Guidance

Consular newsletter: June 2016

Updated 6 November 2018

The British Embassies in Abu Dhabi and Dubai will remain open as usual throughout Ramadan. To view these opening hours and check for holiday closures please Click here.

The newsletter will now be a quarterly edition so watch out for the next one in September 2016.

Home contents insurance

After the recent spells of bad weather you should consider taking out contents insurance to cover any damage to your property and/or valuables in your home. A recent article on this subject can be viewed here.

Unusual calls

FCO has revealed some of the more unusual calls received by consular staff in the past year This recent press release was to remind the public that our consular helpline should be for emergencies. Click here to read some of the amusing requests. Of course the vast majority were genuine calls requesting assistance and almost half a million calls were made in the last year to the UK consular service number, which provides emergency help to Britons in trouble overseas. Consular staff dealt with 3,250 Britons in hospital, 4,770 who were arrested, and the families of 3,670 people who died overseas. Nearly 38,000 replacement travel documents were issued.

New parking codes in Dubai by the end of May 2016.

Boards with new parking codes are already posted in some areas and the upgrade of all the zone codes will be completed by the end of May, the RTA said in a recent statement. Currently, Dubai’s paid parking zones are divided into A, B, E and F. Zone A covers all the road side paid parking spaces, while B covers all parking lots across Dubai, except the Tecom areas which is coded ‘F’. The parking lot at Deira Fish Market is coded ‘E’. All existing seasonal parking cards will be valid according to their categories until the expiry dates of the cards. For more details of the new codes please Click here.

Reckless Driving in the UAE

In an attempt to make the roads safer and teach irresponsible drivers a lesson, reckless drivers could face 24 hours in jail. At present you can receive up to 12 black points a fine or AED 2,000 and have your vehicle confiscated for up to 30 days. For the full article Click here.

E-Cigarettes

UAE e-cigarette sales ban to remain despite UK study supporting devices. To read the full article Click here.

Jay Walking in Dubai

Did you know that you could be fined for crossing the road where regulations do not permit? For more information Click here.

Exit tax from the UAE

From the 1st March passengers will now pay an exit fee of AED 35 when departing the UAE from Dubai, which is automatically included in the cost of the flight ticket. To see the full article please Click here. Sharjah and Abu Dhabi have also confirmed they will be charging this exit fee.

Smart beaches in Dubai

Smart beachgoers in Dubai can look forward to smart changing rooms with electricity and lockers to secure valuables. Dubai beaches are currently undergoing an extensive overhaul and will have wifi available in due course. For more information Click here.

Emergency telephone numbers

Check out the contact numbers here for emergency services, traffic and transport, Government Institutions, utilities, crime reporting, charities, telecommunications, airport and airlines.

Contact Numbers:

British Embassy Abu Dhabi +971 2 610 1100

British Embassy Dubai +971 4 309 4444

UKinUAE Gov.uk Website

There is useful information about the UAE on the website and it is also the home of our travel advice.

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