Dubai
TV & Internet in Dubai
Television and Radio
Most of the local TV channels are government run and are broadcast in Arabic. There is a single English channel in the UAE, One TV.
The majority of people choose to purchase a satellite dish. The Nilesat, Arabsat, Hotbird, and Asiansat satellites are receivable in the UAE and offer both free and pay-tv channels. It is also possible to subscribe to a satellite pay-TV package. Your choice of provider will be largely dictated by your native language, as well as they type of viewing matter you prefer to see.
Internet
Provided you already have a telephone connection, arranging internet access via DSL, ISDN or dial-up is straightforward. The main ISP is Etisalat, the Emirates' telephone company. To request a connection, you will need to visit an Etisalat office and provide a completed application form, letter from your employer confirming your salary, a copy of your passport and a copy of your lease to confirm your address.
Etisalat offers a simple solution for immediate, no subscription, connection with it's Dial 'N' Surf service. There are no subscription charges or monthly rentals - you are simply charged 0.12 AED for every minute that you spend connected to the service. To connect, simply dial 5000 5555 using your PC's modem. The charges for connection are billed directly to the telephone number that you are connecting from.
Internet access in most areas of Dubai is filtered to screen out sites that are deemed to be against the cultural or religious ideals of the UAE. The exception to this is areas served by the internet service provider TECOM, which are not currently filtered.
Cybercafes are good value in Dubai and in some cases, for example at the Emirates Towers, there are cafes where you can surf for free for as long as you are buying food or drinks! Generally, the big shopping centres do not have internet cafes in them, so it can be difficult to locate your closest internet cafe. Etisalat offers a WiFi internet connection service known as iZone, which is accessible from many shopping centres and cafes across Dubai.
Newspapers
A selection of English language newspapers is available in the UAE, including:
- Gulf News
- 7DAYS
- Khaleej Times
- Emirates Today
Update 11/09/2006
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