Emergency numbers and help in United Arab Emirates

The numbers

• There is no single number. Four services, four numbers, and dialling the wrong one costs time.
• 999 is the one to remember if you can only remember one; they will transfer you.
• Operators speak English and response times are fast.
• 911 and 112 do not reliably work. Save the real ones.
• Know your emirate and the nearest landmark. Addressing here works by landmark, not street number.

Practicalities

• Report theft to the police and get the report for your insurer. Police stations handle this efficiently and many have English-speaking staff.
• Any road accident needs a police report, however minor, before an insurer or rental company will act.
• Photograph your passport and entry stamp and keep copies separate.
• If you lose your passport, go to the police, then your embassy or consulate. Most countries have both an embassy in Abu Dhabi and a consulate in Dubai; the Dubai one is usually the useful one.
• Save your insurer's 24-hour line offline.

If you are arrested

• Ask to contact your embassy. You have that right.
• Do not sign anything you cannot read. Documents are often in Arabic and signing one can amount to a confession.
• Say nothing about the substance of the allegation until your embassy or a lawyer is involved.
• Cases can take a long time and you may be prevented from leaving while one is open, even without being detained.
• Reconciliation and dropped complaints matter a great deal here. If the complainant withdraws, most minor matters end.

Weather emergencies

• The National Center of Meteorology issues heat, fog, sandstorm and rain warnings.
• Heat is the real danger. In July and August the middle of the day outdoors is hazardous, and warnings are issued regularly.
• Winter fog closes roads and causes large pile-ups on the Dubai to Abu Dhabi highway. If it is foggy, delay the drive.
• Flash flooding after heavy rain is a growing problem, as April 2024 showed. Underpasses fill fast, drainage is limited, and roads become impassable within an hour.
• Sandstorms reduce visibility to a few metres and are hard on anyone with asthma.