Time difference United Arab Emirates
3-hour time difference with France in winter: when it's midday in Paris, it's 3pm in Dubai, and 2 hours in summer: when it's midday in Paris, it's 2pm in Dubai, i.e. GMT+4.
Opening hours United Arab Emirates
To see / To do United Arab Emirates
Opening hours: there are no rules, but it's fair to say that everything generally starts at 10 a.m. and closes around 6 p.m., sometimes earlier. Note that some places only open in the afternoons on Fridays, and close completely on Muslim holidays. As for the closing days of monuments and museums, each emirate and cultural venue has its own rules, so vigilance is essential.
Visitor numbers: numbers depend on the month of the year, with the peak season between November and March. Weekends are also very busy, on Fridays and Saturdays.
Enjoying yourself United Arab Emirates
You can practically have a meal at any time. Cafeterias are open from very early in the morning until very late at night. For lunch, you have to wait until noon, which is usually around 1 p.m. Dinner is rarely served before 7 p.m., and the busiest time is around 9 p.m. The restaurants rarely close during the week. Restaurants rarely close during the week. Reservations are recommended for restaurants in larger cities.
Take a break United Arab Emirates
The hours are very flexible, but let's just say that the day doesn't really start until 10 a.m., and the cafés are packed all day long. Here, the watchword is to take your time, and no one really seems stressed. You won't see anyone running, least of all the Emirati population. They often talk for hours on end, as if their time was limitless, whether on weekdays or weekends. If there are no "apéro" traditions, it's mainly in the late evening, after dinner and quite late that groups of friends get together once again over tea and sometimes a shisha. As for the expatriate population, they go out in the many hotel bars, quite late at night, and generally from Wednesday to Saturday inclusive.
During Ramadan, the schedule changes. During the day, establishments are less busy, and most open after sunset and throughout the night.
(To) please yourself United Arab Emirates
Most stores open from 10am until 10pm. During Ramadan, opening times change, with shops opening later and closing at 2am at the earliest. If you go shopping in the morning, you'll wonder how shopping malls and souks can survive. The crowds arrive after 3pm on weekdays and after 5pm on weekends. Friday afternoons and all-day Saturdays are the busiest days for both souks and malls.
Get out United Arab Emirates
While Thursday and Friday are the busiest days, people start going out on Wednesday and continue until Saturday night, either in hotel bars or in cafes that prepare hookah. As for the discos, let's say that only Dubai is in the running. We go out late, that is to say from midnight on the weekends even if the nightclubs close at the latest at 4 am. If you are looking for afters: forget it, it doesn't exist. Some nightclubs are also closed during the week. On the other hand, for those that are open, visit their website to find out about the themed evenings that allow them to attract people, whatever the day. Please note that Sharjah does not serve alcohol.
