Dubai

Dubai is the <a href="/facts/List_of_cities_in_the_United_Arab_Emirates/1chR8G6v">most populous city</a> in the <a href="/facts/United_Arab_Emirates/o1bEjgbR">United Arab Emirates</a> and the capital of the <a href="/facts/Emirate_of_Dubai/Hwt9IAVN">Emirate of Dubai</a>, the most populous of <a href="/facts/Emirates_of_the_United_Arab_Emirates/SrgWSBAE">the country's seven emirates</a>. As of 2024, the city has <a href="/facts/Demographics_of_Dubai/AD26CcTB">a population</a> of around 3.79 million, more than 90% of whom are <a href="/facts/Expatriates_in_the_United_Arab_Emirates/xXDF72Xa">expatriates</a>.
In the early 20th century, Dubai developed into a significant regional and international trade hub, emphasizing <a href="/facts/Tourism_in_Dubai/YT1aJx3u">tourism</a> and luxury. Dubai has been a center for regional and international trade since the early 20th century, and <a href="/facts/Economy_of_Dubai/uJwYQYN5">its economy</a> relies on revenues from trade, tourism, aviation, real estate, and financial services. Oil revenue helped accelerate the development of the city. However, oil production contributed less than 1 percent to the emirate's GDP in 2018.
Dubai is a major global business hub, consistently ranked among the top cities for trade, finance, and logistics. The <a href="/facts/Dubai_International_Financial_Centre/y9Q12nM8">Dubai International Financial Centre</a> (DIFC), a leading financial hub in the Middle East and Africa, is home to over 2,500 international companies. The city has a substantial real estate market, with $761 billion in transactions in 2024 alone. It has the second-most <a href="/facts/Five-star_hotel/ye6hpQS6">five-star hotels</a> in the world after <a href="/facts/London/KozCCsy9">London</a> and boasts the <a href="/facts/Tallest_building_in_the_world/wkeLK00x">tallest building in the world</a>, the <a href="/facts/Burj_Khalifa/YIwfnMf4">Burj Khalifa</a>, which stands at 828 meters (2,717 ft). Due to financial secrecy, low taxes, and valuable real estate, Dubai is an appealing destination for money launderers, criminals, corrupt political figures and sanctioned businesspeople to launder or hide money. 
Dubai was ranked 43rd out of 48 cities in overall environment due to issues such as poor air quality, lack of urban greenery, and lack of renewable energy. <a href="/facts/Dubai_International_Airport/g8tGHftS">Dubai International Airport</a> (DXB) is the world’s busiest airport for international passenger traffic, handling over 92 million passengers annually as of 2024. 
Tourism is a major sector of Dubai’s economy, accounting for about 11.5% of its GDP in 2023. The city is known for luxury shopping, modern architecture, and entertainment. <a href="/facts/Dubai_Mall/h01gwY5z">Dubai Mall</a>, the largest shopping mall in the world by total area, receives over 100 million visitors annually. In 2023, Dubai was the 3rd most-visited city globally.

Dubai open-in-new

Dubai