How wheelchair friendly is Dubai?

[THAIPHUKET]

You've been to Dubai. Can you comment on how easy it is to get around with a wheelchair?

 

 

[Rimmer]

Moved to the Travel Forum

[lvr181]

Unfortunately I cannot comment on Dubai - but it surely cannot be worse than Bangkok 

[Classic Ray]

When I worked there in 2008, there was a footbridge over a six lane road, which had a lovely wheelchair slope at one end. Unfortunately at the other end it had two flights of steps!

 

Just like Thailand they love the sweeping flights of steps to get into shopping malls etc, with not many slopes in evidence.

 

Wheelchair users come slightly below Indian and Pakistani construction workers in importance there I think.

[lvr181]

3 minutes ago, Classic Ray said:

When I worked there in 2008, there was a footbridge over a six lane road, which had a lovely wheelchair slope at one end. Unfortunately at the other end it had two flights of steps!

 

Just like Thailand they love the sweeping flights of steps to get into shopping malls etc, with not many slopes in evidence.

 

Wheelchair users come slightly below Indian and Pakistani construction workers in importance there I think.

"Wheelchair users come slightly below Indian and Pakistani construction workers in importance there I think."  And Thailand also. 

 

The BMA and central Government don't give a flying f about the physically handicapped. Guess none of their families contain a physically handicapped person. Submarines are more important than their citizens? 

[Ombra]

You very rarely see anyone in a wheelchair in the UAE, though there must be plenty. The airport in Dubai wouldn't be a problem and I think that they have some specialised cabs for wheelchair users. The shopping malls and the good hotels are very spacious, though, so a wheelchair could move freely. I remember that the designers of the malls I visited most frequently did consider wheelchair users because the curbs outside were sloped in order to allow chairs to move comfortably to car parks and taxi ranks. In fact, sloping curbs are common everywhere if I remember correctly. You would need a companion to help you because taxi drivers never seem to move from their seats. The pavements are of good quality everywhere in the city and they are not crowded, given that most people drive rather than walk, and, of course, the land is quite flat. You are never going to be wheeling yourself or being pushed up even the tiniest gradient. The more I think about it, the more it seems that Dubai and Abu Dhabi would be good choices for someone using a wheelchair.

[Upnotover]

This site rates it pretty well; https://wheelchairtravel.org/dubai/public-transportation/

[Inepto Cracy]

Hi I get a wheel chair service from my planes door, through immigration to shopping, then to the lounge. Normally I just get left in a corner till my flight leaves.

If I am very lucky someone will come and fetch me before my flight and take me through the check-in and out on the bus to the airoplane.

Thats were the sh one T begins. I have to carry my own bag and get up the stairs into the aircraft unaided. Why they park the damn thing in the middle of dessert, I dont know.

Once I am on the plane, all is well.

I would smash out the planes sides in an emergency and scream go ... yourselfs as I launch out the gapping hole.

The airlines there want your money, but common decent decency does NOT rate rate highly in the UAE or Dubai.

Geez a bit like here?