Airport
Dubai International Airport
IATA Code: DXBLocation: The airport is three miles (4km) from Dubai city centre and 105 miles (170km) from Abu Dhabi.
Time: GMT +4.
Contacts: Tel: +971 4 216 2525 or 224 5555.
Transfer between terminals: There are two terminals, but most major airlines arrive at Terminal 1. There is an airport shuttle service available between Terminal 1 and 2.
Transfer to the city: Dubai International Airport Buses and public buses leave regularly for the city centre; the bus stations are located opposite both terminals. The journey is 15 minutes and it costs around Dhs 3. There are car rental firms available in the Arrivals Hall; some also offer a specialised limousine service. Dubai Transport Taxis are available 24 hours a day at the Arrivals Terminal, a taxi from the airport to the city centre costs around Dhs 20.
Taxis: Dubai Transport Taxis are available 24 hours a day at the Arrivals Terminal. A taxi from Dubai International Airport to the centre of Dubai costs around Dhs 20 and often the final fare is calculated according to the recorded distance travelled.
Car rental: There are car rental firms available in the Arrivals Hall, such as Hertz, Europcar, Avis and Thrifty.
Facilities: Facilities at the airport include the renowned Dubai Duty Free, a food court, banking, bureaux de change, free Internet services, entertainment for children, business facilities, medical care, special needs, an airport hotel, post office and lounges. Passengers can also use the swimming pool, jacuzzi and gymnasium, charged on an hourly basis.
Parking:
Departure tax: None.
Website: www.dubaiairport.com
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Dubai
Originally a small fishing settlement that became a busy port of call on the ancient trade route between Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley, the emirate was rapidly transformed into an international business centre and modern tourist destination following the discovery of oil in 1966.
Today Dubai ranks as the country's foremost commercial centre, a city whose skyline is constantly being upgraded with new developments providing the infrastructure and facilities needed for a progressive society, including world-class hotels, shopping plazas and outstanding sports facilities. Dubai Creek divides the city centre into two parts: Deira on the northern side and Bur Dubai to the south and each has its fair share of souks, restaurants, hotels, shopping malls and fine mosques.
From within these high standards of luxury and convenience, visitors can experience exotic Arabia in the bustling souks or a night in a Bedouin tent with belly-dancing under the starlit desert skies, as well as a way of life that is still embedded in the Islamic traditions of an ancient land. Dubai's attraction lies in the contrast between the ultra modern and the enchantingly traditional, which gives the city a personality like no other and visitors a variety of experiences to choose from. From desert oases and unspoiled beaches, camel races and old wind towers, to top-class shopping opportunities, avant-garde architecture and the finest international cuisine, Dubai has more than enough depth to satisfy even the most seasoned of travellers.
One of the city's top attractions is its excellent shopping. As an open port with low import duties, Dubai can offer an incredible range of top brand names at cheaper prices due to the tax-free environment, and 'shopping tourists' are drawn from around the world to this paradise of malls, souks, boutiques and modern department stores selling everything from Paris fashions to Japanese electronics. The annual Shopping Festival attracts millions of tourists to the city for a shop-till-you-drop holiday.
