Guidelines

As responsible citizens of Pakistan and residents of UAE, it is important to know and adhere to the following:

• The Royals of UAE and their immediate family members are addressed as “His/Her Highness”. 
• UAE is a Muslim country but majority of the people in UAE are expatriates who belong to different cultures and have different religions. It is polite to greet people with “As-salamalaikom” (peace be upon you) or with  "Good Morning", "Good Evening" etc. If you are greeted with “As-salamalaikom”,  answer “Waalaikom as-salam” (and peace be upon you).
• When entering a living room, a holy place, or a house, remove your shoes unless you are told not to do so.
• Dress appropriately in clean and pressed clothes. Take care of your personal hygiene. Cross-dressing is strictly prohibited.
• Use your right hand when offering or receiving gifts, eating food. Do not give or receive anything with your left hand as it is considered disrespectful.
• It is polite to have a cup of Arabic coffee. When you have had enough, place your hand over the cup and shake it from side to side as you give it back to the waiter. He will understand you have finished.
• Use a knife and fork or a spoon and fork. You will be served food in the usual western manner.
• In a banquet or in Emirati Majalis where food is served in one large dish, no cutlery is provided and only the right hand should be used to pick the food and eat.
• Always carry your identification documents. Authorities have the right to demand and see the documents for identification purposes.
• Always check the validity of your visa, Emirates ID and passport and renew these documents before their expiry.
• UAE being a home to expatriates from multiple cultures celebrates diversity. Respect the culture and traditions of the country and its residents.
• Be polite and courteous in your discourse and maintain appropriate distance from the listener. Do not shout while speaking and avoid exaggerated hand gestures.
• In UAE majority of residents are expatriates from around the globe. Although Urdu/Hindi is spoken widely in UAE, you should learn to speak and write basic English for better communication with the residents.
• Abide by all the Laws of UAE.
• Respect UAE law enforcers.
• Respect the residents of UAE.

Refrain from doing the following:

• Avoid discussion on the members of the Royal Family and their family affairs. Always be respectful in your references to the Royal families of UAE.
• Do not disrespect other religions in UAE. UAE is home to expatriates from around the globe from multiple ethnicities and religious backgrounds. Respect all ethnicities and religions.
• Do not criticize the Policies of the Government of UAE while living in UAE. Hate content or criticism of the UAE policies is a criminal offense.
• Do not arrange and participate in political events, gatherings and processions. UAE is very sensitive to any such gatherings and the offenders are strictly dealt with under the law.
• Do not arrange, participate and donate in charities which are not approved by the Government of UAE. It is a serious offense which may result in cancellation of your visa/work permit and deportation.
• Be careful while using social media platforms in the UAE and avoid sharing anti-government and hate content against any community living in UAE. 
• Do not litter and spit on the roads, streets and other public places. 
• Do not sit on sidewalks, roadsides and on floors in public places. Always try to find seating and if seat is occupied, wait for it to fall vacant.
• Avoid consumption and possession of narcotics in UAE. Mere possession of a narcotic, even is very small amounts, is a criminal offense and the offender is liable to be jailed and deported.
• Manufacturing, selling, using or possessing drugs are all grounds for a criminal action. Even sleeping pills or pharmaceuticals containing small amounts of narcotics are prohibited without prescription.
• Do not smoke in government facilities, malls and public places. Always use designated smoking spaces for smoking.
• Do not drive while under the influence of intoxicants.
• Do not drive without driving license. It is a serious criminal offense which results in heavy fines.
• Do not violate traffic rules including signals, seat belt, over-speeding etc.
• Do not take a picture of any person without asking his or her permission first. Photography of people without their permission is a criminal offense.
• Do not photograph military installations, ports and airport facilities without official permission.
• Do not stare at women. 
• Do not shake hands with women if you are a man and with men if you are a woman. Better wait for them to offer their hand and not the other way around.
• Do not dress in shabby and unclean clothes. Always dress clean and appropriately.
• Do not call anyone by nickname or a slang  that would offend them or sound strange to them.
• Never call anyone with a “come here” motion of your finger as this may offend them.
• Pointing finger to a person is considered a rude gesture.
• Avoid sitting cross legged in official meetings and settings.
• Abusing someone or showing abusive gesture is punishable crime in the UAE.
• Do not burp at meal tables and always use napkins or paper towels to clean your hands.
• During the holy month of Ramadan, do not eat in public within daylight hours.
• During the holy month of Ramadan, do not pump-up the volume of music.