Author: Mohammad Imran

Mark your calendar. Back to school in Dubai is on August 31, and this year comes with more changes than usual. Four major policies kick in for the 2026-27 academic year, touching everything from admission ages to how schools get inspected. None of them are small print. All of them affect how your year actually plays out. Here’s what’s changing. 1. The new school admission age cut-off Starting this academic year, Dubai private schools and early childhood centres will follow the Ministry of Education’s updated entry age rules, but only for children registering in the KHDA system for the first…

Nobody plans for a stack of traffic fines to show up right before a vehicle registration renewal. Yet it happens constantly. A couple of speeding tickets here. A missed Salik top-up there. Suddenly renewing your car means clearing a bill you never saw coming, all in one uncomfortable moment at the counter. Here’s the good news. Paying traffic fines in the UAE has gone almost entirely digital. The slightly trickier part is knowing exactly which platform to use, because that depends on which emirate issued the fine, and whether you’re hoping to spread the cost instead of paying it all…

If you’ve recently tried to open WhatsApp only to see the message “Account Temporarily Unavailable,” you’re not alone. The notification has left many users wondering whether their account has been suspended, hacked, or affected by a technical issue. In most cases, the message doesn’t mean you’ve permanently lost access to your account. Here’s what the error means, why it happens, and the steps you can take to restore your account. What Does “Account Temporarily Unavailable” Mean? The message generally indicates that WhatsApp has temporarily restricted access to your account or that the app is unable to verify your account due…

E-scooters and bicycles took over Abu Dhabi’s streets fast. Almost too fast for the rules to keep up. They’re everywhere now, the last-mile solution everyone reaches for after the metro drops them a few blocks short. Convenient, sure. But convenience has a cost here, and it’s spelled out in fines that a lot of riders don’t see coming. Poor lane discipline. Riding at night without lights. Cruising down a highway meant for cars. These aren’t rare mistakes. They’re some of the most common ways riders unknowingly put themselves at risk. Here’s the full breakdown of what’ll actually cost you. The…

Sandstorms are a common weather phenomenon in the UAE, particularly during the summer months. While many are short-lived, they can significantly reduce visibility, increase the risk of accidents and make driving extremely hazardous. If you find yourself on the road during a sandstorm, knowing how to respond can make all the difference. Here’s a practical guide to staying safe before, during and after driving in dusty conditions. Why Are Sandstorms Dangerous? Strong winds can lift large amounts of sand and dust into the air, creating poor visibility and making it difficult to see other vehicles, road signs and lane markings.…

You know the scene. Everyone does. Someone cruising in the left lane at exactly the speed limit on Sheikh Zayed Road, completely oblivious to the headlights stacking up behind them. It’s one of the most common habits on UAE roads. It’s also one of the most fineable. The left lane in Dubai isn’t a fast lane, whatever some drivers seem to think. It’s an overtaking lane. Dubai Police enforce that distinction strictly, through radar cameras and patrol officers both. Get it wrong, and you’re looking at a fine, black points, or both. Nine rules worth knowing before your next long…

Planning to invite your spouse, parents, children, relatives, or friends to Dubai? Before applying for a visit visa, it’s important to understand the minimum salary requirements set by Dubai’s immigration authorities. The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA Dubai) allows eligible UAE residents to sponsor family members and friends for short-term visits. However, the minimum salary required depends on the visitor’s relationship to the sponsor. Here’s everything you need to know about the Dubai family visit visa salary requirements, eligibility criteria, required documents, application process, and fees. Who Can Sponsor a Dubai Family Visit Visa? UAE residents with…

Alhind Tours & Travels officially took over Indian passport, visa, attestation, and consular services across the UAE starting Wednesday, July 22, opening 16 new centres in a rollout that’s been months in the making, and weeks overdue for the applicants stuck in the middle of it. If you’ve been trying to renew a passport or get a document attested in the UAE recently, you already know the backstory. Alhind won this tender back in November 2025. Then a legal battle froze everything, forcing Indian missions to run services directly from embassy premises for over three weeks. Long queues. Confused applicants.…

Dubai doesn’t really do quiet dining rooms. Walk into any restaurant on this list and you’ll feel it immediately, dramatic lighting, open kitchens pushing out clouds of wok smoke, menus that treat Peking duck like the main event it genuinely is. Something shifted in June 2022, too. That’s when the Michelin Guide officially launched in Dubai, shining a global spotlight on places that, honestly, had already earned their reputations the hard way, through repeat customers, not stars. Chinese cuisine here spans a lot more ground than people expect. Cantonese classics, Shanghainese small plates, Beijing-style duck carved tableside. A handful of…

Stand at the base of the Burj Khalifa and crane your neck up. Really up. The building disappears into the clouds before you find the top. And somewhere in that moment, you start understanding what Dubai actually is, a city that doesn’t do anything by half measures, built partly on ambition and partly on reclaimed sea. More than 17 million international visitors landed here in a recent year, according to Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism. That’s not an accident. Where else can you ski indoors before lunch, ride a camel across sand dunes by sunset, then finish the night…