Writing on signs in United Arab Emirates
Arabic, right to left
Arabic letters are joined together and written right to left, with dots above and below. In the UAE, signs nearly always add English.
- Flowing, joined letters with dots, like دبي.
- Arabic and English side by side is very typical of the UAE.
- Clean, modern streets and glass towers are another clue.
10 photos, grouped by the clue they show.
Key clue Shop sign 4
Key clue Street sign 6
United Arab Emirates: what its writing looks like
Arabic is written right to left, and the letters join into a flowing line, with dots above and below. In the United Arab Emirates, almost every sign adds English.
Wide roads, new buildings and glass towers are typical of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and street signs are often blue or green with white letters.
Arabic and English signs are used across the Emirates.
Look-alikes: how to tell them apart
United Arab Emirates vs 
Israel
Hebrew is also written right to left, but its letters are square and do not join.
Questions about the writing in United Arab Emirates
How do I recognise Arabic writing?
It runs right to left, the letters are joined into a flowing line, and many have dots above or below.
Do signs in the UAE use English?
Almost always. Street and shop signs usually show Arabic and English together.