City guide · دبي · Dubai

Dubai

A fishing village transformed into a city of the future — a dream of gold and glass on the shore of the Gulf

Photo: JSPhotography2016 · CC BY-SA 4.0

The largest city of the United Arab Emirates, on the southern shore of the Persian Gulf. A century ago Dubai was only a small fishing port living on pearling and entrepôt trade; Deira and Bur Dubai, on the two banks of Dubai Creek, were its old heart: wind-tower houses, the Gold Souk and the Spice Souk face each other across the water, and the wooden abra ferries cross for a single coin. Today, the Burj Khalifa, the Palm Islands and the Museum of the Future define its skyline, while the old districts' everyday bustle still lingers in the creek breeze; foreigners make up about ninety percent of the resident population, making it one of the most international cities in the world.

History

How the city came to be

Fishing villages long stood on both banks of Dubai Creek, their people living by pearling, fishing and entrepôt trade. In 1833, the Maktoum family led the Bani Yas tribe here and established its rule, and Dubai attracted Indian and Persian merchants with its free-port policy. In the early 20th century the pearling industry collapsed under the impact of cultured pearls and the Great Depression, and Dubai got by on re-exports and the gold trade. Dubai Creek was dredged in the 1950s; oil was discovered offshore in 1966; and in 1971 Dubai joined the United Arab Emirates. Afterwards Port Rashid, Jebel Ali Port and the free zones were built one after another, and Emirates airline was founded in 1985. In the 21st century, real estate, tourism and finance boomed across the board; the 828-metre Burj Khalifa was completed in 2010, and Dubai completed its leap from fishing village to global gateway city.

1833The Maktoum family establishes its rule over Dubai
1950Dubai Creek is dredged; entrepôt trade revives
1966Oil is discovered off Dubai's coast
1971Dubai joins the United Arab Emirates
1979Jebel Ali Port opens, later becoming one of the largest artificial ports in the world
1985Emirates airline is founded
2010The Burj Khalifa is completed and opens, 828 metres tall
2021Dubai hosts Expo 2020 (postponed due to the pandemic)

Stories

Stories of the city

Stories of Burj Khalifa

History · Burj Khalifa

There are two suspense threads in the Burj Khalifa's story: first, secrecy about its height — throughout construction the developer steadfastly refused to announce the final height, and only at topping-out did the outside world learn that the figure of 828 metres would push the world record up by more than three hundred metres in one go; second, the last-minute name change — only on its inauguration night in 2010 was it renamed from Burj Dubai to Burj Khalifa. The design inspiration is equally documented: the plan derives from the three-petal form of the local desert spider lily and Islamic geometric patterns, and the Y-shaped three-lobed layout gives every household a sea view while shedding wind loads layer by layer. None of this is legend but facts recorded in drawings and ceremony records; the tower's legendary aura comes precisely from this drama of stacking engineering, finance and national narrative into a single evening. Interestingly, even the tower's final height remained a project secret before topping-out — most construction workers knew only part of the picture.

History of Burj Khalifa

History · Burj Khalifa

Construction of the Burj Khalifa began in 2004 and it was officially inaugurated on 4 January 2010: a building height of 828 metres with 163 storeys above ground, designed by Adrian Smith of SOM, its plan adopting a three-lobed footprint layout to resist wind and echo Islamic architectural geometry, and its structure using a buttressed core system. At the construction peak over ten thousand workers were on site at once, and records such as concrete pumping height were repeatedly broken. The project was originally named Burj Dubai and was renamed Burj Khalifa on the inauguration night, after Khalifa bin Zayed, president of the UAE and ruler of Abu Dhabi — coming right after Dubai's debt troubles, the renaming is widely read as a tribute to Abu Dhabi's support (this is a widely reported interpretation; officials have not explained it item by item).

Must see

Places you shouldn’t miss

Classic landmarkDubai, United Arab Emirates

Burj Khalifa

828 metres piercing the clouds — the new-era coordinate of human architectural history

A wind-tower lane in Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood

Classic landmarkBur Dubai, by Dubai Creek, Dubai, UAE

Old Dubai: Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood

Wind-tower houses built by Persian merchants in the 1890s, and the spice and gold souks of Deira across the creek — Dubai before oil.

Local life

Food and local daily life

Burj Khalifa

Must-try

Arabic mezze platter
Machboos spiced rice
Lebanese mixed grill
Luqaimat honey dumplings
Arabic coffee with dates

Arabic mezze platter (hummus, pita and olives, the classic starter); Machboos spiced rice (chicken or lamb with saffron rice); Lebanese mixed grill (steadily good quality at downtown restaurants); Luqaimat honey dumplings (a traditional Emirati dessert); Arabic coffee with dates (the combination of hospitality)

Where to eat	The restaurant clusters of Dubai Mall and Souk Al Bahar are the most convenient, with the best views on the fountain-lake side; for dining at altitude, book the tower's At.mosphere (expensive, reservations essential)
Dining etiquette	Emirati public dining etiquette: accept tea and coffee with the right hand, and be cautious about eating openly in non-dining areas during Ramadan daytime; Arabic meals are often shared from large platters, and leaving a little in your dish is polite
Typical price per person	AED 80–180 per person, about CNY 158–355 (market reference); the tower's high-floor restaurants run to AED 500 or more per person
Tips	Fountain-view restaurants need dinner bookings several days ahead; for value, choose the Souk Al Bahar side, where you can see both the tower and the full fountain panorama

Prices are typical rates as of October 2026, not exact quotes; CNY equivalents are approximate where exchange rates fluctuate.

Old Dubai: Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood · Arabic mixed grill · Camel burger / stewed camel · Hummus

Must-try

Arabic mixed grill
Camel burger / stewed camel
Hummus

Arabic grill platters, camel burgers / stewed camel (at some restaurants), hummus with pita, dates with Arabic coffee (qahwa), luqaimat (fried dumplings in honey syrup)

Where to eat	Arabian Tea House (in Al Fahidi), cafés in the lanes of Bastakiya, and restaurants around the spice and gold souks in old Deira across the creek
Dining etiquette	The UAE is a Muslim country — dress appropriately in public; during Ramadan eating in public by day is restricted (follow that year's rules); alcohol only in licensed venues
Typical price per person	AED 80–150 ≈ CNY 155–290
Tips	After the old town and a 1-dirham abra boat ride across Dubai Creek, eat in old Deira's small restaurants for better value.

Prices are typical rates as of October 2026, not exact quotes; CNY equivalents are approximate where exchange rates fluctuate.