Exhibitor Manual: Section 4
SECTION 4: Accommodation, Travel & Regional Information
4.1 Official Hotel Partner
Rotana is the Official Hotel Partner of JWS 2017. Rotana Hotels offers the best rates on six of their hotels in Abu Dhabi.
Please see Form 22 for special rates for exhibitors and booking procedures.
We would advice that you book your hotel as early as possible to guarantee your preferred room and to avoid any
inconvenience in the future.
4.2 Travel Agent
For Air Ticketing, Flight bookings and Optional Tours please contact: Planet Travels
Name:
Tel:
Mobile:
Email:
Website:
4.3 Visa Information
1.
Visas on Arrival
Nationals of the following countries will be issued with an entry visa valid for 30 days at the immigration upon
arrival in the UAE and can be extended for an additional 30 days at an additional charge.
2.
Andorra
Finland
Italy
New Zealand
Switzerland
Australia
France
Japan
Norway
The Netherlands
Austria
Germany
Liechtenstein
Portugal
UK
Belgium
Greece
Luxembourg
San Marino
USA
Brunei
Hong Kong
Malaysia
Singapore
Vatican
Cyprus
Iceland
Malta
Spain
Denmark
Ireland
Monaco
Sweden
Citizens of the GCC nations of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia do not require a visa to travel to the
UAE. All other nationalities not mentioned above require a Tourist Visa prior to arrival in the UAE.
2.
Visa Processing through Official Travel Agent (with hotel accommodation booking)
The official travel agent will be able to provide visa assistance in combination with hotel reservation only.
Complete and return Form 26 for the visa application and Form 22 for Hotel Accommodation.
3.
Visa Processing through ADNEC (if hotel accommodation is not booked through the official travel agent)
Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Company External Services is also available to assist you with VISA applications. For
more information please see Form 26B or contact,
External Services Department
Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Company
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Tel: +971 (0) 2 406 3666
Fax: +971 (0) 2 449 9770
Email : [email protected]
Please complete Form 26B or visit
online visa application.
http://www.adnec.ae/destinations/abu-dhabi/visa-information for
4.4 Banks & ATMs
Banking hours: Saturday to Wednesday 08:00hrs - 13:00hrs, Thursday 08:00hrs - 12:00hrs. Banks are closed Fridays.
Most banks operate ATMs which accepts a wide range of cards. Common systems accepted around Abu Dhabi - American
Express, Cirrus, Global Access, MasterCard, Plus System and VISA.
Page 33 of 34
Exhibitor Manual: Section 4
4.5 Business Hours & Social Hours
Government offices:
07:30am to 02:00pm
Private sector:
09:00am to 06:00pm
Embassies and consulates
08:00am to 01:30pm
Shopping Malls:
10:00am to 22:00pm
Petrol stations:
24 hours (Daily)
(Sunday to Thursday)
can vary (Sunday to Thursday)
(Sunday to Thursday)
(Daily)
4.6 Climate
Abu Dhabi has a sub-tropical, arid climate. Temperatures range from a low of around 13°C (50°F) on a winter’s night, to
a high of around 42°C (118°F) on a summer’s day. The cooler months, November to April, are the most pleasant time to
visit, when temperatures are around 24°C (75°F) during the day and 13°C (56°F) at night.
4.7 Language
The official language of the country is Arabic, although English is the official business language. English is widely used
and most road and shop signs, restaurant menus, etc are in both languages.
4.8 Local Currency
The monetary unit is the ‘dirham’ (AED) which is divided into 100 ‘fils’. The currency is also referred to as AED (Arab
Emirate Dirham). The dirham has been tied to the US dollar at a mid-rate of USD 1 – AED 3.671.
Exchange rates of all major currencies are published daily in the local newspapers.
4.9 Local Time
The UAE is four hours ahead of UTC (Co-ordinated Universal Time – formerly known as GMT) and there is no daylight
saving.
4.10 Money Exchanges
Money exchanges are available all over Abu Dhabi, offering reasonable exchange rates which are often better than the
banks. Additionally hotels will usually exchange money and travellers cheques at the standard hotel rate.
4.11 Photography
Normal tourist photography is acceptable; it is courteous to ask permission before photographing people especially local
women. In general, photographs of government buildings, military installations, ports and airports should not be taken.
4.12 Religion
Islam is the official religion of the UAE, but other religions are respected. Abu Dhabi has a variety of Christian churches.
4.13 Shopping
Shopping in Abu Dhabi is an enjoyable experience. Prices are competitive in many products from gold to carpets, textiles
or designer labels. The key to shopping here is to bargain where possible since prices, especially in the souks, can drop
quite substantially.
The attractive and often imaginatively designed, modern shopping malls in Abu Dhabi are one of the highlights of
shopping and are generally spacious and fully air conditioned. Most international brands and high street shops can be
found in the shopping malls.
4.14 Sightseeing Tours & Activities
There are many companies in Abu Dhabi offering an exciting variety of city and safari tours. An organised tour can be a
great way to discover the UAE. Tours range from a half-day city tour to an overnight safari visiting the desert or
mountains and camping in tents.
There are other numerous activities available to visitors of Abu Dhabi including water sports and golf packages. For more
information contact the Official Travel Agent.
Page 34 of 34