There is no getting away from it: Dubai is a wonderful place to live! Year-round sunshine, relatively tax-free, some of the best dining anywhere in the world, luxury hotels popping-up almost every week and more variety of recreational activities than most other countries would dare to compete with.
Dubai is absolutely very open-minded to the beliefs and faiths of the ever-growing cosmopolitan population that is the fabric of Dubai in 2006. While many of the tales you might here about the wider Middle East region are myths and are ill-of-fact, it is always important to remember that Dubai is still in a Muslim country in which Islam and Sharia Law are as important cornerstones today as they were 20, 40 or even 60 years ago.
Respect is key to succeeding as a foreigner in Dubai and no better time or place to start this on the proper foundations than with your shipment of household and personal effects. Certain rules exist and a healthy deference to them when you prepare and pack for “Destination Dubai” will make for an easy clearance of your shipment.
The important rules to follow relate to restricted and prohibited items. An area that is often misunderstood is that surrounding the import of alcohol. The simple answer to this is that you CANNOT under any circumstances. Do not even consider it; fines are just the start of the trouble you can find yourself in. Even if you have a U.A.E. Alcoholic Drinks Licence, this DOES NOT permit importation of alcohol.
Media items such as every-day CD’s, DVD’s, books, magazines and even photographs are subject to potential seizure and screening by Dubai’s authorities. When you have Allied Pickfords in your origin city complete your packing, have them pack these items separately so that if Customs wish to take them for screening, it makes everyone’s life easier. Customs also view this favourably as you are seen to be trying to make their job easier. In any case, avoid including any remotely pornographic material and also politically subversive or anti-Islamic material.
The incidence of customs seizure and screening is relatively low. The subsequent incidence of items being destroyed by Customs is much less but needless to say, a reality in cases where the laws are flouted. Religious icons and statues that can be interpreted as religious icons (such as Buddha images) are also prohibited. Sometimes, the mood or interpretation of Customs is also a factor: just recently, a small, silver trinket box was seized as it was considered “a magic box”!
Customs Clearance requires the submission of a few documents. These submissions must include a copy of your U.A.E. Residence Visa. Nowadays, clearance is preceded by an examination of the shipment by means of an x-ray scan. Physical examinations are less common and now in approximately 50% of all cases.
From date of arrival at the port of entry into U.A.E., a realistic time-line for Customs Clearance is 5-7 working days. During the peak season of August and September, this can often be longer due to the sheer demand upon Customs; one should never lose sight of the number of people moving to Dubai at this time and most of them have a shipment that requires clearance. Unfortunately, neither the staffing level at Customs or the processes followed have moved at he same pace of growth generally seen in Dubai.