Interesting facts you really need to know about Dubai!
Are you a little confused about what Dubai is and where exactly is it? How is it related to Emirates, and what exactly happens there?
Don’t worry; you’re not alone if you are a little confused! Most international travellers are familiar with Emirates Airlines, and that’s where the knowledge ends.
We’re here to help demystify exactly “what is Dubai” and set you on the right track for exploring the United Arab Emirates (“UAE”), an oil-rich country in the Middle East.
If you already know the basics and are ready to start planning a vacation or stopover through Dubai, pop over to our UAE homepage.
Is Dubai a country or a city?
Dubai is an Emirate of the country called the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The United Arab Emirates has 7 “states,” if you like, called Emirates. Dubai is the name of the city AND the Emirate. Officially, Dubai is not a state but an Emirate.
Is Dubai a City?
Yes. As well as being an Emirate of the UAE, Dubai is also a large city. The city is broken down to many smaller suburbs or neighbourhoods, but there is no one defining “city centre”; most of the population sprawls along the coast of Dubai.
What are the seven Emirates of the UAE?
Going west to east, they are Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.
Where is Dubai?
Dubai is pretty much the central Emirate of the UAE. The UAE is part of the Arabian Peninsula, which borders Oman to the south-east, Saudi Arabia to the south-west and faces the Arabian Gulf to the north, with Iran on the other side of the Gulf (Arabian Gulf or the Persian Gulf, depending on what source you are using!).
The only land border the Emirate of Dubai shares is with Oman to the south. Most visitors to Dubai arrive by air at Dubai International Airport (DXB), one of the busiest airports in the world!
Where is Dubai on the Map?
If you are zooming in on a map trying to find where is Dubai, head to the southern coast of the Arabian Gulf, and the city Dubai is about halfway along the coast of the UAE.
What continent is Dubai in?
The Arabian Peninsula is part of Asia. Most of the Middle East falls in the continent of Asia, with the exceptions of Egypt (Africa), Turkey (partly Europe) and Cyprus. Therefore, Dubai is in the continent of Asia.
Is Abu Dhabi in Dubai?
No. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are both in the country called the United Arab Emirates. Both are “Emirates” (like states) as well as being cities. Dubai and Abu Dhabi both face on to the Arabian Gulf, Abu Dhabi is 160kms south-west of Dubai and is, in fact, the Capital of the United Arab Emirates.
Learn here more about how to get between Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Is Dubai the biggest city in the UAE?
Yes, Dubai as a city is much bigger than the capital Abu Dhabi. However, the EMIRATE of Abu Dhabi is much larger than the Emirate of Dubai and accounts for most of the land mass and oil supply.
What is Dubai’s population?
Whilst there is no census in the country, Dubai’s population is currently estimated at 3.61m(1). Abu Dhabi’s population, in comparison, is 1.6 million. The total population of the UAE is estimated at 10.17 million (August 2023)
Are there more men than women in Dubai?
Yes, due to the large expatriate population, there is a large skew towards males – believed to be as much as 70%/30% Male/Female ratio. A lot of this comes from construction and service workers from southern Asia, predominantly India & Pakistan, who are believed to make up over 40% of the population at present.
What is the currency in Dubai?
Dubai’s currency is called the UAE Dirham, code AED. It is pegged to the USD at 3.67:1, and with many, many cash exchanges, it’s easy to get a cash rate close to parity.
It is straightforward to get money out at ATMs (they don’t all dispense gold bars, as you might be led to believe!!). You will get notes ranging from 5 AED through to 1000 AED.
There are also coins called fils. 100 fils = 1 dirham. You can also get half fils and quarter fils, though you’ll find most things are rounded to the nearest dirham – having said that, since the introduction of a 5% VAT, which should be included in the price of everything you purchase, you will often find some strange rounding and need the smaller coins.
What is Dubai’s Time Zone?
Dubai operates on Gulf Standard Time – GST – which is GMT/UTC +4 hours.
What is the Country Code for Dubai?
Dubai, along with all of the United Arab Emirates, uses the international dialing code +971.
What is the GCC?
Great question; you may often hear GCC and UAE in the same sentence, along with OPEC and other acronyms, all waiting to confuse you!!
GCC stands for Gulf Cooperation Council. Current countries in the GCC are Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar & Oman.
GCC members may extend travel benefits to each other’s residents, among other things that impact travellers. Most apply to citizens, though, not resident visa holders.
(And OPEC stands for Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries – there are 14 OPEC member countries around the world, many of them are in the Middle East).
Is everyone in Dubai Muslim?
No. Whilst the country is an Islamic State, and Emirati people are Muslim, they make up a small percentage of the country’s total population.
The vast majority of the population (over 85%) are expatriate workers who come from over one hundred different nationalities and religions.
Whilst the majority of the population, including expats, are Muslim and you are expected to observe Islamic law, you will just as readily find Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, and Jews all working side by side in Dubai and the UAE.
Multiculturalism, tolerance and acceptance of others are among the most important things to understand about Dubai.
Is Dubai Sunni or Shia Muslim?
The majority of Muslims in Dubai are Sunni Muslims, though there is a Shia minority of around 15% in Dubai.
Does Dubai produce oil?
Despite misconceptions, oil is not a large commodity for the Emirate of Dubai. Oil was discovered in Dubai in 1966, but reserves are not extensive – it is believed oil production makes up less than 5% of Dubai’s GDP.
The vast majority of oil reserves of the UAE are almost all in Abu Dhabi Emirate – the UAE as a whole is estimated to have the seventh-highest proven oil reserves in the world.
What IS Dubai’s economy based on?
Since around 1833, Dubai has been a trading port. Dubai’s economy today relies on trade, tourism, aviation, real estate and a growing financial services sector. Many international companies have their Middle East Headquarters in Dubai, and Jebel Ali Port is the largest marine terminal in the Middle East.
Can you drink alcohol in Dubai?
Yes. Despite being a Muslim country, due to the size of the expat and tourist population of the city, there are many ways that alcohol can be drunk legally. Most hotels (though not all) have licenses that permit them to serve alcohol to tourists and non-Muslim residents.
Non-Muslim residents can also apply for alcohol licenses, which permit them to buy alcohol from retail outlets for consumption at home. These shops are generally kept low-key with limited signage but are very much accessible to those who legally apply.
Tourists can now also buy alcohol from these retail shops on presentation of a passport, but you’re likely to get most of your drinks from hotels and bars. Alcohol is taxed on import, though the consumption tax on alcohol has been removed recently.
Drinking in public and public drunkenness is strictly prohibited and can come with hefty fines and jail terms. Keep your drinking where it’s allowed and in moderation.
Do I need to learn any Arabic to visit Dubai?
No. You may be surprised to hear this, but as a visitor, no, you will not need to know any Arabic – but you will need to be well versed in English.
Although Arabic is the national language, with the volume of overseas visitors the city receives, English is used EVERYWHERE. Signage to menus; it will all be stated in both Arabic and English. Shop staff? Almost certainly will be of varying nationalities other than Emirati so I will address you in English.
It is, of course, appropriate to brush up on a few basic words for politeness – “Shukran” – thank you. And our family favourite, “yalla, yalla”- let’s go, let’s go!!!
Do women need to be covered in Dubai?
No. Most Muslim ladies prefer to wear the hijab, and most Emirati women dress entirely in black with a black Shayla covering their heads. Some – though not many – will wear the full Niqab covering their face as well. This is not required of all women by law and is largely a personal choice, led by religion and fashion.
Non-Muslim women are not asked to comply with the head covering, but tourists and expat residents should expect to dress conservatively. By this, we mean cover your shoulders and knees when in public and avoid clingy and revealing clothes. Within the grounds of a hotel resort, different rules apply.
When is the weekend in Dubai?
Until 2022, Dubai and the United Arab Emirates had their weekend on Friday and Saturday.
The law changed in this regard from 1 Janaury 2022 to bring the UAE in line with most Western Countries who have their weekends on Saturday and Sunday. Additionally, the Emirate of Dubai has a half day on a Friday, making it one of the first places in the world to have an official 4.5-day Government work week (neighbouring Emirate Sharjah went so far as to declare a three-day weekend, Friday to Sunday!)
Note that this applies to schools and Government organizations. Not all private sector firms followed suit. Many workers are still on 6 day weeks and may have only Friday, Saturday or Sunday as their “off” day.
Friday, from prayer time through to Sunday night, is a busy time of the week at popular attractions and shopping areas, often until quite late at night.
What happens in Dubai during Ramadan?
Ramadan is the 9th month in the Hijri Calendar and a Holy Month observed by Muslims.
Amongst many things observed, daytime fasting is an important one. From sunrise to sunset, Muslims must not eat or drink (with some small exceptions). To create a respectful environment for this, Dubai has strict laws on eating in public during this time. That said, laws have relaxed over the years, and many, many eateries are now open during the day time, without the partitions or curtains you used to see.
The other big change tourists will notice is an adjustment in operating hours for many businesses. Life really moves to the evening, so many schools, Government offices and workplaces will change their hours to allow for a rest period in the afternoon, with things springing back to life after the evening “Iftar” – the breaking of the fast.
Do I need a visa to visit Dubai?
Yes. In some cases, you need to get this in advance, but there are many countries whose citizens are permitted to obtain a FREE 30-day visa on arrival to the UAE. Citizens of a further 40 countries can apply for a 90-day multiple entry visa.
- Check out this guide from the UAE Government to ascertain your Visa eligibility.
There you have it! A very basic run-through of the facts you need to know about Dubai.
Ready to start planning a Dubai stopover or vacation now? Jump on over to our UAE homepage, we’ll talk you through exactly what there is to see and do in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates.
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The Family Travel in the Middle East team of travel writers are all parents based in the Middle East, sharing first hand experiences and reviews from across the region to help you plan your next family adventure.
