Dubai Local Custom Tips by 37SingleMaleInDubai1

National Dress and Dress Code In U.A.E.

Dress Code


The dress code is much the same as in your own country. Shorts, skirts, and short-sleeved shirts are quite acceptable, but with a sense of modesty and common sense. Revealing or tight fitting clothes should be avoided.

The national dress for men is the dishdasha or khandura, an ankle length robe, usually white. Dishdashas are usually worn with a white or red-checkered headcloth (gutra) and a twisted black rope-like coil (agal) which holds the gutra in place; under the headdress is a skull cap (gafia).

In public, most national women wear a black abaya, a long loose black robe that covers their normal clothes, plus a head scarf, called a shayla. Some women also wear a thin black veil covering their face, while some older women wear a small mask made of fabric known as a burkha, which covers the nose, brow and cheekbones.

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What can be worn by a female could be anything from shirts and tops to skirts and shorts to saris and kimonos. Much less is worn on the beach these days although going around in one's birthday suit is strictly a no-no. Dubai respects other cultures and has a relatively more liberal dress code but it also recommends modesty that is in keeping with being part of a Muslim country.

Dubai is a tourist-friendly emirate, the second largest among the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Tourists are welcome and made to feel at home -- Western clothes, continental food, sauna, pool, Star TV et al. You could wear anything from full-sleeved to half-sleeved to mega-sleeved to sleeveless tops (but please keep your tops on) and nobody could care less. While trousers, long skirts, knee-length skirts, minis, micro-minis, micro-micros and shorts are all the done wear, restrict the bikinis to the beaches, or you could land yourself in some trouble. (The Jumeirah Beach is a fun place and so is Mamzar Park, which has both real and artificial beaches.)

Heritage sites and Places of interest Dubai UAE

Archaeological Sites
There are four main excavation sites in Dubai, at Al Qusais, Al Sufooh, Jumeirah and Hatta. The first two are graveyards dating back more than 2,000 years. The Jumeirah site reveals artifacts from the 7th to 15th centuries AD. These sites are not yet open to the public. However tourists or tour operators may obtain a special permit from Dubai Museum to visit the digs.

Roundhouse
Located on the Dubai’s Beach road on site of former ruler H.H. Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum’s office. A replica of the ‘Roundhouse’ has been constructed to honour the site where documents were signed in 1972 for the formation of UAE, uniting the ecirates of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain and Ajman. Ras Al Khaimah joined later.

Dubai has its own flag which belongs to Government of Dubai.
A red flag with a white border.
Dubai uses its Flag on the site of all of the Government Departments.
The Dubai flag is flown almost always, together with the national flag of the United Arab Emirates.

Heritage sites and Places of interest in Dubai

Heritage sites and Places of interest

Dubai Museum
Al Fahidi Fort, which houses the dubai Museum, was built around 1787, and once guarded the landward approaches to the town.
Revonated in 1971 for use as a museum, its colourful life size dioramas vividly depict everyday life in the days before the discovery of oil. Galleries recreate scenes from the Creek, traditional Arab houses, mosques, the souk, date farms and desert and marine life. One of the more spectacular exhibits portrays pearl diving, including sets of pearl merchants’ weights, scales and sieves. Also on display, are artifacts from several excavations in the emirate, recovered from graves that date back to the third millennium BC.

Sheikh Saeed’s House
The official residence of Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai (1912-1958) and grandfather of the present Ruler, Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktourm, has been restored to stand proud again on the Shandagha end of Dubai Creek.
The house, which dates from 1896, today houses a rare collection of historic photographs, coins, stamps and documents that record Dubai’s history.

The Bastakiya
The old district of Bastakiya with its narrow lanes and tall windtowers provides a hint of okd Dubai. A Short walk from Al Fahidi Fort, it is the largest concentration of traditional courtyard houses in Dubai.

Hatta Heritage Village
Nestled among the Hajjar Mountains, overlooking a fertile oasis, the 16th century Hatta village provides a fine example of traditional style village architecture. Dating back four hundred years, it consists of two watchtowers, a mosque and houses constructed of stone, mud, reeds and palm tree trunks built around the imposing Hatta Fort domination the village.

Burj Nahar
One of the many watchtowers that once guarded the old city, built in 1870, the restored Burj Nahar in 1992 in its picturesque gardens in Deira is popular with photographers.

Heritage sites and Places of interest in Dubai

Sheikh Obaid bin Thani House
Located in the Shindagha area near Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House, it was built in 1916. The 1250 sq.m two storey house is made of stone and mud with traditional style windows, doors and facades. The house is currently undergoing conversion to a museum.

Bait Al Wakeel
Built in 1934 by the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Bait Al Wakeel was the first office building in Dubai. At the edge of the Creek near the abra landing, the building’s restoration was completed in 1995.

Heritage Village and Diving Village
A traditional heritage village, located near the mouth of Dubai Creek in the Shindagha district, features potters and weavers practicing traditional crafts, as well as exhibits and demonstrations of pearl diving. It is a place where the visitors can take a step back in time and experience some of Dubai’s culture and heritage.

Al Ahmadiya School
Established in 1912, Al Ahmadiya School was the first regular school in Dubai, located in the Al-Ras area of Deira. The two-storey building was renovated in 1995 for use as a museum of education.

Heriatage House
The oldest part of the house dates back to the 1890s, with many newer parts added in later years. It is a large courtyard house with more than 10 rooms and a rectangular windtower.

Majlis Um-Al Sheif
Built around 1955 as a summer retreat for the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the majlis is located in the Jumeirah area near the sea and features a traditional palm tree garden with a ‘falaj’ irrigation system.

Bur Dubai Creekside
The buildings lining the Bur Dubai side of the creek provided the main panorama of the old city. The traditional facades of these buildings have been restored to their original state, with wooden windows, decorative gypsum panels and screens.

Old Souks
The two main souks of Bur Dubai and Deira are being restored to highlight the historical commercial roots of the city. Both markets are covered with traditional roofing and materials, with shops featuring old-style wooden doors.