UAE guides: start here

These guides are for anyone dealing with everyday life in the United Arab Emirates, whether you are planning a first visit, moving here for work or have lived here for years. Each one focuses on what you actually need to do: moving to the UAE and getting set up, renting a home and what to check before signing, buying property, your rights under the labour law, how VAT and corporate tax affect you, using the Dubai Metro, paying Salik road tolls, what changes during Ramadan, local etiquette and dress, and what the weather is really like month by month. We build them from official sources, link those sources at the end and show when each guide was last updated.

Alongside the guides there are free tools you can use straight away, such as fare, toll and currency calculators and an Arabic phrasebook. They run in your browser, show when their rules were last checked and give estimates to help you plan.

Looking for something specific? The A to Z index lists every guide and tool alphabetically, which is the quickest way to find a topic if you already know what it is called. Otherwise, browse the guides below and start with whichever one matches the step you are at right now.