Dubai is located in the United Arab Emirates or UAE for short. The region is the Middle East and the continent in Asia. Other countries close to the UAE are Oman and Saudi Arabia. This area of land is called the Arabian Peninsula and is part of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Dubai and the UAE sit on a sea called the Arabian Gulf or Persian Gulf.
Where is Dubai on the world map?
Is Dubai a country or a city?
No, Dubai is not a country. It is a city and an Emirate. Similar to how Florida is a State in the country of the USA. There are seven total Emirates within the United Arab Emirates which is the country. Each Emirate has its own governing body and both separate and shared laws. Each Emirate has a separate royal family also.
Each Emirate can make decisions at a local level along with its own judicial systems and ministries.
What is the capital of Dubai?
The capital of the UAE is Abu Dhabi, not Dubai! Although Abu Dhabi is a smaller city, the Emirate of Abu Dhabi is much larger! It even contains another city called Al Ain. Though Dubai has a larger population than Abu Dhabi thanks to the many expatriates that live there!
What is the population of Dubai?
According to official Dubai government statistics, the population of Dubai is 3.549 million. This data is the latest data published from 2022, so the population may have grown since this figure was released.
Abu Dhabi has a population of 1.45 million and the UAE is estimated at 9.5 million people in total.
Learn more about the United Arab Emirates and what UAE is famous for.
What is the GCC?
GCC stands for Gulf Cooperation Council and includes 6 countries in the Arabian Gulf. It is an economic and political zone which was formed in 1981. These countries are UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain. In the agreement, they allow freedom of movement for citizens and have trade agreements.
This is similar to how countries are part of the European Union (EU).
In 2017, due to political reasons, Qatar was removed from being part of the GCC agreement. After negotiations in 2021, relations with Qatar were repaired and citizen freedom of movement was allowed again along with trade.
How the United Arab Emirates formed
The United Arab Emirates was founded on 2nd December 1971 when Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nayhan united the Emirates altogether and thus created the United Arab Emirates. Hence the name! Before this, it was part of the British Empire.
The United Arab Emirates is made up of seven Emirates in total. These are Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain and Ajman.
You can find out more about how the UAE was founded by visiting the Founders Memorial in Abu Dhabi.
Who is the Dubai Sheikh?
The Sheikh of Dubai is Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Try our Emirati Name Generator to find out what your Sheikh or Sheikha name would be if you were Emirati.
5 reasons to visit Dubai
Dubai is extremely safe
Dubai is extremely safe and has one of the lowest crime rates in the world. In 2023, Dubai was ranked 6th, with a crime index of Dubai’s 16.3, and Abu Dhabi was the lowest in the world, also in the UAE.
Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah, two other emirates, ranked 2nd and 3rd lowest! Making 4 Emirates in the UAE, the safest cities in the world out of the top 6, which is incredible.
If you’re not worried about visiting London or New York, you definitely shouldn’t be worried about visiting Dubai. Any resident will tell you they feel extremely safe here. Women can walk around on their own late at night and even leave their handbags on the table while they go to the bathroom!
You can find out more information about safety and what Dubai is like for women.
Dubai is warm all year round
Dubai has a desert climate, making it mostly sunny and dry all year round! It is hugely popular as a destination during the winter months due to its warm climate!
If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, you might be surprised to know that average temperatures, even in its coldest month of February, are 19 to 20 Celcius (66 to 67 Fahrenheit). So it’s the perfect winter escape!
The UAE climate is generally the same throughout the country as it is only a small country.
This also means it gets extremely hot during the summer months between July and August, reaching temperatures close to 50 Celicuis (122 Fahrenheit).
Wind: 13km/h S
Humidity: 44%
Pressure: 995.26mbar
UV index: 0
35°C
37°C
38°C
39°C
39°C / 32°C
40°C / 34°C
41°C / 33°C
40°C / 33°C
Before you go, make sure to check out some of these other helpful articles:
- What is the currency of Dubai? Should I take cash or a card when travelling?
- Getting around Dubai – Which public transport should you use
- Are there bedbugs in Dubai? Plus how to prevent taking them home with you
- What plugs do they use in Dubai? What adapter to buy & other tips
- Is alcohol legal in Dubai? And where you can get into trouble
- Is Dubai dusty and what is the Dubai air quality like?
- Can you drink the water from the tap in Dubai? Is it safe?
- How to save money on Emirates flights when visiting Dubai
- All the Dos & Don’ts of Dubai, what you must know before visiting
- Where to stay in Dubai and the best Dubai hotels
- The Dubai Dress Code; what to wear as a woman in Dubai
- How to get a sim card in Dubai as a tourist
- Guide to visiting the Burj Khalifa and ticket cost plus tips from a local
Read more Visit Dubai guides
3 comments
Great detailed post! Saving for later…if I ever make it to Dubai.
So interesting to know that Dubai’s wealth is not because of oil! I always just assumed that! I did enjoy visiting this place, it was really fascinating to see how wealthy it is haha
I Would love to visit Dubai! Thanks for sharing!