By Air
Dubai has several airports to consider. Frequent visitors from countries granted automatic visa on entry may wish to purchase an e-gate card to speed up immigration formalities and save passport pages. The e-gate card office is situated in the upstairs food-court area of the departures concourse at Dubai International Airport.
The card will cost 200 AED.
Note: If you intend to buy an e-gate card in Dubai, you must have entered UAE via Dubai airport.
Dubai International Airport
Dubai International Airport (DXB) is the largest hub in the Middle East and the home base of the Dubai's flag carrier Emirates. In fact, it's grown at such a furious pace that the present terminals are bursting at the seams, especially during the peak hours around midnight immigration lines can be long and it can be difficult to find a place to sit. The opening of Emirates' dedicated Terminal 3, planned for May 2008, should ease things considerably.The airport is famous for its duty-free shopping. Alcohol is also available at an inbound duty-free store situated in the baggage reclaim area. The allowance is 4 bottles (or four 6-packs) per person.
Most visitors will opt for public taxis from the airport, readily available just outside arrivals, which use the meter and start at 20 AED.
If you already know your way around the city or are continuing elsewhere, you may also want to opt for buses 401 and 402 (3 AED), which go to the Al Sabkha and Al Ghubaiba bus terminals respectively. The Dubai Metro, planned to open in 2009, will have a station at the airport.
Sharjah International Airport
Sharjah International Airport (SHJ) is located in the emirate of Sharjah which is only half an hour by road from Dubai. The principal carrier here is Air Arabia, a low-cost carrier serving the Middle East and South Asia.A taxi ride to Dubai will typically cost 50 AED. The airport is fairly basic but is being expanded.