100 Interesting Facts About Dubai
In this article, you’ll find over 100 up-to-date, surprising, educational, interesting, and fun facts about Dubai and its many oversized attractions.
These facts are organized into sections, starting with general facts, then facts about Dubai landmarks, some random interesting facts, and finally, some historical Dubai facts.
Dubai is a city like no other. It is an air-conditioned luxury oasis in the desert. So, what is Dubai known for?
General Dubai Facts
1. Dubai is the largest city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a country located on the eastern Arabian Peninsula.
2. Dubai is the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, one of the seven emirates (states ruled by an Arabic emir) that make up the UAE.
3. The Emirate of Dubai is surrounded by the Persian (Arabian) Gulf to the north, Emirate of Sharjah to the east, and Emirate of Abu Dhabi to the south and west.
4. Dubai City is in the northeastern corner of the Emirate of Dubai, facing the Persian Gulf and adjacent to the city of Sharjah. It is located in the Arabian Desert.
5. The Emirate of Dubai is the second largest in the country (4114 km2 / 1588 mi2), after the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, which is 16 times larger than it (67,340 km2 / 26,000 mi2).
6. The Emirate of Dubai was originally 3885 km2 / 1500 mi2, but it has grown in size by over 200 km2 due to land reclamation from the sea.
7. Around 3.42 million people live in the Emirate of Dubai, with over 90% living in Dubai City and the rest in small villages across the emirate.
8. By population, the city of Dubai is similar in size to Lisbon (Portugal) or Chicago (USA).
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9. Dubai is considered the top business hub of the Middle Eastern and African (or Western Asian) region and a major global transportation hub.
10. Dubai has one of the fastest-growing economies in the world but was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
11. Dubai is often called the “shopping capital of the Middle East.” It has more than 70 malls and shopping centers.
12. Because of its more liberal attitude and relaxed restrictions compared to other cities in the region, Dubai is home popular among tourists and expats.
13. An additional 1 million visitors or non-residents are in Dubai at any given time.
14. Only 15% of Dubai’s population are Arabic (UAE nationals), while 85% are expats.
15. Of those expats, 85% are Asian (mostly South Asian) and 5% are Western, including around 100,000 British.
16. Arabic is the national language of the UAE, but in Dubai, English, and various other Asian languages are widely spoken.
17. The current ruler of Dubai is Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. His net worth is $4 billion, making him the seventh richest member of royalty in the world. He is also the Prime Minister of the UAE.
18. Dubai sits at 25°N, a similar latitude to Miami, Florida.
Facts About Dubai Landmarks
19. In 1999, the Burj Al Arab opened on an artificial island off the coast of Dubai. It has been dubbed “the world’s only 7-star hotel” (not an official designation).
20. When it was completed in 2009, Burj Khalifa became the tallest building in the world (829.8 m / 2722ft). However, it is expected to be surpassed by the Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia, which will be over 1 km tall.
21. Dubai Mall is the second-largest mall in the world by total area and one of the most visited buildings in the world, with 84 million visitors in 2019. It is right next to Burj Khalifa.
22. The Dubai Fountain, next to Dubai Mall, covers 12 hectares and was build by the same company that built the fountain at Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.
23. Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall, and Dubai Fountain are part of an enormous, $20 billion dollar multi-use complex called Downtown Dubai.
24. Dubai has plans to build the largest mall in the world, aptly called Mall of the World. If built, it will be 4.5 million m2 and be able to accommodate 180 million visitors per year. It would include the world’s largest indoor theme park and 20,000+ hotel rooms.
25. IMG Worlds of Adventure in Dubai is the world’s second-largest indoor theme park (140,000 m2), surpassed only by Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi (150,000 m2).
26. Ain Dubai is the world’s largest Ferris wheel, at 250 m (820 ft). It is located on Bluewaters Island, an artificial island 500 meters off Jumeirah Beach, and opened in 2021.
27. Dubai Frame is the largest frame in the world, at 150 m (492 ft). It has also been dubbed the “largest stolen building,” with architect Fernando Donis claiming he received no compensation for his design.
28. Dubai Internet City, an IT/business park and free economic zone, houses over 1400 companies and 100,000+ workers.
29. Another 400 companies and academic institutions are based on Dubai Knowledge Park, and educational free trade zone.
30. Dubai has the second-highest number of 5-star hotels worldwide, with more than 60. It is surpassed only by London (around 75) and followed by New York City (around 60).
31. The Palm Islands are three artificial islands (Palm Jumeirah, Deira Island, and Palm Jebel Ali) off the coast of Dubai that look like palm trees from above. Palm Jumeirah has over 10,000 inhabitants and can be seen from space.
32. Aquaventure Water Park at Atlantis Dubai Resort on Palm Jumeirah is one of the largest waterparks in the world.
33. Several other artificial islands are being constructed, including The World Islands, a group of islands in the shape of a world map.
34. Dubai International Airport’s Terminal 3 is one of the largest buildings in the world (second largest by usable floor area), and 1,713,000 m2 (18,440,000 ft2).
35. A floating bridge across Dubai Creek is built to relieve traffic on nearby bridges.
36. Dubai Museum is housed inside an 18th-century fort, Al Fahidi Fort. It is considered the oldest building in Dubai, dating to 1787.
37. The Dubai Museum of the Future opened in 2022. It is shaped like a torus and has windows that spell a poem written by Dubai’s ruler. It is considered a masterpiece of architecture.
38. Dubai has entire traditional souqs (markets) dedicated to gold, spices, perfume, and textiles.
39. Dubai does not have UNESCO World Heritage Sites, but Khor Dubai (Dubai Creek), a natural seawater inlet, is on the tentative list.
Random Interesting Facts
40. Dubai’s government commissioned its own font, which supports 23 languages and is available as a custom font for Microsoft Windows 10 and Windows 365.
41. Dubai has 20 twin and sister cities around the world, including Busan (South Korea), Istanbul (Turkey), Detroit (USA), and Moscow (Russia).
42. Dubai is considered one of the world’s safest cities, and along with Abu Dhabi, the safest city in the Middle East.
43. According to Mastercard, visitors spend more money in Dubai than in any other city in the world.
44. The annual month-long Dubai Shopping Festival brings in over $2 billion worth of business and has set multiple records, including world’s largest shopping cart, longest gold chain, longest line of Mercedes cards, largest pillow fight, largest wallet, and largest buffet.
45. Dubai was the 4th most visited city in the world in 2019, after Bangkok, Paris, and London, with 15.93 million visitors.
46. A small exclave (part of a state surrounded by other states) called Hatta also belongs to the Emirate of Dubai. It is 134 km (83 mi) east of the rest of Dubai and 140 km2 (50 mi2) in size.
47. Dubai World Cup is considered the “world’s richest horse race.” It has an annual purse (total amount paid out to winners) of $12 million.
48. Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan and couple David and Victoria Beckham own a villa on Palm Jumeirah, while Lindsay Lohan has one on The World Islands.
49. While oil helped Dubai to grow rapidly and used to account for 50% of the GDP, today it contributes less than 1%, while tourism and real estate drive the economy.
50. Dubai has pink taxis which are for women and families only.
51. The Dubai Police Force uses a number of luxury vehicles to patrol tourist areas. These include Rolls-Royce Wraith, Lamborghini Aventador, Porsche 918, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, and several more.
52. Dubai has its own government-owned budget airline, called Flydubai.
53. Most of Dubai sits just above sea level, around 16 m (52 ft).
54. The highest point in Dubai being around 1300 meters (4265 ft).
55. While Dubai is almost totally desert, some plants grow there including date palms, Christ’s thorn, Athle Tree, desert squash, and a number of shrubs.
56. Wildlife in Dubai includes Arabian oryx (the national animal of UAE), sand gazelle, Arabian wolf, Arabian leopard, sand cat, spiny tailed lizard, flamingo, and desert eagle owl.
57. Camel racing is popular in Dubai. In the past, children were used in races for their light weight, but today they have been replaced with robots.
58. Falcons can be sold for over US$250,000 in Dubai. They are a cultural symbol and trained for a variety of performances. They are also used to chase away nesting pigeons around landmarks and skyscrapers in Dubai.
59. Dubai has one of the highest per capita water consumption levels in the world. 99% of its water comes from desalination plants, which remove the salt from sea water.
60. The highest temperature ever recorded in Dubai was 49.0°C (120°F), in July 2019.
61. There are no zip codes or official address system or Dubai. Everyone has a PO box, and in the past, people have also developed the habit or writing out directions when mailing letters or parcels.
62. Alcohol is permitted in Dubai but tightly regulated. The legal drinking age is 21.
63. Friday brunch is a big deal in Dubai, with many restaurants and 5-star hotels offer lavish buffet brunches.
64. There is no income tax in Dubai.
65. Freedom of speech is limited in Dubai, with stiff penalties for criticizing Islam, the royal family, or local culture. The Internet is also regulated, with many sites related to dating, LGBT issues, and adult films blocked.
66. Non-Muslims are allowed to practice their religion freely in Dubai.
67. It is against the law to wear “indecent” clothing in Dubai, unless at a water park, beach, or night club.
68. There are over 80 schools in Dubai offering a British curriculum or slight variation of it.
69. From 2004 to 2009, Dubai had an annual rock festival in the desert, with headliners such as Megadeth, Iron Maider, Korn, and Motorhead.
Historical Facts
70. The area of Dubai was a swamp until around 3000 BCE, when it dried up.
71. Bronze age cattle herders settled in the area and harvested date palms around that time.
72. By the 5th century CE, the area was a stopping point on trading routes from modern-day Oman to Iraq.
73. The first mention of Dubai was in 1095, in the Book of Geography by Andalusian-Arab geographer Abu Abdullah Al Bakri.
74. By 1500 CE, the are around Dubai was known for pearl diving.
75. Dubai grew as a fishing village in the early 1700s.
76. By the late 1700s, Dubai was a wall city, and Al Fahidi Fort was constructed in 1787.
77. In 1793, the Bani Yas tribe settled in Abu Dhabi, and Dubai became a dependency of it.
78. In 1833, Dubai became independent from Abu Dhabi, ruled by the House of Maktoum, which continues to rule it today.
79. A smallpox epidemic occurred in Dubai in 1841, while in 1896, half the city burned down in a fire.
80. Dubai became a British dependency in 1892. Dubai was one of several states with such agreements in the area, which was called the Trucial Coast.
81. In 1901, Dubai was established as the main free port of the Trucial Coast, with no taxes on imports and exports. Dubai grew to become the most important trading hub in the region.
82. In 1929, the development of cultured pearls contributed to the death of the pearling industry in Dubai and other nearby states. Dubai suffered under the Great Depression.
83. Dubai built a lot of infrastructure in the 1950s, including electricity, a telephone system, the country’s first hotel in 1959, and its first airport in 1960.
84. In the 1960s, Dubai became a trading center of gold, trading huge amounts in and out.
85. On April 7, 1961, 238 people died when a UK-operated ship exploded and sank off the coast of Dubai.
86. In 1963, Sheikh Rashid built the first bridge across Dubai Creek, Al Maktoum Bridge, with money borrowed from his brother-in-law, the ruler of nearby Qatar.
87. In 1965, the Dubai Airport received asphalt runways, opening it to long-haul flights. In 1970, a new terminal was built with the emirate’s first duty-free shops.
88. An oil reserve was discovered off the coast of Dubai in 1966, contributing to infrastructural development and a population influx.
89. Dubai Zoo became the first zoo in the Arabian Peninsula in 1967 and remained open until 2017.
90. In 1971, England could no longer afford to administer the area. Dubai united with 5 other Trucial States, and the United Arab Emirates was born. A 7th one, Ras Al Khaimah, joined the following year.
91. Dubai’s trade industry continued to grow in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. Reliance on oil revenue dropped, while tourism took off from the 1990s. Dubai came to be known as a shopping and luxury destination.
92. Emirates Airlines, based on Dubai, was established in 1985. In 2010, a second airport was opened in Dubai, Al Maktoum International Airport.
93. The Dubai Desert Classic (golf contest) and Dubai Airshow held their first events in 1989.
94. The American University in Dubai was established in 1995. It is one of the world’s most diverse universities.
95. The Grand Mosque, largest in Dubai, was built in 1998, on the site of an older mosque dating to 1900 and rebuilt in 1960. Jumeirah Mosque is the most photographer mosque in Dubai.
96. Construction began on the Burj Khalifa in 2004, and was completed in 2009. Dubai Mall opened next to Burj Khalifa in 2008.
97. In 2009, the Dubai Metro began operating. It is one of the world’s longest driverless metro lines.
98. In 2013, Dubai opened Dubai Canal, a 3 km (1.8 mi) human-made canal connecting Business Bay to the Persian Gulf.
99. Dubai hosted the World Expo 2020 (postponed to October 2021 to March 2022 due to COVID, but still called Expo 2020), with the motto “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.”
100. United Arab Emirates, including Dubai, will ban single-use plastics from 2024.
