In Dubai and the United Arab Emirates, people pay with the Dirham. The official abbreviation of the dirham currency is AED, but in the shops in Dubai, it is also possible to use the abbreviations “Dhs” or “Dh” when indicating the prices. The exchange rate of the dollar relative to the dirham changes almost daily because the exchange rate is linked to the US dollar.
Dubai has dirhams and fils, 1 dirham consists of 100 fils. On the website of Travelex you can find the most current price of the Dirham compared to the dollar and simply convert amounts.
Credit card and debit card in Dubai
International credit cards such as those of Mastercard and Visa are accepted virtually everywhere in Dubai at the shops, petrol stations and ticket machines. There are also plenty of ATMs in Dubai where you can withdraw money with international debit cards. Please note that you have a debit card with the Maestro logo and withdraw money at a cash dispenser with the Maestro logo. Debit cards without the Maestro logo do not work at the cash machines.
Withdraw money in shops and cash machines
You can also often use your debit card in the shops of Dubai. If you go to a store with an international card in a shop than it costs most banks, because banks usually charge a price surcharge because you pay in a foreign currency. This is a percentage that differs per bank. But often 0.5% to 1.2% is calculated on top of the exchange rate or a fixed amount. This is different per bank so it is advisable to check this out before you travel to Dubai. For example, if you have two bank accounts with different banks, one bank may be cheaper to withdraw money than the other.
Bargaining in Dubai
In Dubai it is fairly normal to negotiate, except for the shops in the shopping malls and the supermarkets which all have fixed prices. Tipping is fairly normal in Dubai, taxi rides prices are best rounded up and chambermaids at hotels often get a tip of between 3 and 5 AED per day. In restaurants it is customary to give a tip of 10%, unless a service charge has already been calculated separately on the bill.
Convert Dirham to your own currency
Do you want to know how much a product is converted into dollar? On the website of exchange rate or GWK Travelex you can easily and quickly enter the amount in dirhams and you can immediately see how much dollar it is.
Want to have Dirham’s already
Do you want to have dirhams in your pocket before you go to Dubai so that you can pay dirhams at the airport or in the taxi? At GWK Travelex you do not pay any commission costs and you are sure of a good exchange rate. You can order dirhams for Dubai and Abu Dhabi via the website of Travelex.
