Last updated: 24 October 2026
Gulf Simple exists to give expats in the UAE accurate, practical answers about visas, work, money, transport and daily life. This page explains how our guides are researched, written and kept up to date.
Who writes and reviews
Our guides are written and reviewed by Arslan Ahmad, the founder of Gulf Simple. He has lived and worked in the Middle East for 9 years, in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and also founded Saudi Life Guide. Read more on our About page.
How we choose topics
We write about the questions expats actually ask: how to check a status, renew a document, work out a payment or find the right office. We favour topics where an official source sets out the rules, and we avoid topics where we cannot confirm the facts.
Our sources
Official sources always come first. The main ones we use are:
- u.ae, the official UAE government portal
- icp.gov.ae, the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP)
- gdrfad.gov.ae, the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs Dubai (GDRFA)
- mohre.gov.ae, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE)
- rta.ae, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA)
- moi.gov.ae, the Ministry of Interior
- uaelegislation.gov.ae, the official portal for UAE laws
- wam.ae, the Emirates News Agency (WAM)
Reputable news outlets such as Gulf News, Khaleej Times and The National come second. We use them to learn about a change, then confirm the detail with the authority wherever we can. Other websites are never used as a source of facts.
How we confirm facts
- Every fee, date, deadline and rule in a guide is confirmed on the source page before the guide is published.
- If an authority has not published a detail, the guide says so plainly instead of guessing.
- We keep official rules separate from what people commonly report, so you know which is which.
- We link to the official page so that you can check it yourself.
- We write every guide ourselves and do not copy other websites.
Dates and sources on every guide
Each guide shows a Last updated date at the top and a list of its sources at the end. The date changes when the content of the guide changes, for example after a new fee is announced or a correction is made. When we learn that an official rule has changed, we update the guide as soon as we can.
Use of AI tools
We may use AI tools to help with drafting and to create images. A person checks every fact against the official source before anything is published, and no guide goes live on the strength of an AI tool alone.
Featured images on our guides are illustrations. They are not photographs of real events, places on a given day or real people, and they are never used as evidence of anything. When a guide shows a screenshot of an official website, the caption names the source and the date it was taken.
News and updates
News posts are based on official announcements or reliable reporting, are filed under News & Updates, and name the authority behind the change. They explain what changed, who is affected and what expats should do next.
Independence
Gulf Simple is not a government website and is not affiliated with any UAE government entity. We do not accept paid, sponsored or guest posts, and we do not sell links. Every link in a guide is chosen because it helps the reader. No company or organisation can pay to change what a guide says.
Corrections
If we get something wrong, we fix it. Our Corrections Policy explains how to report an error and what happens next, and you can reach us through the Contact page.
