Dubai has specific cultural considerations around dress, plus weather extremes that most travellers underestimate. This guide ensures you pack exactly right — no more, no less.
Clothing: The Rules
Dubai is a Muslim country with a relaxed but real dress code. In hotels, malls, and tourist areas, Western dress is fine. In souks, mosques, and traditional areas, cover shoulders and knees. At the beach and pool: swimwear is completely fine.
- ✅ Shorts and t-shirts in hotels, malls, tourist areas
- ✅ Swimwear at hotels and beaches
- ⚠️ Cover up in souks, markets, and traditional areas
- ❌ No bikini tops as general streetwear
Essential Items
- High SPF sunscreen — the Gulf sun is brutal even in winter
- Light layers — hotels and malls are aggressively air-conditioned
- Comfortable walking shoes — malls are vast
- Modest cover-up — lightweight shawl or shirt for souks and mosques
- Adaptor plug — UAE uses British-style three-pin plugs
- Power bank — essential for long days out
What NOT to Bring
- Prescription medications without documentation — carry a doctor’s letter
- Certain medications are banned in the UAE (some codeine-containing products)
- Drones — require a permit