Dubai

Dubai is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai. It sits on a creek along the southeastern coast of the Persian Gulf. As of 2025, the city is home to about 4 million people, and most of them are expatriates.

Originally a small pearling and fishing village in the early 18th century, Dubai grew into a trade center in the 20th century. It became a free port in 1901 and expanded its creek in 1961. Though it had some oil money from the 1960s to the 1990s, today oil makes up less than 1% of its economy.

Since the 1990s, Dubai has built up quickly, creating a skyline filled with tall buildings, including the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. The city has also added lots of new coastline through land-reclamation projects.

Today, Dubai's economy is driven by trade, tourism, aviation, financial services, and real estate. The Dubai International Financial Centre is one of the world's major financial centers. In 2024, Dubai was one of the most visited cities in the world, and Dubai International Airport was the busiest airport for international travel, serving over 92 million passengers.

Etymology

There are many ideas about where the name "Dubai" came from. One idea says it might have come from a place where people traded things. Another idea says it could mean "two brothers," talking about two parts of the city. Yet another idea links the name to a type of insect that was common in the area long ago.

History

Main article: History of Dubai

For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Dubai.

The history of human settlement in the area now defined as the United Arab Emirates is complex and extensive, formed by the extensive trading links between the civilisations of the Indus Valley and Mesopotamia, and even by cultures as far afield as the Levant. Archaeological finds in the emirate of Dubai, particularly at Al-Ashoosh, Al Sufouh, and the notably rich trove from Saruq Al Hadid show settlement through the Ubaid and Hafit periods, the Umm Al Nar and Wadi Suq periods, and the three Iron Ages in the UAE. The area was known to the Sumerians as Magan and was a source of metallic goods, notably copper and bronze.

The area was covered with sand about 5,000 years ago as the coast retreated inland, becoming part of the city's present coastline. Pre-Islamic ceramics have been discovered from the 3rd and 4th centuries. Before the introduction of Islam to the area, people in this region worshiped Bajir (or Bajar). After the spread of Islam in the region, the Umayyad Caliph of the eastern Islamic world conquered southeast Arabia and drove out the Sassanians. Excavations by the Dubai Museum in the region of Al-Jumayra (Jumeirah) found several artefacts from the Umayyad period.

An early mention of Dubai in 1095 is in the Book of Geography by the Andalusian-Arab geographer Abu Abdullah al-Bakri. The Venetian pearl merchant Gasparo Balbi visited the area in 1580 and mentioned Dubai (as Dibei) for its pearling industry.

Establishment of modern Dubai

Dubai is thought to have been established as a pearling and fishing village in the early 18th century and was, by 1822, a town of some 700–800 members of the Bani Yas tribe and subject to the rule of Sheikh Tahnun bin Shakhbut of Abu Dhabi. In 1822, a British naval surveyor noted that Dubai was at that time populated by a thousand people living in an oval-shaped town surrounded by a mud wall, scattered with goats and camels. The main footpath out of the village led to a reedy creek, while another trailed off into the desert and merged into caravan routes.^: 17 

In 1833, after tribal feuds, members of the Al Bu Falasah tribe seceded from Abu Dhabi and established themselves in Dubai. The exodus from Abu Dhabi was led by Obeid bin Saeed and Maktoum bin Butti, who became joint leaders of Dubai until Ubaid died in 1836, leaving Maktoum to establish the Maktoum dynasty.

Dubai signed the General Maritime Treaty of 1820 with the British government along with other Trucial States, following the British campaign in 1819 against Ras Al Khaimah. This led to the 1853 Perpetual Maritime Truce. Dubai—like its neighbours on the Trucial Coast—entered into an exclusivity agreement in which the United Kingdom took responsibility for the emirate's security in 1892.

In 1841, a smallpox epidemic broke out in Bur Dubai, forcing residents to relocate east to Deira. In 1896, fire broke out in Dubai, a disastrous occurrence in a town where many family homes were still constructed from barasti (palm fronds). The conflagration consumed half of Bur Dubai's houses, and the Deira district was said to have been destroyed. The next year, more fires broke out.

In 1901, Maktoum bin Hasher Al Maktoum established Dubai as a free port with no taxation on imports or exports, and also gave merchants parcels of land and guarantees of protection and tolerance. These policies led merchants not only to move directly from Lingeh, but also from those who had settled in Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah (which had historical links with Lingeh through the Al Qawasim tribe) to Dubai. An indicator of the growing importance of the port of Dubai is the movements of the steamer of the Bombay and Persia Steam Navigation Company, which from 1899 to 1901 paid five visits annually to Dubai. In 1902, the company's vessels made 21 visits to Dubai, and from 1904 on, the steamers called fortnightly, trading 70,000 tons of cargo in 1906. The frequency of these vessels only accelerated Dubai's role as an emerging port and trading hub of preference. Lorimer notes the transfer from Lingeh "bids fair to become complete and permanent", and also that the town had by 1906 supplanted Lingeh as the chief entrepôt of the Trucial States.

The "Great Storm" of 1908 struck the pearling boats of Dubai and the coastal emirates towards the end of the pearling season that year, resulting in the loss of a dozen boats and over 100 men. The disaster was a major setback for Dubai, with many families losing their breadwinners and merchants facing financial ruin. These losses came at a time when the tribes of the interior were also experiencing poverty.

In 1910, in the Hyacinth incident, the town was bombarded by HMS Hyacinth, with 37 people killed.

Pre-oil Dubai

As well as expanding its regional trade links, Dubai was also an important regional centre for the collection, sale, and trade of pearls. The collapse of the pearling industry plunged the city into a deep depression, and many residents lived in poverty or migrated to other parts of the Persian Gulf.

In 1937, an oil exploration contract was signed, guaranteeing royalty rights for Dubai and concessionary payments to Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum. But due to World War II, oil was not struck until 1966.^: 36–37 

In its early days, Dubai was constantly at odds with Abu Dhabi. In 1947, a border dispute between Dubai and Abu Dhabi on the northern sector of their border escalated into war. Arbitration by the British government resulted in a cessation of hostilities.

The Al Ras district in Deira and Dubai Creek in the mid 1960s

Despite a lack of oil, Dubai's ruler from 1958, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, used revenue from trading activities to build infrastructure, initially through loans raised from local merchants and the ruler of Kuwait. Private companies were established to build and operate infrastructure, including electricity, telephone services, and both the ports and airport operators. An airport of sorts (a runway built on salt flats) was established in Dubai in the 1950s and in 1959, the emirate's first hotel, the Airlines Hotel, was constructed. This was followed by the Ambassador and Carlton Hotels in 1968.

Throughout the late 1950s, the British had urged Sheikh Rashid to approve a town plan to manage an already burgeoning real estate market. In 1959, through the correspondence of the British political agent, Sheikh Rashid invited architect John Harris to Dubai to discuss the parameters of a town plan. In May 1960, Harris returned to Dubai with the plan. Harris, who ran his own architectural practice, had only a matter of weeks to create the plan after receiving aerial photographs of the city that spring. No later than 1961, the British engineering firm Halcrow was marking the city's street system as shown on the plan and hardening designated routes with asphalt. The plan continued to function as a guide for further extensions of Dubai's street system as municipal funding became available. Harris's plan made only minimal proposals to disrupt the commercial and social life in the existing areas of Bur Dubai and Deira. Therefore, new development was proposed outside these areas, further inland from the Gulf. While the town plan of 1960 envisioned a very low-rise city that was not realised, its proposed road system was largely implemented as planned. Harris's firm acted independently of Halcrow, but the plan's accurate representation of ongoing land reclamation and the future Maktoum Bridge, which had not yet been proposed to the municipality, suggests that the two firms kept an open line of communication. The master plan's road system also served as a guide for the municipality in designating utility easements, as these became increasingly necessary.

In 1959, Dubai's first telephone company was established, with 51% owned by IAL (International Aeradio Ltd) and 49% by Sheikh Rashid and local businesspeople. In 1961, both the electricity and telephone companies rolled out operational networks. The water company (Rashid was chairman and majority shareholder) constructed a pipeline from wells at Awir and a series of storage tanks and, by 1968, Dubai had a reliable supply of piped water. The same year, a sand tax was briefly imposed by Rashid in an effort to boost trade by monetising the Emirate's most abundant resource. The tax was lifted after 11 days, making it the shortest-lived tax in the region's history.

On 7 April 1961, the Dubai-based MV Dara, a five-thousand-ton British-flagged vessel that plied the route between Basra (Iraq), Kuwait, and Bombay (Mumbai, India), was caught in unusually high winds off Dubai. Early the next morning, in heavy seas off Umm al-Quwain, an explosion tore out the second-class cabins and started fires. The captain gave the order to abandon ship, but two lifeboats capsized, and a second explosion occurred. A flotilla of small boats from Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, and Umm al-Quwain picked up survivors, but 238 of the 819 persons on board were lost in the disaster.

Construction of Dubai's first airport began on the northern edge of the town in 1959, and the terminal building opened for business in September 1960. The airport was initially serviced by Gulf Aviation (flying Dakotas, Herons, and Viscounts) but Iran Air commenced services to Shiraz in 1961.

In 1962, the British Political Agent noted that "Many new houses and blocks of offices and flats are being built... the Ruler is determined, against advice [from the British authorities] to press on with the construction of a jet airport... More and more European and Arab firms are opening up, and the future looks bright."

In 1962, with expenditure on infrastructure projects already approaching levels some thought imprudent, Sheikh Rashid approached his brother-in-law, the Ruler of Qatar, for a loan to build the first bridge crossing Dubai Creek. This crossing was completed in May 1963 and was paid for by a toll levied on traffic from the Dubai side of the creek to Deira.

BOAC was initially reluctant to launch regular flights between Bombay and Dubai, fearing insufficient seat demand. However, by the time the asphalt runway of Dubai Airport was constructed in 1965, opening Dubai to both regional and long-haul traffic, several foreign airlines were competing for landing rights. In 1970, a new airport terminal building was constructed, which included Dubai's first duty-free shops.

Throughout the 1960s, Dubai was the centre of a lively gold trade, with 1968 imports of gold at some £56 million. This gold was, in the vast majority, re-exported – mainly to customers who took delivery in international waters off India. The import of gold to India had been banned, and so the trade was characterised as smuggling. However, Dubai's merchants were quick to point out that they were making legal gold deliveries and that it was up to the customer where they took it.

In 1966, more gold was shipped from London to Dubai than from almost anywhere else in the world (only France and Switzerland shipped more), totaling 4 million ounces. Dubai also took delivery of over $15 million worth of watches and over 5 million ounces of silver. The 1967 price of gold was $35 an ounce, but its market price in India was $68 an ounce – a healthy markup. Estimates at the time put the volume of gold imports from Dubai to India at around 75% of the total market.

Oil era

After years of exploration following large finds in neighbouring Abu Dhabi, oil was eventually discovered in territorial waters off Dubai in 1966, albeit in far smaller quantities. The first field was named "Fateh" or "good fortune". This accelerated Sheikh Rashid's infrastructure development plans and triggered a construction boom, resulting in a massive influx of foreign workers, primarily from Asia and the Middle East. Between 1968 and 1975, the city's population grew by over 300%.

As part of the infrastructure for pumping and transporting oil from the Fateh field, located offshore of the Jebel Ali area of Dubai, two 500,000-gallon storage tanks were built, known locally as "Kazzans", by welding them together on the beach and then digging them out and floating them to drop onto the seabed at the Fateh field. These were constructed by the Chicago Bridge & Iron Company, which gave the beach its local name (Chicago Beach), which was transferred to the Chicago Beach Hotel, which was demolished and replaced by the Jumeirah Beach Hotel in the late 1990s. The Kazzans were an innovative oil storage solution which meant supertankers could moor offshore even in bad weather and avoided the need to pipe oil onshore from Fateh, which is some 60 miles out to sea.

Dubai had already embarked on a period of infrastructural development and expansion. Oil revenue, flowing from 1969 onwards, supported a period of growth, with Sheikh Rashid embarking on a policy of infrastructure development and economic diversification before the emirate's limited reserves were depleted. Oil accounted for 24% of GDP in 1990 but had fallen to 7% of GDP by 2004.

Critically, one of the first major projects Sheikh Rashid embarked upon when oil revenue began to flow was the construction of Port Rashid, a deep-water free port built by the British company Halcrow. Originally intended to be a four-berth port, it was extended to sixteen berths during construction. The project was an outstanding success, with shipping queuing to access the new facilities. The port was inaugurated on 5 October 1972, although its berths were put to use as soon as they were built. Port Rashid was to be expanded in 1975 by 35 berths before the larger Jebel Ali port was constructed.

Port Rashid was the first of a swath of projects designed to create a modern trading infrastructure, including roads, bridges, schools, and hospitals.

Reaching the UAE's Act of Union

Dubai and the other "Trucial States" had long been a British protectorate where the British government took care of foreign policy and defence, as well as arbitrating between the rulers of the Eastern Gulf, the result of a treaty signed in 1892 named the "Exclusive Agreement". This was to change with Prime Minister Harold Wilson's announcement, on 16 January 1968, that all British troops were to be withdrawn from "East of Aden". The decision was to pitch the coastal emirates, together with Qatar and Bahrain, into fevered negotiations to fill the political vacuum left by the British withdrawal.

The principle of union was first agreed upon between the ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and Sheikh Rashid of Dubai on 18 February 1968, at a meeting in an encampment at Argoub Al Sedirah, near Al Semeih, a desert stop between the two emirates. The two agreed to work towards bringing the other emirates, including Qatar and Bahrain, into the union. Over the next two years, negotiations and meetings of the rulers followed—often stormy—as a form of union was thrashed out. The nine-state union never recovered from the October 1969 meeting, when British intervention against aggressive actions by two of the Emirates prompted walkouts by Bahrain and Qatar. They dropped out of talks, leaving six of the seven "trucial" emirates to agree on a union on 18 July 1971.

On 2 December 1971, Dubai, together with Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Quwain, and Fujairah, joined in the Act of Union to form the United Arab Emirates. The seventh emirate, Ras Al Khaimah, joined the UAE on 10 February 1972, following Iran's annexation of the RAK-claimed Tunbs islands.

In 1973, Dubai, along with the other emirates, adopted a uniform currency: the UAE dirham. In that same year, the prior monetary union with Qatar was dissolved, and the UAE dirham was introduced throughout the Emirates.

Modern Dubai

Throughout the 1970s, Dubai experienced continued growth fuelled by oil and trade revenues, even as the city witnessed an influx of immigrants fleeing the Lebanese civil war. Border disputes between the emirates persisted even after the formation of the UAE; it was only in 1979 that a formal compromise was reached, putting an end to disagreements. In 1979, the establishment of the Jebel Ali port, a deep-water port accommodating larger ships, marked a significant development. Initially facing challenges, Sheikh Mohammed established JAFZA (Jebel Ali Free Zone) around the port in 1985, facilitating the unrestricted import of labour and the export of capital for foreign companies. Simultaneously, Dubai airport and the aviation industry continued their expansion.

The Gulf War in early 1991 had a negative financial impact on the city, as depositors and traders withdrew funds and halted trading. But Dubai rebounded in a changing political climate and prospered. In the late 1990s, various foreign trading communities—initially from Kuwait during the Gulf War and later from Bahrain amid the Shia unrest—relocated to Dubai. Dubai served as a refuelling base for allied forces at the Jebel Ali Free Zone during the Gulf War and again during the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. Subsequent significant increases in oil prices prompted Dubai to maintain its focus on free trade and tourism.

In the early 2000s, construction of artificial islands off Dubai's coast, known as the Palm Islands and The World Islands, began. The Burj Khalifa opened in Dubai in 2010, surpassing the Taipei 101 to become the tallest skyscraper in the world.

Dubai's smart city initiatives, including smart tourism, play a key role in advancing the city's growth ambitions, primarily through the Smart Dubai project. In 2016, the world's first functioning 3D-printed office building was opened in Dubai, having taken 17 days to build. Its architect, Killa Design, was the same architect that designed the Museum of the Future. The construction of Dubai Frame, a 150-meter marvel, commenced in 2014, and was completed in 2017.

During heightened tensions in the Middle East in the 2020s, Dubai's proximity to regional conflict zones led to frequent flight cancellations and heightened security concerns.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Dubai

See also: List of communities in Dubai

Dubai is located on the coast of the Persian Gulf in the United Arab Emirates. It sits near sea level and borders Abu Dhabi to the south, Sharjah to the northeast, and the Sultanate of Oman to the southeast. The city has expanded its land by taking area from the sea.

Dubai is in the Arabian Desert, but its landscape features sandy deserts, large sand dunes, and mountains. The city has no rivers but has a natural water inlet called Dubai Creek. Dubai’s desert area includes many types of plants and animals, such as desert foxes, falcons, and fish in the surrounding waters. The city lies on a route for many birds that travel between Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Climate

Main article: Climate of Dubai

Dubai has a very hot desert climate. Summers are extremely hot, with temperatures often reaching around 40 °C (104 °F). Winters are mild, with temperatures usually around 24 °C (75 °F). The city receives very little rain, but sometimes heavy rains can cause flooding.

Government

Dubai has been led by the Al Maktoum family since 1833. The city is ruled by one leader, known as an absolute monarchy. People in Dubai can help choose some representatives for a group that helps make laws for the whole United Arab Emirates.

The main leader of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, also holds important roles in the United Arab Emirates. There is a special group called the Dubai Municipality that takes care of the city's planning, services, and facilities. This group is part of the Government of Dubai, which has many departments working on safety, education, transportation, and more.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Dubai

Dubai is a busy city with lots of people. In 2019, about 3.3 million people lived there, and the number grows each year. Most people in Dubai are not from the United Arab Emirates—they are from other countries, called expatriates. Many come from places like India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

People in Dubai speak many different languages. Arabic is the main language, but you can also hear English, Urdu, Hindi, and many others. The city has people from many backgrounds and beliefs. Islam is the official religion, but there are also Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, and others living together peacefully. There are special areas where different religious groups can build places to worship and meet.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Dubai

Dubai has one of the world's fastest-growing economies. In 2021, its total value was over US$177 billion. While Dubai started with oil, oil now makes up less than 5% of its income. Dubai produces a small amount of oil and gas, but most of its wealth comes from other areas like real estate, trade, and financial services.

Dubai trades a lot with other countries. By 2014, China was its biggest trading partner, followed by India, the United States, and Saudi Arabia. Dubai has been an important trading place for a long time, with a big port and many businesses. It is also a center for technology and finance, with many big companies setting up offices there.

Dubai is famous for its gold trading and has many gold shops. It is also a major financial center, with stock markets and many international businesses. The city has many big projects, like new districts for designers and a large waste-to-energy facility. In 2024, Dubai signed an agreement to build a big food logistics hub.

Real estate and property

Dubai has built many tall buildings and big projects, like the Burj Khalifa, one of the tallest buildings in the world. The city's real estate market changed a lot over the years, with big drops in value during economic hard times. Despite these changes, real estate remains important to Dubai's economy.

Tourism and retail

Dubai is a top tourist spot, known for shopping, tall buildings, and fun attractions. It has many shopping centers, including the huge Dubai Mall, and traditional markets called souks. Dubai Creek, a waterway, has been important for the city's history and economy. The city also has many parks, beaches, and tourist spots.

Expo 2020

Dubai hosted Expo 2020, a big world fair, from October 2021 to March 2022. This event was moved to 2021 because of health concerns. Expo 2020 included pavilions from many countries and aimed to make Dubai a more welcoming place for everyone, including those with disabilities.

Architecture

See also: List of tallest buildings in Dubai and Developments in Dubai

Dubai has many interesting buildings and structures with different styles. You can find modern designs inspired by old Islamic styles here. Because of lots of building work, Dubai has some of the tallest buildings in the world. The most famous is the Burj Khalifa, finished in 2010. It is the tallest building in the world, and its design is based on a flower from the Dubai area.

The Burj Khalifa opened in January 2010. It was built by many companies from around the world. The building is named after a leader of the United Arab Emirates.

Dubai also has special places like the Palm Jumeirah, which is an island made from sand, and the Dubai Miracle Garden, which is the largest flower garden in the world.

In January 2024, Dubai announced plans for the Aeternitas Tower, which will be the world's tallest residential clock tower.

Dubai Marina is an area built along the coast with canals, inspired by a place in Canada.

Burj Al Arab

Main article: Burj Al Arab

The Burj Al Arab is a very fancy hotel that some people call a "7-star" hotel, though the hotel itself does not use that term. It opened in December 1999.

Burj Khalifa

Main article: Burj Khalifa

Palm Jumeirah

Main article: Palm Jumeirah

The World Islands

Main article: The World (archipelago)

Dubai Miracle Garden

Aeternitas Tower

Dubai Marina

Address Beach Resort and Address Beach Residences

Transportation

Main article: Transportation in Dubai

Transport in Dubai is managed by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), a government agency created in 2005. The city has worked hard to improve its public transport, spending lots of money to make buses, trains, and roads better for everyone.

Road

See also: List of roads in Dubai, Dubai route numbering system, and List of bridges and tunnels in Dubai

Five big roads — E 11 (Sheikh Zayed Road), E 311 (Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road), E 44 (Dubai-Hatta Highway), E 77 (Dubai-Al Habab Road), and E 66 (Oud Metha Road, Dubai-Al Ain Road, or Tahnoun Bin Mohammad Al Nahyan Road) — help people travel around Dubai and to nearby places. There are also smaller roads connecting different parts of the city. The RTA runs the city’s bus system, which had many routes and carried lots of people. Plans were made to add more buses and bus stops to make it easier for people to use public transport.

Taxis in Dubai are easy to spot because of their special colors. There are different companies, each with a different colored roof. Some taxis are just for women and families.

Air

Dubai International Airport (IATA: DXB) is a very busy airport, used by millions of people every year. It’s where the airline Emirates is based. The airport handles lots of passengers and cargo. Work is also happening on a new airport called Al Maktoum International Airport (IATA: DWC), which will be one of the biggest airports in the world when it’s finished.

Rail

The Dubai Metro has two lines — Red and Green — that go through many parts of the city. It started in 2009 and has many stations. There’s also a special train on Palm Jumeirah and a tram that runs along a road with stops near big places. Dubai plans to build more train lines in the future.

Waterways

Dubai has two big ports, Port Rashid and Port Jebel Ali, which are very important for trade. A fun way to travel across the city is by small boats called abras, which go across the Dubai Creek. There are also bigger water buses and water taxis that help people get around the city by water. Dubai’s ports are also busy places where lots of ships stop to load and unload goods.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Dubai

Further information: Culture of the United Arab Emirates

Dubai's culture is shaped by traditional Arab and Islamic influences. These traditions affect architecture, music, clothing, food, and daily life. Muslims in Dubai gather for prayer five times a day from the minarets of mosques. Important holidays include Eid al-Fitr, which ends Ramadan, and National Day on December 2, celebrating the formation of the United Arab Emirates.

Dubai's culture changed when people from other countries moved there, starting with Iranians in the early 1900s and later Indians and Pakistanis in the 1960s. Today, most people in Dubai were born in another country, with many coming from India.

The weekend in Dubai used to be Thursday and Friday, but it changed to Friday and Saturday before becoming Friday afternoon, Saturday, and Sunday in 2022.

Dubai's culture has become more about luxury and fun activities, especially tourism. The city is famous for its nightlife, with clubs and bars found mostly in hotels. Big shopping malls and traditional markets called souks draw visitors from all over.

Cuisine

See also: Emirati cuisine

Arabic food is very popular in Dubai, found everywhere from small shawarma places to fancy hotel restaurants. Fast food, South Asian, and Chinese foods are also common. Rules about eating pork and drinking alcohol apply, but special permits allow hotels to serve these to certain guests. Popular drinks in Dubai include shisha and qahwa. Biryani is another favorite dish.

The Dubai Food Festival happens twice a year, showing foods from over 200 countries.

Entertainment

See also: Music of the United Arab Emirates

Dubai Opera, opened in 2016, is a big place for shows, concerts, and events. Dubai also has film festivals and music events. The city has a growing scene for contemporary art, with galleries and art fairs helping artists show their work. The Theatre of Digital Art opened in 2020, offering immersive digital art experiences.

Media

See also: List of media outlets in Dubai Media City, Radio and television channels of Dubai, and Studio 52

Many international news agencies have offices in Dubai, along with local TV channels in English and Arabic. Dubai has big newspapers in both Arabic and English. The government controls some internet content to match the country's values.

Sports

Main article: List of sports venues in Dubai

See also: Traditional sports in the United Arab Emirates

Football and cricket are very popular in Dubai. The city has football teams and hosts big tennis, golf, and horse racing events. Dubai also holds rugby tournaments and auto racing events. In 2025, Dubai created a plan called "Dubai Sports Strategy 2033" to grow sports activities and make Dubai a top sports destination.

Dress code

People in Dubai often wear traditional clothes. Women usually wear an abaya, a long black robe, and a hijab, a headscarf. Some also wear a niqab, which covers the face except for the eyes. Men wear a kandurah, a long white robe, and a ghotrah, a headscarf tied with an egal. Many people also wear Western-style clothes. Dubai has rules about modest clothing in public places.

Education

Main article: Education in Dubai

See also: List of universities and colleges in Dubai

Dubai’s schools follow the United Arab Emirates’ system. There are 79 public schools for Emiratis and some Arab families, and 207 private schools. Public schools teach mainly in Arabic, with English as a second language. Most private schools use English for teaching. Some schools offer different language programs, like English and French together.

Many schools in Dubai provide international education programs for students aged 3 to 19. Some also offer career-related courses that can lead to vocational qualifications. There are many schools based on the UK system, but even more students attend schools using the Indian curriculum, which are usually larger and more affordable. Dubai also has schools that follow the US curriculum. The city has a strong education regulator that rates schools and works on improving them.

Dubai has several large universities offering courses in subjects like business, information technology, and engineering. Most of these universities are located in special educational areas, but one university is located outside these zones.

Healthcare

See also: Dubai Camel Hospital

Dubai has two types of healthcare: public and private. Public hospitals started in the late 1950s and have grown with health programs. Today, Dubai has 28 hospitals — 6 public and 22 private, with three big new ones coming by 2025.

By 2012, there were over 1,300 medical clinics, most of them private. In 2015, Dubai made health insurance required for everyone, which led to more people needing medical care.

Dubai Hospital is a public hospital and part of the Dubai Department of Health and Medical Services. Plans to build it were made in 1977, but it only started seeing patients in March 1983. The hospital has 14 floors, with the bottom two for emergencies and visits, and the top ten for patients staying longer.

Notable people

Main article: List of people from Dubai

Dubai has been home to many famous people from around the world. Because the city has many people from different countries, it is a special place where many cultures meet. Some well-known individuals were born there or have lived there for a while, making Dubai an important city in the world.

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in UAE

Dubai is twinned with:

• Amman, Jordan
• Beirut, Lebanon
• Busan, South Korea (2006)
• Cape Town, South Africa
• Casablanca, Morocco
• Kish Island, Iran
• Damascus, Syria
• Dundee, Scotland, UK (2004)
• Detroit, USA (2003)
• Frankfurt, Germany (2005)
• Gaza City, Palestine
• Gold Coast, Australia (2001)
• Guangzhou, China
• Istanbul, Turkey (1997)
• Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2010)
• Moscow, Russia
• Mumbai, India
• Osaka Prefecture, Japan (2002)
• Pyongyang, North Korea
• San Juan, Puerto Rico
• San Salvador, El Salvador
• Shanghai, China