The City Code · United Arab Emirates
Dubai
Scale as a discipline — and everything is bookable if you ask early.
Arriving
Hotel car from DXB; the marhaba fast-track meet-and-greet is worth every dirham.
Book this first
Brunch on a Saturday and the desert camp, both of which sell out weeks ahead in season.
What is worn
Covered shoulders and knees in the malls and older quarters; full evening dress at the beach clubs after dark.
Money & manners
Ten per cent is often already added. Cards everywhere.
The golden hour
Five in the afternoon in the desert, when the dunes go copper.
The usual mistake
Coming in July. Between November and March the city is a different, better place.
When to come
December — see where to go, month by month.
From the collection
The stay, the table, the morning
While you are there
What moves the city
Season · 17 Feb to 19 Mar
Ramadan
A month of fasting between sunrise and sunset. Daytime dining is limited and live music pauses; evenings are exceptional.
Festival · 26 Dec to 29 Jan
Dubai Shopping Festival
City-wide sales, fireworks and concerts. Malls and Downtown are very busy from late afternoon; hotels price at peak.
Go deeper
The rest of Dubai on Velori
Elsewhere
Other city codes
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