Taking Your Life in Your Hands Living in Dubai

In this article we take an honest look at the transport options for expats moving to live in Dubai as well as for holidaymakers

Dubai has something for everyone, and whether you’re a tourist taking a desert safari, exploring the dunes at night, sand skiing or camel racing, or an expat who is living and working in Dubai, the Emirate offers a vast array of exciting experiences.

With Dubai still experiencing rapid growth despite the global economic slowdown, how do expats living in Dubai or visiting holidaymakers negotiate their way around and city and the Emirate as a whole?

In this article we look at the essential information relating to travel to and from Dubai and also the transport options and infrastructure that make the city so accessible.

The first experience you are likely to have of the Emirate is the airport when you arrive.  One of the world’s largest airports, Dubai International boasts almost half a hectare of duty free shops offering everything from jewelry to electronics to designer wear.  There are also 25 food and drink outlets, including an Irish pub and a McDonalds, just in case living in Dubai felt a little foreign!  Most of the hotels located near the airport offer free transfer services, so getting to your hotel should be pretty uneventful if you’re holidaying in Dubai.

If you’re moving to live in Dubai and you’re not heading for a hotel then there are other options of getting around the city, some more life threatening than others! 

The Dubai Metro, which will be the “world’s longest” fully automated rail system when it opens in late 2009, should take away a lot of the stress and danger from traveling in Dubai, but until then your first option will be a taxi. 

Official taxis in Dubai are well maintained, air conditioned and metered, there are some unlicensed taxis operating but they are best avoided.  Most taxi drivers are from India or Pakistan and will have some command of English, but not necessarily of speed!  As old hands living in Dubai will tell you, gridlock exists most times of the day so try and get yourself an experienced taxi driver who will know the short cuts.  Another reason to get yourself an experienced driver is because of the system of navigation.  One of the main challenges when traveling around the city is the lack of street names, and most driving is by landmark. 

The problem is that Dubai’s skyline is changing constantly and landmarks come and go, so if your driver has not been living in Dubai for long, you may be looking at an expensive taxi ride as you both get completely lost.

One way around this is to use a private car company.  Unable to pick up passengers from outside of hotels or restaurants, they operate on a mobile call in service but do offer a safer form of transportation and are becoming increasingly used by expats living in Dubai who are getting concerned for their health.

One of Dubai’s newest extreme sports is driving yourself around the Emirate.  With few police patrols, lots of testosterone and large 4 x 4’s, road traffic accidents are being recognized as a growing public health problem, not just for those living in Dubai but in all Arabian Gulf countries according to a report written by an advisor to the World Health Organisation. 

Whilst Dubai is keen to have “the biggest”, “the longest” and “the most impressive” of everything, when it comes to accident statistics the United Arab Emirates trail in 3rd place as the “most dangerous” place to drive according to the UN in a 2006 report.  If you are planning to live in Dubai, for a very short while, drive yourself; otherwise let someone else take the risk!!