Getting There By Water
Jebel Ali Port is located 30km (18.5 miles) to the south of the city centre. It is the world’s largest man-made port – over 120 shipping lines use the port and it has over 100 berths – but passenger services are limited and are not designed to cater for tourists. A port tax of Dh10 is levied on departures from the UAE. Dubai Port Authority (tel: (04) 881 5000; website: www.dpa.co.ae) provides further information. The new government-owned Dubai Cruise Terminal (website: http://dubaitourism.co.ae/www/discover/cruiseterminal.asp), which is capable of dealing with two liners at a time, opened at Port Rashid in March 2001, with over 50 visiting cruise liners in 2002. Facilities at the cruise terminal include reception check-in, an information centre, VIP lounge, a relaxation zone and café, rest rooms, a big-screen entertainment centre, duty free, exhibits and an Arabian palm garden.
Ferry services: Ferry services operate to ports in Iran from Sharjah, although these are not recommended for tourists and timetables are erratic. Plans have been mooted for a more developed and comprehensive regional ferry service but these are very much on the back burner at present.
Transport to the city: The fare to Jebel Ali in a metered taxi will cost Dh60-70 (journey time – 20-30 minutes). The fare in a shared taxi to Al-Ghubaiba bus station costs Dh7. Dubai Cruise Terminal has its own taxi stand with taxis into Deira or Bur Dubai costing around Dh20-30.
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