AE United Arab Emirates: how to get around

Overtaking is performed from the left. If you are driving slowly on the most left side lane, expect to be "flashed" by light from a faster incoming car behind you. It is a courtesy in this case to move from the left lane and allow the car behind you to overtake. If you ignore such signal, this is considered offensive and you may encounter a road rage. Do not use the left most lane if you are driving slow, neither should you make any insulting gestures while driving. Using insulting gestures is forbidden by law and considered a form of verbal assault, and you may find yourself in police custody or in court.

Most roads have a solid yellow line on their margins, which serve as shoulders for emergency, breakdown, and stranded vehicles after accident. Do not cross the yellow line in any other case, as you will be fined.

The third-highest cause of death in the UAE is from traffic accidents (after cardiovascular diseases and cancer). People in the UAE drive extremely fast, and some are completely reckless. As a result, most of the roads are highly monitored and adhere to strict speed limit laws. The speed limit has a margin of about 20 km/h (except in Abu Dhabi where there is no margin). Most roads are monitored through speed traps. Speeders will receive the ticket through a message in your phone (if your phone is tied to the car in registration) and you will be required to pay all traffic fines you encounter before leaving the UAE. Drones also monitor the highways and roads in rural areas.

Desert safaris and dune bashing are good attractions in the vicinity of all the emirates, but great care needs to be taken while choosing a hired vehicle; it should be a four wheel drive. Desert safaris are also generally designed with travel agents and can give you good deal as well on quantity. Do not attempt to enter the desert using one car or alone. As a general rule of thumb, more than two four wheel drive cars should enter the desert together so that if one of them gets stuck, the other can pull it out. Desert driving is a hard skill to learn. Safaris and tour groups usually take you for a desert safari and you may even be able to dune bash yourself if you desire.

Four wheel drives such as the Toyoto Land Cruiser or Nissan Patrol and trucks such as the Ford Raptor are popular in the Emirates due to the natural desert terrain and necessary off-roading in some areas. Most cars are tinted black for both privacy and to keep the hot sun rays from entering the car, hence providing a cooler temperature in the car. While driving to the desert, make sure to pay attention to any camels that may be crossing the roads.

Public transportation within cities is widely available and advanced, with bus stations in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah offering shaded air conditioned bus stops to protect people from the sun and hot weather in the summer. The transportation is provided by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) of each emirate. There is an extensive metro system in Dubai that connects various parts of the city, as well as a monorail in Palm Jumeriah and a tram in Dubai Marina area. All public transport systems across all the cities in the UAE are connected, either by a taxi, bus, metro, monorail, or tram. Inter-city buses are also numerous with buses taking you as far as Muscat in Oman. Intercity bus services are fast, comfortable and reasonably frequent.

In all cities of the UAE, taxis are widely available and relatively affordable. Local ride share apps such as Uber and Careem are also common in the UAE.