Firmly rooted in the desert, the United Arab Emirates has two temperatures: warm and hot. Summers reach well into the 100s Fahrenheit, intolerable even for locals. Instead, visit during any other season for cooler temperatures. 

November – April: Peak tourism season in The Emirates is December through March: the weather is at its best but accommodation prices are at their peak. If you can bear it, November and April are hotter (high 80s – 90s F) but prices are more reasonable, as this is shoulder season. Note that most places in The United Arab Emirates are heavily air conditioned, so keep that in mind for packing.

Thanks to a multicultural population, the United Arab Emirates is home to a variety of good quality global cuisines. Despite what visitors may think, there’s plenty of traditional food to be eaten as well, if you know where to look.

The national dish of the United Arab Emirates would have to be makboos, or kabsa, a spiced rice dish topped with marinated meat (usually lamb). It’s the Emirati version of biryani and it’s divine.

Other delicious dishes include balaleet (sweet pasta topped with a fried egg), ghuzi (lamb or goat served on a bed of spiced rice with nuts), thareed (a meat and veggie stew with bread) and harees (wheat and meat porridge), amongst many other delicious eats. The UAE is home to wildly diverse eats from all over the world so be sure to sample some of the many delicious restaurants.

If you’d like to get a true taste of the food scene in The United Arab Emirates, consider taking a food tour!