent desert dunes on the edge of the Empty Quarter and awe-inspiring wadis and mountains in the northeast emirates bordering Oman. Beneath the glittering façade, however, there is a vast underclass of poorly-paid migrant workers who are often horribly mistreated, not to mention a rather authoritarian set of ruling families who won't brook criticism from anyone – not even "unruly" members of their own families.

History The arrival of envoys from the Islamic prophet Muhammad in 630 heralded the conversion of the region to Islam. After Muhammad, one of the major battles fought at Dibba resulted in the defeat of the non-Muslims and the triumph of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula. Histori

See

There are plenty of things to see in the United Arab Emirates, both in terms of the Earth's natural wonderful landscape as well as the best of human's constructed attractions. From the world's largest tower in Dubai to the world's largest contiguous sand desert in the world in Liwa Oasis (which was the film set of planet Jakku in Star Wars: The Force Awakens). Most of the United Arab Emirates lies on the coast of the Persian Gulf, except for Fuja

Getting there

Entry requirements

Visa-free or visa on arrival Citizens of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia) do not require a visa and may stay in the UAE indefinitely with no restrictions including on employment. They do not require a passport and may use their National ID Cards to enter the UAE. Citizens of Mexico may visit for up to 180 days without a visa. Citizens of Argentina, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Maldives, Malta, Montenegro, Nauru, Netherlands, Norway, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Spain, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sweden, Switzerland and Uruguay may visit for up to 90 days without a visa Citizens of Andorra, Australia, Brunei, Canada, China (mainland), Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Macau, Malaysia, Mauritius, Monaco, New Zealand, Singapore, Ukraine, United Kingdom (British citizen only), United States and the Vatican City may visit for up to 30 days without a visa. Citizens of India may obtain a 14-day visa-on-arrival for 120 dirham if they are legal permanent residents of the United States, the United Kingdom or any European Union country, or they hold a valid tourist visa for the United States. The residence permit or visa must be valid for at least 6 months from their date of entry into the UAE. They may extend their stay for another 14 days for 250 dirham. Note, if you exit the country through one the automated passport gates in the airport, you won't receiv

Getting around

Distances in the UAE are relatively short. The country has an excellent network of highways and you can travel from any emirate to another in under two hours, with Dubai and Abu Dhabi about 140 km (90 min) apart. There are no domestic flights.

By train Etihad Rail operates the UAE's embryonic passenger rail network. As of June 2026, this consists of a single line between Fujairah and Mohamed bin Zayed (MBZ) City on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi, with three trains daily each way taking 1:45 and tickets starting from Dh109 one way. Intermediate stations in Dubai (Jumeirah Golf Estates) and Sharjah (University City) are expected to open in September 2026, with extensions to Liwa and Sila opening by December 2026.

By car

Cars remain the main mode of long-distance transport in the UAE, which has modern road infrastructure with right sided traffic. Renting a car or driving in the UAE requires an international driver's license, which is simply a translation of your standard license and can be acquired at a local automobile association. If you are a resident, you will need to obtain a local driver's license as an international drivers license use cannot be used if you are a resident. If you have a driving license from a different country you may be able to exchange it for an Emirati driving license. This is a simple process and can be done in twenty minutes but only if you are from a specific list of countries. If you are from a country which is not exempt, you have to undergo 40 classes at a local driving school and get through a pretty tough license exam. This is changing, though, and license exchange may apply to all nationalities soon so check the UAE government official online Portal - Transportation to see if your country is among the countries eligible to convert you