Dubai

Where Is Dubai Located?

Dubai is a city and an emirate on the Persian Gulf coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in the south-east of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits between Abu Dhabi to the south-west and Sharjah to the north-east, and its Hatta exclave touches the border with Oman.

Last checked: November 2026

This Dubai travel guide covers the place, its history, its culture and its food. The emirate covers about 4,100 square kilometres, mostly flat desert and coastline. Dubai Creek, a saltwater inlet, cuts into the city and separates the older districts of Deira and Bur Dubai. Artificial islands such as Palm Jumeirah reach into the Gulf, and the Hajar Mountains rise in the east near Hatta.

The UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, is about 140 kilometres away by road. Dubai uses Gulf Standard Time (UTC+4) all year, because the UAE does not change its clocks. Airport details are on the flights to Dubai page, and the getting around Dubai guide explains how to cover the distances between districts.

Dubai Travel Guide: What the City Is Known For

Dubai is known for record-setting architecture, large shopping malls, Gulf beaches and an air and trade hub that links Europe, Asia and Africa. About 4.8 million people live in the emirate as of September 2026, and Emirati citizens are a minority of them.

The population figure refers to the Dubai emirate, not the whole country, and comes from the Dubai Data and Statistics Establishment. The UAE as a whole has more than 10 million residents. Dubai is not the national capital: that role belongs to Abu Dhabi, a common point of confusion.

Arabic is the official language, and English is widely used in hotels, shops and offices. The currency is the UAE dirham (AED), pegged to the US dollar at 3.6725 dirhams per dollar. The UAE is a federation of seven emirates, and the Al Maktoum family rules Dubai.

Dubai’s economy relies on trade, aviation, finance and tourism, and oil now supplies only a small share of its income. The emirate reported 19.6 million international visitors in 2025, before regional conflict disrupted travel in 2026. The Visit Dubai site, run by the emirate’s tourism authority, lists current attractions. Entry rules depend on nationality, so start with the Dubai visa guide, then match the days you have to a ready-made route in the Dubai itineraries.

A Short History of Dubai

Dubai grew from a small fishing and pearling settlement on a creek into a global trade hub. Records mention the area in 1095, the Al Bu Falasah group settled at the Creek in 1833, and the UAE formed in 1971 with Dubai as a founding member.

Early Settlement and First Records

Finds at Saruq Al Hadid, in the desert south of the city, show metalworking in the area more than 3,000 years ago. The Andalusian geographer Abu Abdullah al-Bakri mentioned Dubai in his Book of Geography in 1095, and the Venetian pearl merchant Gasparo Balbi recorded the town around 1580.

The Al Maktoum Era and the Pearl Trade

In 1833, about 800 members of the Al Bu Falasah, a branch of the Bani Yas tribe, settled at the Creek under the Al Maktoum family. Britain signed an exclusive agreement with the local rulers in 1892. In 1901 Sheikh Maktoum bin Hashar declared Dubai a free port with no taxes on foreign traders, which drew merchants from Persia and India. Pearling dominated the economy until the 1930s, when cultured pearls and the global crash cut demand.

Oil, Ports and the Union

Dubai International Airport opened in 1960. Oil was found offshore in 1966 and exports began in 1969, which funded roads, schools and Port Rashid. On 2 December 1971 Dubai joined Abu Dhabi and four other emirates to form the UAE, and Ras Al Khaimah joined in 1972. Jebel Ali Port opened in 1979, and the Jebel Ali Free Zone and Emirates airline both date from 1985.

Modern Dubai

The Burj Al Arab hotel opened in 1999, the Dubai Metro began running in 2009, and Burj Khalifa opened on 4 January 2010 at 828 metres. Dubai hosted Expo 2020 from October 2021 to March 2022. Hostilities between the United States and Iran from 28 February 2026 brought missile and drone attacks across the Gulf, and Dubai International Airport closed temporarily in March. Airlines have returned in stages since then, and British Airways resumed Heathrow flights on 3 November 2026. Surviving old districts such as Al Fahidi appear in the guide to the best places to visit in Dubai.

Culture in Dubai: Language, Religion, Festivals and Etiquette

Dubai’s culture combines Emirati and wider Gulf Arab traditions with the customs of a population that is mostly foreign-born. Arabic and Islam shape public life, while people from more than 200 nationalities keep their own languages, food and festivals.

The Dubai Culture and Arts Authority runs heritage sites and cultural programmes across the emirate.

Language

Arabic is the official language. English works in hotels, shops, restaurants and on road signs, and Hindi, Urdu, Malayalam, Tagalog and Persian are common in daily life. A few words help: marhaba means hello, shukran means thank you and yalla means let’s go.

Religion

Islam is the state religion, and the call to prayer sounds five times a day from mosques. Churches, Hindu temples and a Sikh gurdwara serve other communities. Non-Muslim visitors can join guided visits to Jumeirah Mosque run by the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding, and current days and rules are on its official site.

Festivals and Holidays

Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, starts about 10 or 11 days earlier each year, and Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha follow the lunar calendar. National Day falls on 2 December. Global Village, a seasonal park of national pavilions, runs from 14 October 2026 to May 2027. The best time to visit Dubai guide shows how these dates affect a trip.

Etiquette

Dress modestly in malls, government buildings and older districts. Covering shoulders and knees is a safe rule, and swimwear belongs at beaches and pools. Public displays of affection can cause offence. Ask before photographing people, especially women, and avoid photographing government or military sites. Use the right hand for greetings and eating. During Ramadan, avoid eating, drinking or smoking openly in daylight. Alcohol is served in licensed venues, mostly in hotels, and drinking in public is not allowed.

Emirati men often wear the white kandura with a ghutra headcloth, and women commonly wear a black abaya with a shayla scarf. Visitors are not expected to wear either. Since 2022 the UAE federal government has used a Saturday and Sunday weekend, and many other employers followed.

Music and Arts

Al Ayyala, a cane dance performed by lines of men to drums and poetry, is listed by UNESCO as intangible heritage of the UAE and Oman. Nabati poetry and falconry belong to the same oral tradition. Dubai Opera in Downtown stages international and regional performances, and Alserkal Avenue in Al Quoz hosts galleries in converted warehouses.

Food in Dubai: Emirati Dishes, Street Food and Drinks

Emirati food centres on rice, fish, lamb, chicken, dates and spices such as saffron, cardamom and dried lime. Dubai also serves Lebanese, Indian, Pakistani, Iranian, Filipino and many other cuisines, so a single day can include dishes from several countries.

Staples and Regional Differences

Rice, flatbread (khubz), Gulf fish, lamb, goat and dates form the base. Saffron, cardamom, turmeric and loomi, a dried lime, flavour stews and rice. Coastal kitchens lean on fish, while inland and mountain areas such as Al Ain and Hatta use more lamb, goat and dates.

Signature Dishes

• Machboos: spiced rice cooked with chicken, lamb or fish.
• Harees: wheat and meat slow-cooked into a smooth porridge, often served in Ramadan.
• Thareed: a stew of meat and vegetables poured over thin bread.
• Madrouba: a thick, spiced porridge of rice with chicken or fish.
• Salona: a tomato-based stew of meat or fish with vegetables, served with rice.
• Balaleet: sweet vermicelli with saffron and cardamom, topped with an omelette.
• Grilled hammour: local grouper, grilled or served over rice.
• Samboosa: fried or baked pastry triangles filled with meat, cheese or vegetables.
• Luqaimat: fried dough balls served with date syrup.
• Shawarma: spit-roasted meat in flatbread, borrowed from Levantine cooking.

Street Food

Small cafes in Deira, Al Karama and Satwa serve shawarma, falafel, manakish flatbreads and samboosa at counters and takeaway windows. These areas also sit near budget hotels, and the guide on where to stay in Dubai shows which areas suit which trips.

Drinks

Gahwa, Arabic coffee, is light and flavoured with cardamom, and it is poured in small cups with dates. Karak chai is strong tea boiled with milk and spices. Laban is a salted yogurt drink, and jallab is a sweet drink of dates, grape molasses and rose water. Licensed hotels and restaurants serve alcohol.

Desserts

Kunafa is shredded pastry filled with cheese and soaked in syrup. Umm Ali is a warm bread pudding with nuts, and chebab is a thin griddle pancake served with date syrup.