Dubai
UAE · Asia/Dubai · UTC+4
Dubai is the Middle East's leading global business hub with a Mon–Fri workweek (Friday half-day).
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.
Climate
Outdoor business events concentrate in winter; summer is indoors-only.
Currency
Cards universal; pegged to USD.
Language
Workforce is heavily expat; English dominates business.
Plug & voltage
UK-style G is most common; older buildings may have C/D.
See plug types ↗🤝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.
| City | Time zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| 🇯🇵Tokyo | Asia/Tokyo | +5h |
| 🇮🇳Mumbai | Asia/Kolkata | +1h 30m |
| 🇬🇧London | Europe/London | -3h |
| 🇺🇸New York | America/New_York | -8h |
| 🇦🇺Sydney | Australia/Sydney | +6h |
| 🇺🇸San Francisco | America/Los_Angeles | -11h |
| 🇨🇳Shanghai | Asia/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
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