Advice to Foreign Travellers

Please find below a few essential tips to assist with your visit to Abu Dhabi.

• The time zone for the UAE is GMT/UTC +4
• Electricity is 220/240V 50Hz
• Three-pronged square plugs are used throughout the UAE (the same as those used in the UK)
• The UAE country telephone code is +971

Visa’s are required by all, except GCC nationals (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman).

Citizens of the following countries will be issued with a free-of-charge VISIT VISA upon entry to the UAE:
USA, UK, France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Cyprus, Finland, Malta, Spain, Monaco, Vatican, Iceland, Andorra, San Marino, Liechtenstein, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.

Citizens of other countries should apply for a visa prior to travel.  

It is expected that NAVDEX and IDEX will, together, attract a high volume of visitors to Abu Dhabi.  There will therefore be high demand for accommodation within the city and flights to and from the Capital. 

Visitors are recommended to plan and secure their travel arrangements well in advance of the event. For more information about booking flights and accommodation.  Click here.

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 – only military, government and airport installations are not allowed to be photographed.

The attitude to dress in Abu Dhabi is very relaxed, but visitors (men as well as women) are advised to show respect for local culture and customs in public places by avoiding excessively revealing clothing.

Whether travelling alone or with their families, women do not experience special restrictions of dress or behaviour in day-to-day life in Abu Dhabi. Women play a full and active part in the life of the country and foreign women visitors can be assured they will be readily accepted and welcomed.

Alcohol is served to non-Muslims in all major hotels and licensed restaurants.  Public drunkenness, drinking and driving and drug use are not tolerated.

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 must take special care to ensure that their medications or other substances are not restricted before travelling.

Tap water in Abu Dhabi is desalinated but generally safe to drink. Bottled water is usually very reasonable to buy at local stores (around AED 1 per bottle) and probably your best bet.