The quick answer
The UAE is a Muslim country that is genuinely relaxed with visitors, and the gap between how liberal it looks and how conservative its law is catches people out. Courtesy and contextual dress cover almost everything.
One fact shapes the rest: Emiratis are a small minority in their own cities. Most people you meet will be from South Asia, the Philippines, other Arab countries, Africa or the West. Treat everyone with the same courtesy, which is both right and noticeably not universal here.
Greetings
- As-salamu alaykum, answered wa alaykum as-salam. Worth learning.
- Handshakes between men, often lingering.
- Between men and women, wait for the other person. Many Emirati women will not shake a man's hand and many Emirati men will not offer one to a woman. If no hand comes, a nod with your right hand briefly over your heart is correct and warm.
- Ask after health and family before business.
The right hand
Eat, give, receive and gesture with the right hand. The left is considered unclean. Easy to get right and noticed when you do.
Dress, by context
Covered on the packing guide in detail. In short: shoulders and knees in malls, souks, museums and government buildings; swimwear at pools and beaches only; full cover and a headscarf for women in mosques; smarter clothes in the evening; more conservative during Ramadan. Emirati national dress, the white kandura and the black abaya, is worn with pride and is not a costume.
Hospitality and the majlis
If invited to a home or a majlis, remove your shoes if others have, accept the coffee and dates, use your right hand, and do not admire an object too warmly or your host may insist you take it. Ask before photographing the interior or anyone in it. Do not hurry.
Ramadan
No eating, drinking or smoking in public during daylight, which is a legal requirement and not only a courtesy. Hotels make arrangements for guests. Dress more conservatively, expect shortened hours, reduced live music and a subdued daytime, and accept an invitation to iftar if one comes, because it is the most generous thing that will happen on the trip.
Mosques
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi welcomes non-Muslim visitors outside prayer times and is one of the great buildings of the modern Islamic world. It enforces dress at the entrance, provides cover where needed, and runs guided tours. Other mosques vary; ask rather than assume, and follow instructions without negotiation.
Things visitors get wrong
- Photographing people, particularly women, without asking. Do not.
- Assuming the beach-club version of Dubai is the whole country, and behaving accordingly in a souk.
- Public affection, loud arguments and rude gestures, all of which are treated more seriously than you expect.
- Talking loudly about regional politics or the ruling families.
- Offering the left hand.
- Treating service staff, most of whom are far from home on a contract, as less than the person who owns the hotel.
Between the emirates
The federation is seven emirates and they are not identical. Dubai is the most relaxed in practice, Abu Dhabi somewhat more formal, Sharjah notably conservative and dry. What is fine in a Dubai hotel is not necessarily fine an hour up the road. Check where you are.
Planning with LABUSA Travel
We brief travelers before arrival and arrange cultural experiences through Emirati hosts and cultural centers rather than through a tour desk.
Sources
- Visit Dubai, Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism: official visitor information for the emirate of Dubai. Accessed 11 August 2026.
- Experience Abu Dhabi, Department of Culture and Tourism: official visitor information for the emirate of Abu Dhabi. Accessed 11 August 2026.
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: UAE travel advice, including local laws, customs and entry requirements. Accessed 11 August 2026.