MeetAnywhere
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In-person meetings & travel

Dubai

UAE · Asia/Dubai · UTC+4

Dubai is the Middle East's leading global business hub with a Mon–Fri workweek (Friday half-day).

Current time in Dubai
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Next public holiday
Islamic New Year
Tuesday, June 16, 2026— in 2 days

Business hours & meeting culture

Working hours
09:00–18:00 (federal government 07:30–15:30)
Workweek
Monday to Friday (with shorter Friday)
Culture
UAE business shifted to a Mon–Fri week in 2022 (Friday is half-day). Meetings are professional and English-speaking. Multicultural workforce.
Meeting tips
Ramadan changes everything: shortened hours, evening business activity. Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are major multi-day holidays.

Travel & logistics context

Quick reference for business travelers — climate, currency, and language.Currency and language are country-level. Climate may vary across the country.

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Climate

Hot desert
Best: Nov–Mar (pleasant)
Avoid: Jun–Sep (40°C+, very humid coastally)
🔴 Currently a tough month

Outdoor business events concentrate in winter; summer is indoors-only.

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Currency

د.إ / AED
AED
UAE Dirham

Cards universal; pegged to USD.

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Language

Official
Arabic
In business
English (de facto)
English: Widely spoken in business

Workforce is heavily expat; English dominates business.

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Plug & voltage

G/C/D
type
230V · 50Hz

UK-style G is most common; older buildings may have C/D.

See plug types ↗
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Business etiquette

Greeting
Handshake with same gender; wait for women to extend hand first; right hand only.
Cards
Right hand or both hands; never left hand.
Gifts
Acceptable but avoid alcohol or pork-related items; check recipient's faith.
Tipping
10% usually, even when service charge is added.
Dress
Conservative; covered shoulders/knees in government settings.
Dining
Right hand for eating; alcohol only in licensed venues.

Time difference vs. major business cities

Computed for 2026. Daylight saving will shift these by an hour during transitions.

CityTime zoneDifference
🇯🇵TokyoAsia/Tokyo+5h
🇮🇳MumbaiAsia/Kolkata+1h 30m
🇬🇧LondonEurope/London-3h
🇺🇸New YorkAmerica/New_York-8h
🇦🇺SydneyAustralia/Sydney+6h
🇺🇸San FranciscoAmerica/Los_Angeles-11h
🇨🇳ShanghaiAsia/Shanghai+4h

Public holidays in UAE, 2026

Commonly observed national holidays. Regional holidays and bridge days are not included. See also the global holiday calendar.

  • 2026-01-01
  • 2026-03-20
  • 2026-03-21
  • 2026-03-22
  • 2026-03-23
  • 2026-05-26
  • 2026-05-27
  • 2026-05-28
  • 2026-06-16
  • 2026-08-25
  • 2026-12-02
  • 2026-12-03

Plan a meeting with Dubai

Use the meeting planner to compare times across multiple cities, with weekend and holiday awareness.

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