The heat in late April
Expect the low to mid thirties in the day and warm nights, with humidity near the coast. It is the edge of the season before the real summer arrives.
Everything indoors is aggressively air conditioned. Locals carry a layer for buildings, not for outside.
Drink more water than you think you need. The dry heat hides how much you are losing.
Linen and long sleeves beat short sleeves in direct sun, which is the opposite of what most visitors pack.
Custom and law
Dress is relaxed in hotels and at the beach and more conservative in malls, souks and public buildings. Shoulders and knees covered is the safe default.
Public displays of affection, drinking in public and swearing in public are all offences and are occasionally enforced. This is not a warning to be nervous about, it is a reason to behave normally.
Drug laws are severe and include trace amounts. There is no leniency and no argument worth having.
The working week is Monday to Friday, with Friday a half day for many. The weekend is Saturday and Sunday.
A spare evening
The Dubai Fountain and the Burj Khalifa, which are free to watch from the ground and busy every night.
The gold and spice souks in Deira, reached by an abra across the creek for a dirham, which is still the best value experience in the city.
The marina promenade and JBR beach in the evening, once the heat drops.
The desert, an hour out, and genuinely worth a half day if you have one.
Leaving, and the region
DXB wants you there three hours before a long-haul flight and the queues justify it during event weeks.
Abu Dhabi is ninety minutes by road. Doha, Muscat and Riyadh are all short hops if you are extending the trip.
Al Maktoum in the south is a second airport and is not the same place. Check which one your ticket says.
If you are staying past the weekend, the city empties on the Sunday and everything is suddenly bookable again.