Captivating, cosmopolitan, and modern – Dubai is an absolute adventure playground when it comes to tourist destinations. And, it’s fast becoming one of the most popular tourist destinations with British travellers, including those who are looking to build businesses and brands overseas.
Dubai’s become something of a shining metropolis for the rich and successful – and in this fact file, I’ll be taking you through some interesting facts about the area.
Before you decide to pay a visit to the UAE’s finest, read up with these must-know fun facts about Dubai – and get in touch if you have any of your own that I might have missed!
1. Dubai isn’t a country.
It’s a misconception that Dubai is a country – it’s a city and one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates. The UAE was only founded in 1971, meaning Dubai has very quickly become hot property for travellers and businesspeople in just over five decades.
Other emirates in the UAE include Fujairah, Abu Dhabi, Ra’s al-Khaimah, Umm al-Quwain, Sharjah, and Ajman. Take a look at our fascinating facts about the United Arab Emirates to learn more about them all!
2. Dubai is extremely popular with British people.
Overall, around 14 million tourists visit Dubai every year. And, believe it or not, almost 10% of this travelling population come from the UK! It’s estimated that more than 1.3 million people visited Dubai in the space of a year in 2024, which was in itself a surge from previous year’s numbers.
Pre-COVID-19, even more UK visitors headed to Dubai – reaching almost 17 million people in 2019. However, this more than halved by 2021 as the world continued to adapt to the coronavirus. It certainly seems like the numbers are increasing again as the 2020s progress.
3. The emirate covers over 4,000km square.
The total land area of Dubai is 4,114 square kilometres, or 1,588 square miles. That’s over double the size of Greater London, which is around 1,737 square km, or 670 square miles. It’s also roughly ten times the size of Greater Glasgow, and almost 25 times the size of Sheffield! There’s lots of ground to cover if you’re used to even the biggest cities in the UK.
4. The currency used in Dubai is the UAE Dirham.
Dubai has the same currency, AED, or Dirham, as the rest of the emirates in the UAE. That means if you’d like to explore the broader emirates, you won’t have to keep exchanging your money.
However, it is always a good idea to check the exchange rate on GBP to AED before you travel! At the time of writing (spring 2025), the exchange rate is approximately 1 GBP to 4.75 AED. A significant dip in autumn 2022 saw the rate go as low as 1 GBP vs. 3.99 AED, but it has since recovered, with records showing the rate to hold fairly stable between 4.20 and 5.00.
Remember – rates fluctuate! So, always check online or with your currency provider for up-to-date exchange figures before budgeting and boarding your flights.
5. Dubai is regarded, in some ways, as the land of the young.
Only 15% of Dubai’s population is aged over 45, meaning that the emirate has one of the world’s youngest populations. That said, the same figure – around 15% – is younger than 18.
Recent figures suggest that almost three-quarters of the country is younger than 40, however, meaning that this is certainly a resort for young adults (though there’s no age limit here!). Comparatively, around 50% of the UK is over the age of 40!
6. There are lots of languages spoken out here.
Although the national language of Dubai is Arabic, tourism has made the city very diverse. There are a number of languages spoken in the emirate today including English, Urdu, Hindi, Bengali, Persian and even Chinese! There are more than 150 languages spoken in the region, total.
Compare that to London, however… and which region do you think is more diverse in terms of languages? Believe it or not, it’s our very own capital. It’s thought that London is home to more than double the number of languages spoken in Dubai right now!
7. Dubai has a very arid climate.
Dubai isn’t exactly famous for its rainfall, unlike the UK! That’s largely thanks to the region’s tropical desert climate, though the emirate does witness rainfall of more than 130 mm, or 5.1 inches, every year. London, meanwhile, gets about 585 mm, or 23 inches – no need for a brolly here, then!
Unlike the UK, Dubai has two clear seasons of summer and winter. The summer here usually runs from April to October, and the winter takes over from November through to March. At its hottest, Dubai breaches more than 38 °C in summer, with its lowest recorded temperature in winter being 5 °C.
8. You won’t be able to move out here… technically.
A foreigner can never receive permanent residency or become a citizen of the UAE, no matter how long they live in Dubai. That, however, is something of a technicality.
People who want to ‘stay’ long term can apply for a Golden Visa, which is frequently offered to people who are either qualified specialists or exceptional investors in the country. Interestingly, there’s a whole series of criteria you need to fulfill and continue meeting if you want to remain on this visa.
Despite these rules, the emirate is estimated to have an 88% foreign population – that, at last count, was around 8.92 million people!
9. You don’t have to pay tax in Dubai.
Dubai is income tax-free for all. Unlike most countries around the world, the UAE does not have any federal or personal income tax. There are absolutely no taxes levied by the government on the income and/or wealth of individuals and companies.
However, you do still have to pay a rate of 5% VAT on any services or goods you invest in here. Compared to the UK’s 20% VAT rate (at the time of writing), that’s a major relief – and no wonder why so many business people flock here!
10. It’s a mysterious city of gold.
Dubai is known as the ‘City of Gold’. It is home to the gold souk; a traditional market with over 400 retail shops dedicated to gold. You can actually withdraw gold bars from cash machines in Dubai. Crazy!
The nickname largely comes from the fact that gold is Dubai’s second-most valuable export (after its oil trade). It’s possible to buy and sell gold freely in Dubai, and the emirate frequently sells to banks and jewellery wholesalers, too.
11. There’s a British Embassy in Dubai.
If you’re travelling to Dubai from the UK and need some advice, you can always reach the emirate’s British Embassy.
It’s currently based on Al Seef Road, Bur Dubai – close to Dubai’s Creekside. There’s more information on the services offered via the UK government website.
12. It hasn’t always been easy to find locations in Dubai.
While nowadays, you can easily find certain locations in Dubai with the help of GPS and apps such as Google Maps, it’s not always been straightforward to find specific buildings based on postal codes… simply because there aren’t any!
Instead, Dubai widely uses PO Boxes for mail, meaning there’s usually less to write on envelopes here than you’d expect back in the UK.
13. Dubai’s Burj Khalifa remains a record holder… but not for long.
Standing at a height of 829 metres or 2,719 feet, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai has remained the tallest building structure on Earth for a long time. The skyscraper has the highest outdoor observation deck on the 148th floor, at a staggering 1,821 feet or 555 metres in the air.
However, Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Tower, set to be unveiled – at the time of writing – is going to be even taller. It’s thought it will be more than 1,000 metres, or 3,280 feet, tall at completion.
14. There’s a seven-star hotel in Dubai!
Dubai has the world’s only 7-star hotel, the Burj-al-Arab! If you’re hoping to spend a luxurious night in a suite overlooking Jumeirah Beach, you might want to start saving now as it could cost you around £900-£950 per night!
15. Dubai is home to the largest garden in the world.
Dubai’s Miracle Garden really is something to behold. It’s famously the largest garden in the world, spreading out over an area of 72,000 square metres (77,500 square feet) and has around 60 million flowers on display. What may be of more interest to you, however, is that it is a manmade, natural beauty built on desert land.
It was officially opened on Valentine’s Day, February 14th, back in 2013. Since then, it’s gained several Guinness World Records, and even has a deal with Disney to host some of its characters and likenesses!
16. You’ll normally have to work on Sundays in Dubai.
Although we’ve mostly become accustomed to working on Sundays in the UK, many countries still don’t observe this – and in Dubai, people residing and working here will usually do the same as us.
However, most of the businesses around Dubai will take Friday off work as observance of the holy day each week.
17. There are more men than women in Dubai.
According to the last census carried out in Dubai, there are three men to every woman – meaning it is certainly a male dominated-state.
The UK, comparatively, is split down the middle. The British population is roughly half men and half women – so there’s naturally more of a gender balance, even if equality remains a burning societal issue.
18. Oil is easier to come by than water here, and the reason’s pretty logical.
It is easier to get yourself a litre of fuel than that of water in Dubai. Motor-fuel prices have faced an unprecedented drop in their prices in the UAE. One litre of fuel costs around 55p, which is only slightly higher than the cost of water – which is around 42p per litre at the time of writing.
19. Dubai’s police are famously fast to respond.
The police force in Dubai holds a record for having the fastest police vehicles in the world. Cruising in the metropolitan streets of the city, the Dubai police fleet includes supercars such as Lamborghinis, Bugattis, Ferraris, and Camaros.
And, yes, we do have Camaros in British fleets – but you’re more likely to see BMW X5s and Ford Focuses! Better watch your back regardless of where you’re staying!
20. Dubai is home to a colossal shopping mall.
The Dubai Mall is one of the biggest draws to the emirate for tourists not only from the UK, but from all over the world. It’s partly because it’s absolutely enormous – it’s around 350,000 square metres, or 3.8 million square feet! That accounts for more than 1,200 retail shops. It’s only second to the New South China Mall in Dongguan, China.
Let’s put this into perspective – the biggest shopping mall in the UK is Westfield London at 236,000 square metres, or 2.5 million square feet. And if you’ve ever been, you’ll know that’s already pretty large!
21. You need to be licensed to drink alcohol while in Dubai.
Dubai has strict laws regarding the sale and consumption of alcohol. If you want to enjoy a glass of wine, you must obtain a government-issued licence first.
However, remember that, as Muslim territory, it’s illegal for anyone to drink alcohol in public, and to be intoxicated in public. You can usually obtain a temporary, one-month licence to drink alcohol as a visitor. As a resident, you need a separate licence to host home parties!
22. There’s a colossal artificial island here.
The Palm Jumeirah Island in Dubai is the world’s largest artificial island. It is known for upmarket global restaurants, posh apartments, and high-class hotels.
The island is made from more than 3.2 billion cubic feet or 90.6 million cubic metres of ocean sand, which is said to be enough to fill two Empire State Buildings!
23. There are several ways to get to Dubai from the UK.
There are lots of regular flights that connect some of the UK’s biggest airports to Dubai International Airport, or DXB. For example, if you’re travelling from London Heathrow, or LHR, you’ll find there are more than 90 flights each week heading towards the emirate. However, be prepared to spend almost seven and a half hours on board!
However, you can also fly directly to Dubai from other airports such as Birmingham, London City, Stansted, and Gatwick.
You can also travel to Dubai from the UK via cruise ship, depending on the carrier you sail with. For example, it’s worth looking into regular cruises offered by Cunard, Oceania, and Royal Caribbean for the latest prices and journeys.
Alternatively, you can even travel across the continents to get from the UK to Dubai, if you don’t like flying. For example, you could take a Eurostar into Paris or Brussels from London on your first leg, then travel to Istanbul, then Tehran, and eventually get a ferry to Dubai itself.
However, keep in mind that this is a very long trip! If you’re comfortable with long flights, it’s much quicker and more cost effective to board a plane.
Remember, travel plans can always change at the latest minute, too. Therefore, always be sure to download an app or two through which you can track flights and connections to and from Dubai. The advice I’ve provided here is subject to change, meaning it’s always wise to keep up to speed with the latest connections.
FAQs About Dubai
What is Dubai famous for?
Dubai is mainly famous for its incredible, lavish architecture, shopping experiences, and its oil and gold trade! Many people will know Dubai mainly for the Burj Khalifa, one of the tallest buildings in the world, and just one of many different skyscrapers you’ll see across the emirate’s burgeoning skyline. It’s also well known for its low VAT and zero tax rates.
What language do people speak in Dubai?
People in Dubai speak more than 150 different languages! However, the official language of the emirate and the broader UAE is Arabic. That said, you will find that English is widely spoken across the city heights, in workplaces, and in public areas. Most signs you’ll see on the roads here are written in English and Arabic – and the same goes for restaurant menus, too.
What country is Dubai in?
Dubai is neither a city nor a country, and is part of the United Arab Emirates, or UAE. It is one of seven emirates that make up the region, which also includes Fujairah, Sharjah, Ra’s al-Khaimah, Umm al-Quwain, Ajman, and Abu Dhabi. All of the emirates share the same currency, the UAE Dirham – meaning you only need to exchange money once when travelling across the region.
Sources
https://www.visitdubai.com/en/
https://dubaiairports.ae/
Do you know any fun facts about Dubai? Share them in the comments below!
