What to Pack for the United Arab Emirates

The short version

Loose, light, covering clothes; serious sun protection; a layer for indoors; and your medication documented and, where required, approved in advance.

Clothes

Cotton and linen in loose cuts. Shoulders and knees covered is the standard that is never wrong in public, for men as well as women. Swimming attire should only be worn on beaches or at swimming pools. Some venues and buildings set stricter dress codes of their own. A scarf is useful for women at religious sites. Bring one smarter set: this country dresses up.

⚠ Dress expectations are noticeably more conservative in Sharjah and the northern emirates than in central Dubai, and Sharjah also prohibits alcohol entirely. The UAE is not uniform and packing as though it is will catch you out on a day trip.

A layer for indoors

Air conditioning here is aggressive. Malls, restaurants, taxis and hotel lobbies run cold enough that a light layer is genuinely useful, which feels absurd in a country this hot and is the most common thing returning visitors say they wished they had packed.

Sun

Wide hat, real sunglasses, high-factor sunscreen, refillable bottle. The heritage sites, the desert and the mountains are all unshaded.

Medication, and this is the paragraph that matters

There are strict rules on what you may bring in, and you need approval from the UAE authorities for anything classed as narcotic, psychotropic, controlled or semi-controlled. Apply in advance. Carry everything in original packaging with the prescription. Do not assume that legal at home means admissible here. See visa and entry requirements.

Verify Before You Travel

The medication rules are on the FCDO entry requirements page and the dress and conduct rules on the safety and security page. Next: culture and etiquette.

Sources

• UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: UAE safety and security: the Sharjah alcohol ban, the zero-tolerance drugs position, dress codes and the law on same-sex relations. Accessed 15 September 2026.
• UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: UAE entry requirements: the visitor visa issued free of charge on arrival, six months of passport validity, the medication approval rules and the penalties for working on a visit visa. Accessed 15 September 2026.
• UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: UAE health: vaccination advice for travellers. Accessed 15 September 2026.