Dubai
Dubai
دبي Dubayy | |
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Seal | |
| Nicknames: DXB, Dar Al-Hay, The Pearl of the Gulf, The Venice of the Gulf, The City of the World, The City of Gold | |
Dubai Dubai in United Arab Emirates Dubai Dubai in Persian Gulf Dubai Dubai in Middle East Dubai Dubai in Asia | |
| Coordinates: 25°12′17″N 55°16′15″E / 25.20472°N 55.27083°E | |
| Country | United Arab Emirates |
| Emirate | Dubai |
| First mentioned | 1095 |
| First established | 1822 |
| Founded by | Obeid bin Said & Maktoum bin Butti Al Maktoum |
| Government | |
| • Type | Absolute monarchy |
| • Body | Dubai Executive Council |
| • Director General of Dubai Municipality | Marwan Bin Ghalita |
| • Ruler of Dubai | Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum |
| Area | |
| • Urban | 1,491 km2 (576 sq mi) |
| • Metro | 3,913 km2 (1,511 sq mi) |
| Population (2025) | |
• City | 3,944,751 |
| • Rank | 1st |
| • Urban | 4,945,000 |
| • Urban density | 3,317/km2 (8,590/sq mi) |
| • Metro | 6,359,527 |
| • Metro density | 1,625/km2 (4,209/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Dubaian |
| GDP | |
| • City | US$ 134.6 billion (2023) |
| • Metro | US$ 202.8 billion (2023) |
| Time zone | UTC+04:00 (UAE Standard Time) |
| Climate | Hot desert climate (BWh) |
| Website | tec |
Dubai is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai. It is on a creek on the southeastern coast of the Persian Gulf. As of 2025, its population stands at 4 million, 92% of whom are expatriates. The wider urban area includes Sharjah and has a population of 5 million people as of 2023, while the Dubai–Sharjah–Ajman metropolitan area has a population of 6 million people.
Founded in the early 18th century as a pearling and fishing settlement, Dubai became a regional trade hub in the 20th century after declaring itself a free port (1901) and extending the Creek (1961). Modest oil revenue helped accelerate Dubai's development from the 1960s to the 1990s, when the city started to diversify its economy. In 2018, oil production contributed less than 1% to the emirate's GDP.
Rapid construction since the 1990s has produced one of the world's densest skylines, including the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. Extensive land-reclamation projects have added more than 300 kilometres (190 mi) of artificial coastline. The city has a large real estate market, especially in the luxury segment.
Dubai's economy centres on trade, tourism, aviation, financial services, and real estate. The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) is one of the world's major financial centres. In 2024, Dubai was the seventh most-visited city globally. Dubai International Airport (DXB) is the world's busiest airport for international passenger traffic, handling over 92 million passengers in 2024.