Want to know more about Dubai?

Here’s a list of 50 interesting facts about Dubai that you may not have known!

Dubai facts

dubai facts
  • Dubai is the largest city in the United Arab Emirates.
  • Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the tallest building in the world, with a total height of 829.8 m (ca. 2,722 ft).
  • Burj Khalifa has the tallest service elevator in the world.
  • The Burj Khalifa’s design embodies the structure of Spider Lily – a regional desert flower.
  • On the lowest floors of the Burj Khalifa, there is a hotel designed by Giorgio Armani.
  • In 2018, Dubai visited 16.66 million tourists from around the world – it was the fourth most visited city in the world after Bangkok, London, and Paris.
  • Not oil, but tourism and financial services, are Dubai’s main source of income.
  • China is Dubai’s largest international trading partner.
  • The annual Dubai World Cup horse race offers the world’s largest win of $ 15 million.
  • In Dubai, there is a high traffic accident rate (one accident almost every 3 minutes).
  • The Dubai Metro is currently the largest driverless metro. 
  • Dubai is investing a lot of money in airport development, so that passengers from every city in the world can fly straight to Dubai.
  • Dubai is the 6th safest city in the world, according to CEOWORLD magazine (2018).
  • The United Arab Emirates (so Dubai) does not have any income tax.

People in Dubai

fun facts about dubai
  • 75% of the Dubai population is male.
  • 85% of Dubai’s residents are foreigners, primarily from India.
  • 25% of the Dubai population has Iranian roots.
  • The official religion of Dubai is Islam, but Dubai is tolerant and respectful of other faiths. 
  • Holding hands as a married couple is accepted, but kissing and hugging in public are not tolerated.
  • There are no natural rivers in Dubai.
  • The World Island is an archipelago of 300 artificial islands, made up about 4 kilometers from the city’s coasts. The islands look like a world map from a bird’s-eye view.
  • Dubai Palm Islands are the three largest artificial islands in the world.
  • The creation of the Palm Islands started in 2001, and currently, only Palm Jumeirah has been completed.
  • Palm Jumeirah was built entirely from sand and rocks.
  • The construction of the Dubai Palm Islands has impacted the maritime environment, surrounding wildlife, coastal erosion, and wave patterns.
  • The Sky Dubai is a ski resort with a slope, snow and penguins, located in the Mall of the Emirates.

Dubai fun facts

uae dubai
  • In Dubai, there are Gold ATM’s where you can put your credit card or money and buy gold.
  • The Gold Souk is the best place to buy golden souvenirs in Dubai. There is approximately 10 tonnes of gold at any given moment.
  • Dubai does not have any zip codes or Postal Code. If a zip code is required, 00000 is used as a zip code of the UAE / Dubai.  
  • Dubai police drive luxury and high-performance cars such as Bugatti, McLaren, Ferrari, Porsche, and more. They are used for patrolling tourist areas.
  • Dubai’s firefighters use special jetpacks to fight with high-altitude fires.
  • Dubai is offering pink-colored taxis with a female driver for the comfort of Muslim women.
  • There are air-conditioned bus stops in Dubai.
  • Dubailand is a project of the largest amusement park in the world, being built in Dubai. The end of works is expected for 2020.
  • 30% of all world cranes are located in Dubai.
  • Mohammad Basheer Abdul Khada from Dubai survived a plane crash, and six days later he won a million dollars in a lottery.
  • Dubai has devised a plan to incentivize its citizens to lose weight. For every pound shed, the city gives some gold. The award doubles for children.

Burj Al Arab facts

burj al arab facts
  • The Burj Al Arab is sometimes erroneously described as the world’s only 7-star hotel. In fact, it is a 5-star hotel.
  • The shape of the hotel is to imitate the ship’s sail.
  • The lounge of the Burj Al Arab is one of the most expensive lounges in the world. It costs $1.5 million and is covered with 29,000 Swarovski crystals arranged in the shape of the Milky Way.
  • There are some unusual events hosted on the Burj Al Arab helicopter’s landing. The best-known are the tennis match played on it between Andre Agassi and Roger Federer and the ball kick by Tiger Woods, opening the 2004 golf championship.
  • There are full-sized Hermes amenities in every Burj Al Arab suite
  • Burj Al Arab employees can to invite up to three friends for a mini tour of the hotel. Only three trips per day are allowed.

Dubai Mall facts

dubai mall facts
  • The Dubai Mall is the world’s largest and most-visited shopping center, with a total area of 3.8 million sq feet. 
  • There are more than 1200 shops in the Dubai Mall.
  • Dubai Mall welcomes well over 80 million visitors annually.
  • Candylicious Sweet Shop in the Dubai Mall is the world’s largest candy store with a total area of 1000 sq meters.
  • The Aquarium at the Dubai Mall is the largest indoor aquarium on earth.
  • Parking at the Dubai Mall can accommodate 14,000 cars.

*** Don’t miss our 1-day Dubai itinerary and our tips on what to do in Dubai with your toddler***


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