Plugs and voltage
The United Arab Emirates uses Type G sockets; Types C and D are also found. Mains supply is 230 V at 50 Hz.
Type G is standard; Type C and D sockets are occasionally found.
At 230 V, devices made only for 100–127 V (many American and Japanese hair dryers, curling irons and some shavers) will be damaged without a step-down converter. Chargers labelled “100–240V” work fine with just a plug adapter.
Adapter guides: from United States · from United Kingdom · from India · from South Africa · from Philippines
Money
AED United Arab Emirates Dirham AED
Average in 2025: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (World Bank). No daily reference rate is published for this currency by the ECB; check a live rate before exchanging.
Price level 69 (US = 100, 2025)
Everyday household prices in the United Arab Emirates are about 69% of US prices when converted at market exchange rates: dearer than the median country (50). All countries
Language
- Arabicofficial78%
Bars show the share of the population that speaks each language (CLDR estimates).
Time
The United Arab Emirates is on UTC+4, with no daylight saving time.
Driving
Traffic in the United Arab Emirates drives on the right, so the steering wheel is on the left.
Public holidays in the next 12 months
12 national public holidays from 2 November 2026. Banks, offices and many shops close; regional holidays are not shown. Dates marked “estimated” follow a lunar calendar and can move by a day.
December 2026
- National Day
- National Day
January 2027
- New Year's Day
March 2027
- Eid al-Fitr (estimated)
- Eid al-Fitr Holiday (estimated)
- Eid al-Fitr Holiday (estimated)
May 2027
- Day of Arafah (estimated)
- Eid al-Adha (estimated)
- Eid al-Adha Holiday (estimated)
- Eid al-Adha Holiday (estimated)
June 2027
- Islamic New Year (estimated)
August 2027
- Prophet's Birthday (estimated)
Travel advisories
United States · State Department
Level 3 Reconsider travel
Read the full advisory. Checked 2026-11-02.
United Kingdom · FCDO
No warnings The FCDO does not advise against travel to the United Arab Emirates.
Updated 2026-10-27. Read the full advice. Checked 2026-11-02.
Advisories are written for each government's own citizens and change without notice: read the original before you travel.
Other practical facts
- Calling code
- +971
- Internet domain
- .ae
- Measurement
- Metric
- Paper size
- A4
- Week starts on
- Monday
- Read more
- Wikipedia
More in Western Asia
Flag: Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg, Public domain. Arms: Emblem of the United Arab Emirates.svg, Public domain. Electricity: resolved by intl.life from three sources, see methodology.
