12 facts about Dubai

Life in Dubai. I always had prestige, money, cozy life and of course dessert in my mind. But nothing is perfect. Let me tell you some interesting facts about Dubai which I noticed in these last months here.

1. Ladies night 
Che cosa e questo? What is this? Bars, disco clubs and restaurants (of course not all of them) offer free entrance and free alcohol some days of week. And this is only for ladies. For me this was unbelievable. Before my life in Dubai I never had the experience like this. But here, anything is possible. And men? They always come with ladies; obviously. 

2. Alcohol
Alcohol prices are really high, and you have to deal with that. For glass of wine you will pay around 50 dhs, which is around 12 euros. You can imagine how pricey spirits are. Jack Daniels price is around 150 dhs (36 euros). One might wonder how alcohol can be bought in Dubai if it is a Muslim country. Everything can be done here. Of course, they introduced a license without which it is not allowed to buy alcohol in normal grocery shops. The license fee is $ 100 a year. But as much as it is impossible to buy alcohol here without a license, the more widespread the black market is where you can get just anything.

3. Taxi drivers
I could just address it: get ready for the wildest night of the year. Their driving is really wild, they disregard the restrictions and traffic regulations. However, driving is relatively cheap (by European standards), so it is still the most commonly used transportation.

4. Rain
Till now I had some opportunities to get to know Dubai in the rain. The roads are actually flooded, people are in a hurry to hide from the rain. It may even happen that the schools are closed. Rain could be equated with a desert storm. If I could quickly explain the situation to a Slovenian, I would give him an example of ‘Primorski’ (coast) snow.

5. Cosmopolitan / “Multi-cultural land”
According to the latest data, only 15% people here are locals which are known by the name Emiratis. We recognize them by their traditional attire (local women’s abaya and local men’s kandura). 85% of people here are foreigners, so it is so much easier to adapt to the environment. Most people come from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Egypt, Nepal and China, who work as lower-income workers in Dubai.

6. Air conditioning!
This miraculous device that cools rooms during summer is the most popular thing in Dubai. And this throughout the hole year. It doesn’t matter if you are in the mall, taxi or even at the bus station, cooling is always present. Mostly the temperature is so low that it is always advisable to take a sweater with you (especially if you are going to the mall). My effects of the AC: colds throughout the month of January, March, barotrauma in June and cold again August. I think body just needs to get used to it.

7. Waste sorting
What are we talking about? In fact, they try very hard to do waste sorting, but they can also fail really bad. Many facilities have garbage cans installed for different types of waste, but people do not consider it. Therefore, there is not enough awareness among the population about this problematic. 

8. Sales
Personally, I prefer to hide these days. Shopping malls are already full on normal days, but when it comes to sales, it’s like an anthill. However, it is true that if you want to get a quality dress for a low price, this is a good time to visit e.g. Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, and maybe some smaller malls. 

9. Birthday
Some of the patisseries offer free cakes to celebrate your birthday. Also, some restaurants have free lunch and some parks have a stalled entrance fee. All you have to do is to prove that you are the ONE and enjoy the stale gift. That’s how I got myself a great cake in Paul bakery and restaurant. 

10. Wi-Fi
In fact, Wi-Fi is almost like food these days. It is no wonder, that we can find free Wi-Fi everywhere in Dubai. Every hotel, restaurant, bar, even the beach can provide a free internet connection. But be careful! How good the connection goes by the principle: the more you give, the more you get. Makes sense, right?

11. Taxes
In Dubai, salary is not taxed. So, there is no difference between net and gross salary. This attracts a large amount of people with the idea of ​​saving a nice amount of money in the short term. But … it’s also very easy to spend money in Dubai.

12. Brunch
Mixed meal between breakfast and lunch. You can enjoy food and drinks for an average of 5 hours a day for a pay event. Of course, at lunch time (12h) until the hour set by the organizers. I haven’t visited brunch yet, but it’s on my Must do list.