Dubai.
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Overview

Dubai (Arabic: دبي‎‎ Dubayy) is a cosmopolitan metropolis and global city on the Arabian Peninsula. The city is one of the ten most popular tourist destinations in the world. The city is also considered one of the most modern and progressive cities in the Middle East – certainly in the Arab world – and is also sometimes nicknamed as "City of Gold" due to historically being a hub for gold trade as well as the rapid transformation from a desert into a luxurious city.

Dubai is characterized by a vast landscape of desert which transforms into a futuristic style of skyscrapers along the coastline. The city offers both insights into the old merchant and pearl diving history of the Arabs in Deira and Bur Dubai and the new modern skyscraper business and bustling life in Jumeirah and Jebel Ali. Dubai is sometimes mistakenly thought of as a country, but it is actually one of the emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates. It is the financial centre of the United Arab Emirates.

Dubai is also considered a commercial and cultural hub of the Middle East, it's a global transport hub, and has attracted world attention through many large innovative construction projects and sports events. The city is symbolised by its skyscrapers, including the world's tallest building, Burj Khalifa, in addition to ambitious development projects including man-made islands, world-class luxury hotels, and some of the largest and extraordinarily modern shopping malls in the world.

Districts

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Understand

History Dubai began as a small fishing village on the coast of the eastern Arabian Peninsula. At the beginning, the town made its income as a small pearl diving town. However, as expanding trade boomed across the gulf, it became a trading hub between Iran and India and gained a lot of notoriety for its imported goods from the East. In fact, the currency of Dubai used to be the Indian rupee historically.

Dubai was also used as a smuggling town to smuggle gold from Africa and elsewhere and import it to India, this made Dubai a well-known point in the map for various traders. When oil companies looked for oil around the Trucial States, Dubai was shown to not have any significant oil reserves compared to Abu Dhabi. Sheikh Rashid Al Maktoum, then the leader and Sheikh of Dubai, continued on the booming expansion of trade in Dubai instead of relying on any oil income. He welcomed Indian traders, Iranian traders, and even Western officials and travelers to his hometown.

The open policy of commerce and tolerance of foreigners made Dubai a willing destination for any non-Arab or non-Muslim, in stark contrast to other cities in the Arabian Peninsula, which viewed non-Muslims with suspicion. Sheikh Rashid's son, Sheikh Mohammed, had a vision of establishing Dubai as a Middle Eastern tourist destination. In his memoir, when he met with other GCC heads of state after the British withdrawal from the Gulf and proposed on making Dubai a tourist destination, the rest of the Sheikhs laughed at him. They told him nobody would like to come and visit a barren desert. Nevertheless, Sheikh Mohammed made the effort to hire experts and change the entire infrastructure of the city to welcome tourists, established free-zones with no taxes, invested in major tourism projects and opened the city for everyone regardless of race or religion. Multiple Western companies and institutions, wanting to expand their influence in the Middle East, welcomed Dubai's tax-free open-arm invitation. Dubai was seen as the only city in the Arabian Peninsula that would allow non-Muslims to live, drink, and enjoy their lives by their own laws and Western or non-Islamic standards, though it is now rivalled by nearby Doha and Abu Dhabi in this regard.

The city of Dubai is situated on a coastal strip bordered by desert and gets very hot in the summer. It is dry on the hottest days and humid during the cooler days in the summer. Cooler, more pleasant weather lasts from the end of September to the beginning of May (although pleasant is relative, with daily temperatures from October to January and March to May still being , but be prepared for cold night temperatures. In winter the temperature at night is usually from . From May to September, the sun is intense and in August temperatures can touch in the city and even higher in the desert. The heat, coupled with a humidity of 60%–70% near the coast, effectively precludes most activity outdoors for the daylight hours during summer. Summer and winter are effectively the only two noticeable seasons the city experiences.

December to April generally produces the highest precipitation, though little of it, at total per year. Some years yield no more than a few minutes of shower. Rain is celebrated in the UAE and most people take days off and some schools give rain days off to enjoy the little amount of precipitation the city experiences.

Talk Arabic is the official language, but as foreigners outnumber Emiratis by almost 4 to 1 in Dubai, English serves as the lingua franca. All signs are bilingual in Arabic and English and speaking Urdu, Hindi, Malayalam or Tagalog will get you further than Arabic given that most retail and service staff are expatriates from Pakistan, India, and the Philippines.

Visitor information Visit Dubai website

Get in

See the Get in section for the United Arab Emirates for visa and customs regulations.

By plane Dubai is a five-hour flight from Europe and three hours from most parts of the Middle East, the Near East, and the Indian subcontinent.

Dubai's main airport is the Dubai International Airport . Its eventual replacement, Al Maktoum International Airport , is open to passenger flights and serves several destinations. You can also enter Dubai by using Sharjah International Airport in the neighboring emirate of Sharjah.

By car Dubai's only international road border is with Oman at Al Wajajah. Expatriate residents of Oman will require an official permit to exit Oman by road. Visitors do not require a permit. There is a charge per vehicle to exit Oman and, if returning, retain the charge receipt as it will be required to re-enter. Ensure that insurance is valid for the UAE (preferably before commencing the journey).

There are also road borders between the neighbouring Emirate of Abu Dhabi and Oman at the Al Burami Oasis which divides the sister cities of Al Ain and Al Burami, Oman.

Dubai is a very car-oriented city and most visitors will choose to take taxis instead of the public transportation system. You can easily find them in the taxi queue or you just simply wave at one on the road, but this could be just difficult during rush hours. Also, some of them even refuse short rides in jammed areas.

Signage is terrible in Dubai, and taxis often get lost. The best thing to do is navigate from well-known landmarks, such as hotels. GPS devices are often outdated. Street and road names can be very confusing, because the different transliterations from Arabic, you will notice that the slight variance in the spelling is very important.

Some agencies also offer a car hire service with drivers, an option much more comfortable for visitors, especially if the driver speaks English and knows the way around the city better than most taxi drivers.

Some of the best car rental companies are: Careem Car Services, which offers an easy booking system with a real-time tracking app and, if you need it, you can hire a car with a child seat.

By bus The Government of Dubai operates a network of buses linking Dubai city with the capitals of the other six emirates of the UAE. These bus lines start with an "E" and the timetables are integrated into Google Maps.

From Abu Dhabi: Buses operate frequently from Abu Dhabi's main bus station to Dubai's Al Ghubaibah or Ibn Battuta bus station. From Sharjah: Frequent buses run between Dubai and Sharjah. There are several different routes and buses go to various bus stations in Dubai. From Al Ain: Buses operate every hour to Dubai's Al Ghubaibah bus station. From Fujairah: The bus from Fujairah takes about 2 hours and arrives at the e& (etisalat) Metro station. The timetables of this bus line E700 are not integrated into Google Maps. Instead check the RTA Wojhati Journey Planner. From Ras Al-Khaimah : Buses go every 30 min from the "RAK Bus Station" to Dubai Union metro station. Timetables can not be seen in Google Maps, but in the Sayer app of Ras Al Khaimah. On the start page of the app you need to swipe to the right and then touch on "Bus routes". In the app you can also purchase the bus ticket.

From Muscat and Sohar in Oman, Al Alkhanjry operates three departures every day. Tickets can be booked through their website. It’s 90 dirham (Jan 2026) from Muscat to Dubai.

For bus travel from Saudi Arabia, SAPTCO offers daily bus services from cities such as Dammam and Riyadh.

By boat Dubai is a trading hub for dhows from around the Indian Ocean. Travellers wanting to arrive in the city this way will probably need to make their own arrangements with the captain of the vessel. Most of the dhows sail to Iran; some also head to Yemen and Somalia. Emulating Michael Palin and heading to India on a dhow is difficult-to-impossible.

Dubai has an international cruise terminal at Port Rashid. During wintertime, Costa Cruises has bases at least two of its cruise ships (Costa Luminosa & Costa Fortuna) in Dubai.

Valfajr Shipping Company runs a boat service that leaves Bandar Lengeh and Bandar Abbas in Iran supposedly every second day and docks in Port Rashid in Dubai, returning the following day. Crossing the Persian Gulf takes roughly 6 hours. The ticket includes Iranian-style lunch.

Get around

Dubai's public transport system is one of the best in the Middle East, especially after the launch of the metro, but most visitors end up taking taxis quite often. Using the public transport is a viable option during the winter months, as long as you avoid the rush hour on the red metro line. In the summer, due to the intense heat, taking a taxi is more practical, even if it's just to get to the nearest metro station.

The timetables of the public transport are integrated into Google Maps. In the app, the routes of the metro and tram can be displayed permanently as a map layer.

There are different types of transportation cards. In most cases the NOL Silver Card stored-value card is the right option for you. The silver (and gold) card can also be topped up using the app called nol Pay together with an NFC capable smartphone and a credit card.

The red ticket can only be recharged at metro stations and bigger bus stations, so have that in mind if you want to start your journey from a small local bus stop. The one-day pass, valid for unlimited rides on the metro, tram and buses, can only be bought with a red ticket.

All mentioned transportation cards are available at metro stations, major bus stations and at both Dubai airports. Tap out at the end of your trip in buses - even with a day pass.

Dubai Metro has two lines which are open as of 2025:

The Red Line is long and opened in September 2009. It's the second metro in the Arab world after Cairo. While the line does not serve the old city centre, it's handy for zipping along Dubai's long coastline and includes stops at the airport, Burj Khalifa and the Mall of the Emirates. The track 2020 expo - an extension of the Red Line - was completed in 2020.

The Green Line, which burrows through the city core, opened in September 2011. You can transfer between the two lines at Union Square and Khalid Bin Al Waleed (BurJuman).

There is a third metro line called the Blue line under construction with a planned opening date in 2029.

In a metro station tickets can be purchased in automated machines, ticket offices or at the gate information clerk. Cash and payment cards are accepted (Visa and MasterCard). Trains run every 3–5 minutes from 05:50 to midnight every day except Thursday and Friday, when services are extended to 05:50–01:00 limited to 13:00–23:59, respectively. All stations are air-conditioned and there's a large network of feeder buses. If you plan to travel late in the evening, check station working hours as the last train may depart earlier than the official system operating hours.

Be aware that the red line between Union Station in Deira and Dubai Marina is used by many passengers, so you most likely need to stand during your ride. Try to avoid the rush hour from 7–9AM and from 5–7PM in which also the Gold Class is also packed.

Many metro stations are named by a company for a couple of years. So if you were staying in Dubai before, the names of some metro stations are possibly now different.

By monorail A monorail system shuttles passengers across the Palm Jumeirah to the Atlantis hotel. It connects with the Dubai Tram. This is not a part of the rest of Transport, and therefore, you will need to buy a separate ticket (15 dirham one-way and 25 dirham return).

The latest of Dubai's modern transportation system is the Dubai Tram, which opened on November 12, 2014. It provides commuters with a comfortable transit service around the prime business and leisure districts of Dubai. The Dubai Tram operates for 19 hours daily running for 14.5 km along Al Sufouh Road. It passes around the vibrant Dubai Marina where passengers are treated to breathtaking sights of towering skyscrapers and luxury yachts, and then travels down Jumeirah passing by the iconic Burj Al Arab.

The Dubai Tram connects with the Dubai Metro at the Jumeirah Lakes Towers and DAMAC stations, and links with the monorail of Palm Jumeirah. Outside of Europe, the Dubai Tram is the first tram system that uses the state-of-the-art ground-level power supply cable system which eliminates the unsightly and overhead cables.

By bus Dubai Public transport is a cheaper means of travelling within the several districts of Dubai. Public buses are clean and cheap. The bus system is useful in combination with the metro and otherwise for rather short distances, because also the city buses are affected by the common traffic jams. Many small bus stops feature air-conditioned bus shelters.

Cards can be purchased from most bus stations, metro stations, and sometimes from the bus driver. Clear route maps and timetables are placed inside the bus stands. Ramadan timings differ. The front seats are reserved for women.

A useful service for the casual tourist is Line 8, which starts at the Gold Souq, takes the tunnel under the Creek to Heritage Village, and then sets off down Jumeirah Rd (just behind the beach) and all its hotels and malls, up to Burj al-Arab and Wild Wadi. It terminates at Ibn Battuta metro station.

The bus lines starting with a "E" are only destined for rides between Dubai and another city. They are not supposed to be used inside of Dubai even though a line stops multiple times in the city.

By taxi Taxis ply the streets of Dubai and are relatively easy to spot with their cream bodies and coloured roofs. The easiest place to find them is at the taxi queue at one of the malls or outside a hotel. Taxis can also be booked via the apps of Careem, Uber, Bolt and TaxiF. The app S'hail seems to offer the lowest prices, but the app does not offer a taxi ride, if you select a public transport stop in the search results as destination. It's best to select your destination on the map inside of that app.

Waving down a taxi on the road is possible, but can be difficult during rush hours. If you accept an off-meter quote, ensure that the driver clearly says 'Dirhams' as occasionally the word metamorphoses into 'Dollars' when you reach your destination. Also, the drivers of Dubai Taxi Corporation go through their shift change between 16:00-18:00 daily and it can be more difficult to find taxis during this time. The standard of driving in Dubai ranges from poor to wild - taxis are some of the worst on the roads.

Taxis are metered at 2.19 dirham/km day and night, so no haggling is necessary. Street pickups attract a standing charge of 5 dirham during the day and 5.50 dirham at night (22:00-06:00). From the airport, there is a standing charge of 25 dirham; there is a surcharge for going to Sharjah. Taxis are exempt from the Salik road toll charges.

One way to spot whether a taxi is official or not is to look for a meter: no meter, don't get in.

If you can't find one otherwise, you can attempt to call Dubai Taxi on 04-2080808 (each franchise has its own booking number but one central system), there's a surcharge to book. The booking system was notorious for its unreliability but with a significantly increased taxi fleet, many taxis now deliberately wait in unofficial holding areas waiting for bookings. As a result, on a good day it can be possible to book a taxi and have it arrive within less than five minutes. If you absolutely have to get somewhere at a certain time (say, the airport or a meeting), it's still best to book a hotel taxi in advance, and get their estimate of how bad the traffic will be.

Women should travel in the back of the taxi as some drivers see it as a sexual invitation if you get in the front.

Taxi drivers are usually friendly, but may have a different ideas on hygiene.

An International Driving Permit is not necessarily required, but hire companies may not rent a car without one.

Some agencies will hire out cars complete with drivers. Visitors taking advantage of this option will need to make certain that their driver knows his way around as many do not.

When driving on the main roads, such as Sheikh Zayed Road, the junction numbers are not in logical order. Junction 13 is just after Junction 18 and is rarely shown on the maps. Road names can also be very confusing with slight differences in spelling (due to different transliterations from Arabic) being very important. The construction work that is taking place throughout and around Dubai can make finding your destination a challenge. Temporary road layouts change with alarming regularity and temporary signs can be misleading or non-existent. As GPS maps are not up to date (and usually not anyway available to rent with hire cars), you will be very well off with a printed map (you can get an excellent one in Virgin stores, for example. There is a Virgin Megastore on the top floor of City Center).

Driving during morning and afternoon peak hours is not recommended, as traffic slows to a standstill and even a simple trip across a bridge can take up to 45 minutes. There is also a scarcity of parking spaces in many parts of the city.

With such a mixture of nationalities residing in the city, driving styles are mixed, to say the least. Both dangerous and experienced driving will be witnessed or experienced frequently. There is zero tolerance for alcohol and driving with stiff penalties meted out including jail and deportation.

See Salik for information about tolls on certain routes in Dubai. If you rent a car, usually a Salik tag will be provided by the car hire company and you will be charged separately when returning the car.

An easy way of crossing Dubai Creek is by abra, a small ferry. Abra stations are located along the Creek on both the Bur Dubai and Deira sides, and the system of filling the boats is remarkably efficient. The cross-river trip is payable to the driver after the boat has left the station, and affords a very picturesque view of the city. Abras set off very regularly, and the service is available round-the-clock.

Air-conditioned water buses are a way to avoid the abra crowd and the heat. They are part of the public transport system, so a Red Nol ticket or a Nol card is required. Tickets can be purchased at the water bus station. The water bus also features a 'tourist route' round trip – while it is convenient, it can get quite expensive.

The Creek is also the home of many boats offering more comfortable (and correspondingly more expensive) tours, often in boats designed to resemble dhows. Prices tend to be higher, particularly for dinner cruises with on-board entertainment.

By bicycle While not at all a bicycle-friendly city, there is a growing network of cycle lanes. Careem offers a bike sharing system with stations in Dubai Marina, Jumeirah Beach, downtown, Palm Jumeirah, Deira and a number of other districts.

Private bus rental services are also commonly used for city tours, hotel transfers, airport pickups and transport to events or attractions across the emirate. Several companies operate in this sector, including AAli Bus Rental Dubai], Al Nmr Al Abyad Tourism and Melody Bus Rental. International travel and rental platforms such as Hertz and Kayak may also list bus or coach hire options. Vehicles range from small 10– 15-seat minibuses to large air-conditioned coaches designed for longer trips within Dubai or to nearby emirates.

See

Dubai is a mixture of old and new, traditional and modern. From old traditional souks and historical buildings (now being preserved for cultural reasons or already part of the national heritage) to modern Dubai's overwhelming shopping malls, incredible artificial islands and giant modern skyscrapers that include the world's tallest building, Dubai is a world in itself and offers plenty of wonderful attractions.

The city has numerous museums and historical buildings, but Dubai Museum is a must see for a first-time traveller to the Emirates. It provides a glimpse of the old life of Dubai, its people and their culture and heritage. A number of other museums are located in nearby Sharjah.

Dubai has a justified reputation as a concrete jungle, but there are nice pockets of greenery within the city, such as Safa Park. The city parks are modern and very well-maintained, with the most popular located in Jumeirah.

Do

Abra ride. A boat ride is best done at night in the cool weather and to enjoy the city lights. This is quite a popular activity at sunset on a clear day, particularly if the driver is able to enliven the tour with stories about the structures on either side of the Creek. Just make sure that the purpose of one's abra hire is made clear at the outset, otherwise, you will be in for a very expensive cross-river trip or a crowded private tour. Beaches and sea. There are endless water sports opportunities as Dubai has some of the whitest and sandiest beaches in the world. Ocean temperatures range from in winter up to in summer, there are few wave breaks and the strong winds can make swimming difficult. The water is also very salty so many prefer to use their hotel swimming pool. Diving activities have been severely affected by offshore construction work for the Palms and The World; consequently, long boat trips are necessary to reach wreck sites. Alternatively, one can make the 90-minute road journey to the East coast Emirate of Fujairah or the Sharjah enclave, Khor Fakkan, for top-class diving on coral reefs supporting extensive marine life. Camel race track. One of the more unusual attractions, with races being held on Thursday and Friday in the winter. You can watch the races, and you'll have the opportunity to visit the paddocks. Vendors sell everything from beads to rugs and blankets, so you can purchase souvenirs. Horse racing has a long tradition in the Arab world, and Dubai's Meydan Racecourse is one of the most famous horse racing venues in the world, holding races for both Thoroughbred and purebred Arabian horses. Gambling is illegal, so there are no on-site betting facilities, but the grandstand is a marvel of modern architecture, and particularly spectacular when lit up at night. Desert safari or dune bashing. Head out to the desert in an SUV with specialist desert drivers. The drivers will take you for a thrilling roller-coaster ride over sand dunes, show you the sunset from a strategic vantage point and then take you to a traditional Arabic Bedouin campsite where you'll be offered lavish barbecue buffet dinner with music and belly dance to complete the atmosphere. The duration of the tour is usually around five hours. You may want to stay clear of the dune bashing if you get carsick easily. A desert safari is one of the best things to do while in Dubai. Another option would be renting/buying a 4x4 and joining the many growing 4x4 clubs in the UAE, but only if you're an extremely experienced driver and hold an international driving license. Neighboring cities including Abu Dhabi also have their own, such as AD4x4. For all of the Dubai-based clubs, membership is free of charge and they conduct trips for beginners into the desert on a regular basis. Natural outdoors. Although at first glance the outdoors may seem dull and uninteresting, and even dangerous due to the desert conditions, there are actually amazing natural destinations in the Emirate of Dubai, which extends into Hatta. There are pristine waterfalls, cliffs lined with fossils, and even freshwater lakes. Yacht charter is an easy way to explore the man-made Palm Islands and coastal skyscrapers. Fleets are available for hire from Dubai Marina from many of the yacht charter agencies. Dubai Creek cruise. Dubai Creek is the foundation from which Dubai grew. It was built as a port for trading vessels plying to and from India, Africa and the Middle East. A bit of the old shipping culture remains. In and around the Creek one can see some of the original buildings that have served as customs houses and defence structures. You can book a ride (usually four hours) on the Dubai Marina cruise or rent a private boat to take you on an hour-long ride up and down the Creek. Burj Khalifa: Visit the tallest building in the world with the magnificent centrepiece of Dubai, Burj Khalifa is surrounded by hotels, must-visit shopping destinations and a world of entertainment options. Golf. It may be a desert, but a lot of money and water is spent on irrigating opulent golf courses. Alternatively, for a more local flavour, try sand golf. The Dubai International Film Festival is the city's not-for-profit cultural event. As a major festival for Arab cinema, it showcases a selection of films from the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

Work

While Dubai tries to promote itself as the business and entertainment capital of the world, the government has a complex and at times frustrating work permit procedure that the inexperienced should not attempt on their own. It is best to go through official channels when looking for work in Dubai as spot inspections are frequent and if found working illegally, both the employee and the employer will be subject to fines and even deportation.

All the necessary forms and documents are written and processed in Arabic and is best left to a professional intermediary agency. These go by the name of "Government liaison officer" / "Public relations officer" (nothing like a PR in the general context) and offer so-called "PRO services".

Despite all of this, there are a few upsides, Dubai companies are generous with holidays averaging almost 39 paid vacation days a year (including public holidays), a round trip ticket home once a year (depending on your contract) and the UAE government does not impose income taxes on foreign workers.

Recruitment fraud is quite pervasive in this part of the world. Read your employment contract carefully before signing and do not pay any fees to recruitment agencies, as they are usually paid by the companies. Your passport is your personal property and cannot be withheld by the employer unless you are in a position of trust or are handling large sums of money.

Dubai-based companies have been accused by numerous organizations of effectively enslaving poor migrant workers from Southeast Asia by taking their passports and not paying them the promised salaries. Foreign workers, Western and otherwise, have no rights that will be upheld by the courts, and so they have no recourse should they feel their rights violated. Potential workers should be aware of this when considering work in Dubai.

Buy

Dubai is practically synonymous with shopping and could be called "Do buy". You'll also find products in Western chain stores, still with the original tags quoting euro or sterling prices, being sold with a 20–30% mark-up once converted to dirhams. The best things to buy are textiles, electronics and gold; electronics are believed to be much cheaper, while there is a wide selection of textiles and gold.

Dubai shops suffer from the standard developing world shopping phenomenon of having no storeroom and no stocks in reserve, even in the mega-malls – and for clothes shopping this may mean that you struggle to find the style you want in the size you want. Shops open as early as 09:00 and stay open until 22:00, and on weekends to midnight or 01:00.

Remember to haggle in the souks, as discounts are almost always available and even in situations where the item will not become much cheaper, the customer is always expected to "play the game" of haggling. Prices in the malls and other Western shops tend not to be negotiable.

Dubai Shopping Festival has been the biggest shopping event in the Middle East since 1996. Almost every shop has a sale, starting in January and ending in February. The DSF is not limited to Shopping but also produces some mind-blowing stages shows and performances performed by international celebrities. There's also a very similar Dubai Summer Surprises trying to pull in punters during the summer low season.

"Dubai chocolate", filled with pistachio paste and crunchy kadayif (shredded filo), was only invented in 2021 but went viral soon afterwards. The original is Fix Dessert's "Can't Get Knafeh Of It", available only by delivery and in very limited quantities, but imitators abound.

Dubai is known for its gigantic malls and is a magnet for shoppers. Among the dozens of malls, two stand out due to their size and quality. See the district articles for more details on malls. There are many supermarkets, and international brands such as Carrefour, Géant and Waitrose have multiple locations as do 'home-grown' brands Choithrams, Spinney's, Union Co-Operative and Lulu, amongst others.

Eat

Shawarma is the most available food item on almost all streets (and cheap) in Dubai. It is the Arabic equivalent of the burger. It is meat that has been cooked on a skewer and then cut into thin strips and placed into a kuhbus (pita) bread with vegetables and dressing. There is the plain-jane variety and the more exotic Lebanese and Iranian varieties. The shawarma sold by Indian restaurants are arguably the cheapest.

Another local snack is fala-fil (felafel, falafel), which is as cheap as shawarma.

Traditional Emirati food normally involves rice and meat/chicken cooked with different spices. As such, mandi is a very popular meal and generally affordable, except when served in high end restaurants. Emirati restaurants can be mostly found in areas with local residents, such as Deira, Bur Dubai and Jumeirah. Traditional desserts are also worth trying. Search for luqaimat, deep fried dough balls tossed with date syrup on top. You'll find it at any Emirati restaurant as well as some small cafeterias or street markets.

Most of the American fast food chains have set up shop, including KFC, Chillis, TGI Fridays, Starbucks, and McDonalds. The beauty of the food in Dubai is that you will probably find cuisine for every taste. All food is halal.

Dubai has a big selection of budget Indian food. Dosa, vada, idlee, samosa, chapaati/roti, with generous servings of sabji (cooked vegetable stew) are available for cheap. Bur Dubai (particularly Meena Bazaar area) and Karama are the places that abound in these restaurants. Most of them are open from 07:00 to 22:00 or 23:00 throughout the week.

Pork is eaten here mostly by non-Muslim Filipinos and Europeans. Pork sections exclusive for non-Muslims are found in Spinneys (numerous branches, including ones in Jumeirah and Dubai Marina), Al Maya Lal's (generally caters to Filipinos; there's a branch in Satwa) New Westzone Supermarket (has a branch in Satwa that's bigger than nearby rival Al Maya Lal's), Choithrams and Waitrose.

During Ramadan, while it is not illegal for non-Muslims to eat and drink in public spaces during daylight hours, it's better to avoid doing so out of respect for those fasting. Most restaurants remain open as normal. Once the sun sets though, many locals will gather for iftar, or the breaking of the fast, and many hotels will serve elaborate iftar meals catering to this market. As a tourist, you are welcome to partake too, but be sure to reserve in advance as these are very popular.

Dubai hosts several food festivals in the spring (March - May). The largest is the Dubai Food Festival which lasts for two weeks. Across the city, there are discounts at restaurants and home / kitchen stores (such as Crate & Barrel, Williams Sonoma, etc.) World-class chefs offer master classes, special collaborations, and tasting menus. Budget

Most malls have food courts, which offer good value menus and are a fast and reliable option for visitors and locals. There are also several food chains of many different types (Pakistani, Indian, Western) scattered all over the city. See the district articles for individual recommendations.

Inexpensive non-chain restaurants serve food from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and some other Asian countries. These simple restaurants are mostly northwest of the metro station Sharaf DG, south of the metro station Gold Souq and north and east of the Union metro station.

The Nesto, Lulu and Carrefour hypermarkets have canteens for customers, but most of them are takeaway only.

Automatic, this is a chain of popular Lebanese restaurants found all over Dubai. Famous for its lamb chops & Friday lunch buffet. No alcohol served.

Splurge The top hotels all have at least one restaurant serving (most commonly) some form of international cuisine - Italian, Japanese, Indian and so on. Floating restaurants for dinner come sight seeing in Dubai Marina are also popular among both non-travelers and travelers.

Drink

Dubai has supercharged the nightlife in the last decade and most international known brands have a sister location in town. Most 3-5 star hotels have bars and nightclubs for those interested in the nightlife. World-class DJs frequent Dubai's nightclubs, and many A-list musical celebrities are adding Dubai to their list of tour dates. There is nothing missing and during the high tides of the party time, the impression of being in Ibiza is not misleading. Most of the night life is geared at the beaches of Jumeirah or the Dubai Marina. Bur Dubai is more family-oriented (e.g. Dubai Fountain), while Deira was able in parts to maintain its more Arabic focussed style. Dubai is very popular with Arabic travellers, so an Arabic blend is added quite often.

Dubai has several laws regarding alcohol which travelers should be aware of:

Alcohol is available only at licensed premises, usually attached to hotels (most nightclubs and bars are in or attached to hotels, though they may have separate entrances). As of 2023 there is one public cinema that serves alcohol (Cinema City's Azul Lounge & Theatre), as well as a few private cinemas that can be booked for groups. Alcohol is not sold on religious holidays. From 2016, it can be sold during Ramadan. It is illegal to drink alcohol in public places, and there is a zero-tolerance policy on drunk driving. Anyone involved in a collision found with alcohol in their blood will usually get a month's jail sentence and fine. Alcohol can be bought only for home consumption at certain outlets in Dubai, and an alcohol license is required. Supermarkets only stock non-alcoholic beers. Even food items containing alcohol are not sold in supermarkets. Remember to carry some sort of identification when visiting a bar if you are young, as you will not be let in otherwise. The law prohibits anyone below 21 to enter. The authorities take disruptive behavior while intoxicated very seriously, which will lead to jail time or deportation. Prostitution is illegal but can be seen in bars. Both parties act illegally, but in rather (in-)famous clubs it can be rather obvious. Keep in mind that most hotels have a strict guest policy.

Sleep

Take care, on booking.com all dorms in Dubai are named as private rooms like "entire holiday home", "entire apartment" or "room with shared bathroom". This seems to be the case due to local laws. So check twice, if you want a private room to not end up with a dorm.

Due to substantial increase in hotel rooms, only during Islamic holidays do prices rise substantially. The cheapest places, mainly catering to small-scale businessmen, can be found in near the souks of Deira. In Dubai you find a youth hostel and several backpacker hostels.

See the individual listings in the districts for hotel recommendations. In general tourists tend to stay at the beach hotels in Jumeirah or Jebel Ali, while city dwellers have ample choice in Deira or Bur Dubai. Dubai is a stretch along the coastline and taxis are cheap and the metro reliable, so there are always alternative options. The only hassles are ever-new construction sites and the rush hour. During the summer heat a hotel with access to a mall or shopping complex is beneficial to have a greater area for air conditioned walking.

There are luxury glamping resorts in the desert far from the city. The most well known is Terra Solis. Reservations need to be made more than a month in advance, even in summer.

This is cheaper than the monthly rent for an unfurnished 1-bedroom apartment in a popular neighborhood, and Dubai residents will take advantage of this if they happen to be between leases or to help a friend who has newly moved to the city.