Carrefour and Lulu for the weekly shop. Union Coop is strong in older neighbourhoods. Spinneys and Waitrose cost more and feel like home for some Europeans. Noon and Talabat for the night you cannot face a mall. Water: 5-gallon bottles with a deposit stand are cheaper than a lifetime of small plastic.

Phone

e& (Etisalat) and du are the two networks. Tourist SIMs at the airport work for a week; residents switch to a post-paid or a proper prepaid once Emirates ID is in motion. You need ID to buy a SIM. Coverage is not the problem — contracts and device instalments are.

Internet at home

e& and du again, plus some building-bundled fibre. In many towers the building already has a provider — ask before you sign a 12-month plan. Speeds are generally fine; the wait is the installation appointment.

Electricity and water (DEWA)

The landlord or you will open a DEWA account. There is a deposit. Summer AC is the real bill — a poorly insulated studio in August can shock people who budgeted on a March viewing.

Weekends

Official weekend is Saturday–Sunday for most private companies; some still mix Friday. Friday midday prayers change traffic. Public beaches are free (Kite, Sunset, Jumeirah Open Beach). Malls are the air-conditioned park.

Heat

May–September is the hard season. Outdoor labour pauses in early afternoon in summer by law. Walk the metro-connected life from June to September or you will hate the city. October to April is why people stay.

Dress and manners

Malls and offices: shoulders and knees are a polite default. Beach clubs are a different code. Do not photograph strangers, especially families. Public affection is muted. Ramadan timing changes restaurant hours — eat and drink discreetly in public during the fast.

Alcohol

Licensed venues and some supermarket permits. Not a speakeasy city — it is regulated. Do not drink and drive; the standard is effectively zero. Hotel bars are the normal pattern for newcomers.