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/install dubai
Description
Navigate Dubai as visitor, resident, tech worker, student, or entrepreneur with neighborhoods, transport, costs, visas, and local insights.
README (SKILL.md)
When to Use
User asks about Dubai for any purpose: visiting, moving, working, studying, or starting a business. Agent provides practical guidance with current data.
Quick Reference
| Topic | File |
|---|---|
| Visitors | |
| Attractions (must-see vs skip) | visitor-attractions.md |
| Itineraries (1/3/7 days) | visitor-itineraries.md |
| Where to stay | visitor-lodging.md |
| Tips & day trips | visitor-tips.md |
| Neighborhoods | |
| Quick comparison | neighborhoods-index.md |
| Downtown, DIFC, Business Bay | neighborhoods-downtown.md |
| Dubai Marina, JBR, JLT | neighborhoods-marina.md |
| Jumeirah, Palm, Al Sufouh | neighborhoods-beach.md |
| Arabian Ranches, Springs, DSO | neighborhoods-suburban.md |
| Choosing guide | neighborhoods-choosing.md |
| Food | |
| Overview & dining scene | food-overview.md |
| Local & Middle Eastern | food-local.md |
| International & fine dining | food-international.md |
| Best areas for dining | food-areas.md |
| Dietary, alcohol, Ramadan | food-practical.md |
| Practical | |
| Moving & settling | resident.md |
| Transport (metro, taxis, Salik) | transport.md |
| Cost of living | cost.md |
| Safety & laws | safety.md |
| Weather & survival tips | climate.md |
| Local services (banking, SIM) | local.md |
| Career | |
| Tech industry & salaries | tech.md |
| Business setup & free zones | business.md |
| Visas (employment, golden, freelance) | visas.md |
| Startups & funding | startup.md |
| Lifestyle | |
| Culture & customs | culture.md |
| Healthcare & insurance | healthcare.md |
| Schools & education | education.md |
| Expat lifestyle & social | lifestyle.md |
| Driving & car ownership | driving.md |
Core Rules
1. Identify User Context First
- Role: Tourist, resident, tech worker, student, entrepreneur
- Timeline: Short visit, planning to move, already there
- Load relevant auxiliary file for details
2. Expat-Centric City
Dubai's population is ~90% expatriate. Nearly every topic involves visa/residency considerations:
- Employment requires employer sponsorship (until 2024 reforms)
- Golden Visa (10 years) available for investors, specialists, entrepreneurs
- Freelance permits through designated free zones
See
visas.mdfor current requirements and processes.
3. Cultural Context
Dubai operates under Islamic law with modernized enforcement:
- Ramadan: Public eating/drinking restricted during daylight
- Dress code: Conservative in malls and public areas
- Alcohol: Licensed venues only; drinking age 21
- Cohabitation: Unmarried couples now legally permitted (2020 reforms)
See
culture.mdfor detailed guidance.
4. Weather Reality
- Summer (May-Sep): 40-45°C+ with high humidity — outdoor activities limited
- Winter (Nov-Mar): 20-30°C — peak tourist season
- Indoor culture: Most daily life happens in air-conditioned spaces
See
climate.mdfor monthly breakdown and survival strategies.
5. Current Data (Feb 2026)
| Item | Range |
|---|---|
| 1BR rent (Marina) | AED 70,000-110,000/year (~$19K-30K) |
| 1BR rent (Downtown) | AED 90,000-150,000/year (~$24K-41K) |
| Senior SWE salary | AED 35,000-55,000/month (~$9.5K-15K) |
| Metro monthly pass | AED 350 (Gold), AED 140 (Silver) |
| Brunch (mid-range) | AED 200-400/person |
| School fees (British/American) | AED 40,000-120,000/year |
6. Cost Reality
Dubai is tax-free but expensive:
- Housing: 30-40% of budget typical
- Schooling: Major expense for families (private only)
- Healthcare: Mandatory insurance via employer
- Car ownership: Common due to limited public transit coverage
- Hidden costs: Housing agency fees (5%), security deposits (5-10% rent)
7. Transit Limitations
Unlike London/Barcelona, Dubai is car-centric:
- Metro: Two lines, limited coverage (mostly Downtown/Marina corridor)
- Buses: Extensive but slow; connectors to metro
- Taxis/Ride-hailing: Primary transport (Careem, Uber)
- RTA app: Essential for all transport planning
Most residents own or lease cars. See
transport.mdanddriving.md.
8. Neighborhood Matching
| Profile | Best Areas |
|---|---|
| Young professionals | Dubai Marina, JLT, Business Bay |
| Families | Arabian Ranches, Springs, Meadows, Mirdif |
| Beach lifestyle | JBR, Palm Jumeirah, Jumeirah Beach |
| Budget-conscious | JLT, Al Barsha, Discovery Gardens, DSO |
| Tech workers | DIFC, Business Bay, Dubai Internet City area |
| Luxury seekers | Palm Jumeirah, Emirates Hills, Downtown |
Free Zones Context
Dubai has 30+ free zones, each with different rules:
- DMCC: Most popular, commodities focus, ~AED 15,000/year
- DIFC: Financial services, English common law jurisdiction
- Dubai Internet City/Media City: Tech and media companies
- JAFZA: Industrial, logistics, manufacturing
- Dubai South: Aviation, logistics, near Expo/Al Maktoum airport
Free zone vs mainland trade-offs:
- Free zone: 100% ownership, but can only trade within zone or export
- Mainland: Need local sponsor (51% unless exempt sectors), but can trade locally
See business.md for detailed comparison and setup costs.
Dubai-Specific Traps
- Summer underestimation — 45°C+ is debilitating. Plan indoor activities May-September.
- Alcohol assumptions — Only in licensed venues/hotels. No public drinking. DUI = jail.
- Dress code violations — Cover shoulders and knees in malls. Swimwear only at pools/beaches.
- Photography restrictions — Don't photograph government buildings, airports, or people without consent.
- Bounced checks — Criminal offense in UAE. Can lead to arrest and travel ban.
- Debt issues — Unpaid debts can result in travel bans. Settle before leaving.
- Social media posts — Defamation laws strict. Critical posts about UAE can lead to arrest.
- Cohabitation confusion — Legal since 2020 reforms, but not all landlords accept unmarried couples.
- Ramadan rules — No eating/drinking/smoking in public during daylight hours.
- Friday = Sunday — Weekend is Friday-Saturday. Some businesses closed Friday morning.
Legal Awareness
Key laws visitors/residents must know:
- Drugs: Zero tolerance. Trace amounts can mean 4+ years prison.
- Alcohol: Legal at 21+ in licensed venues only. No public intoxication.
- VPN usage: Legal for legitimate purposes, but using VoIP illegally is not.
- LGBTQ+: Same-sex relationships are illegal. Discretion essential.
- Public displays of affection: Keep minimal. Kissing in public can be prosecuted.
- Swearing/gestures: Offensive gestures can lead to arrest.
See safety.md for comprehensive legal guidance.
Usage Guidance
This skill appears to be a straightforward Dubai guide: the files and SKILL.md content align with the description, it asks for no credentials, and it doesn't install software. The main red flag is the scanner finding of unicode control characters in SKILL.md — invisible characters can hide instructions intended to change what the agent does. Before installing or enabling this skill: (1) ask the publisher for provenance (who authored it); (2) inspect the raw SKILL.md bytes for unusual / zero-width / control characters and remove them or sanitize the file; (3) run the skill in a restricted/sandboxed agent first (no access to sensitive systems or credentials); and (4) if you lack the ability to inspect/sanitize, treat it as untrusted and avoid enabling autonomous invocation. If you want, I can scan SKILL.md for invisible characters and show their locations or provide a sanitized copy.
Capability Analysis
Type: OpenClaw Skill
Name: dubai
Version: 1.0.0
The skill bundle consists entirely of Markdown files, providing comprehensive informational content about Dubai. The `SKILL.md` file contains instructions for the AI agent that are purely informational, guiding it on how to access and present data from the other Markdown files based on user queries. There is no executable code, no requests for external binaries (confirmed by empty `requires.bins` in `_meta.json`), and no evidence of prompt injection attempts with malicious objectives such as data exfiltration, unauthorized command execution, or persistence mechanisms. The content is aligned with the stated purpose of providing guidance about Dubai.
Capability Assessment
Purpose & Capability
Skill name/description (Dubai guide for visitors, residents, workers, entrepreneurs) align with the bundled markdown files. There are no binaries, installs, or environment variables requested — everything is internal content for city guidance.
Instruction Scope
The SKILL.md provides clear runtime instructions (identify user role, load relevant auxiliary files) and stays within the stated purpose. However, the pre-scan detected unicode-control-chars inside SKILL.md; such invisible characters are a known vector for prompt-injection or obfuscation of hidden instructions. Because this skill is instruction-only, hidden characters in SKILL.md could meaningfully alter an agent's behavior.
Install Mechanism
No install spec and no code files — minimal disk/write risk. Instruction-only skills carry lower install risk.
Credentials
The skill requests no environment variables, no credentials, and no config paths. There are no disproportionate secret or system access demands.
Persistence & Privilege
always is false and model invocation is allowed (platform default). The skill does not request persistent system-level privileges or to modify other skills. Autonomous invocation combined with hidden prompt content increases risk, but that is a composition of two factors (normal invocation + suspicious SKILL.md), not a mis-declared privilege.
How to Use
- Make sure OpenClaw is installed (local or Docker)
- Run the install command in chat:
/install dubai - After installation, invoke the skill by name or use
/dubai - Provide required inputs per the skill's parameter spec and get structured output
Version History
v1.0.0
Initial release
Metadata
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Dubai?
Navigate Dubai as visitor, resident, tech worker, student, or entrepreneur with neighborhoods, transport, costs, visas, and local insights. It is an AI Agent Skill for Claude Code / OpenClaw, with 526 downloads so far.
How do I install Dubai?
Run "/install dubai" in the OpenClaw or Claude Code chat to install it in one step — no extra setup required.
Is Dubai free?
Yes, Dubai is completely free (open-source). You can download, install and use it at no cost.
Which platforms does Dubai support?
Dubai is cross-platform and runs anywhere OpenClaw / Claude Code is available (linux, darwin, win32).
Who created Dubai?
It is built and maintained by Iván (@ivangdavila); the current version is v1.0.0.
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