United Arab Emirates Language & Communications

Language & Communications

Although the official language of the UAE is Arabic, the population of the country is so multicultural that English has become the de facto language in most instances. Other languages widely spoken include Tagalog (Filipino),Hindi, Farsi and Malayalam.

The international dialling code for the UAE is +971, and the dialling code for make an outbound international call from within the UAE is 00, followed by the country code of the country you wish to connect to. Payphones generally accept coins as well as prepaid calling cards available from many convenience stores, hotels and malls.

The UAE operates an extensive GSM mobile network with very good coverage in the main population centres. If your existing provider does not support international roaming for this region, prepaid “Ahlan” SIM cards are available from the Emirates Telecom provider Etisalat.

Internet access in the UAE is becoming more widespread, with a number of internet cafes in the cities, and an increasing number of WiFi hotspots to be found in popular locations such as Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates, whilst many of the more upscale hotels offer chargeable internet access from rooms and common guest areas.

Overall, connection speeds and reliability can be variable, with lapses in service and dropouts common. Visitors should also be aware that the government operates a certain level of web censorship and the restriction of access to some websites and web-based services, sometimes including VOIP and instant messaging.

Postal services are fairly basic in the UAE, with deliveries being made to PO boxes rather than homes or businesses. Post boxes and even postage stamps can be hard to find, although services such as Mumtaz Post and DHL do offer express International delivery.