This might seem as a no brainer but you will be surprised at the number of people who ask this question.

Dubai is a city and it is the capital of the Emirate of Dubai.

Dubai is therefore not a country.

So there is Dubai city and Dubai Emirate. Dubai city is the capital of Dubai Emirate.

Dubai Emirate is located within the country called United Arab Emirates. It is among the 7 Emirates of the UAE namely;

Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.

Dubai is the most populated with a population of over 4 million, of which 90% are expats. This is because Dubai is the most liberal of the 7 emirates. As much as it is a Muslim dominated, it is multi-cultural, something I appreciate. This is one of the differences between Dubai and other middle eastern cities like Doha or Jeddah that are a bit more conservative than Dubai.

Dubai does not really have a set dress code, as long as you are decent, you are good.

A Bit of History of Dubai

It began as a fishing village and after the discovery of oil in the 1960s, Dubai embarked on infrastructure projects that were possible as a result of the revenues generated from the mining and sale of the oil.

The government focused on developing Dubai as they knew their reserves will one day be depleted. As of 2024, Oil contributed 1% of Dubai’s GDP and 30% of UAE’s GDP.

Tourism on the other hand contributes 13% of Dubai’s GDP and 7% of UAE’s GDP.

The government of Dubai is however planning to increase tourism hence the continued developments in the emirate such as the expansion of Dubai Mall, Expansion of the Dubai International Airport, Investing in the Emirate’s Courier, Emirates Airline, real estate developments among other projects.

Tourism in Dubai

Back in the 1980s, the government established a board known as The Dubai Commerce and Tourism Promotion Board whose main job was to promote Dubai as a travel and luxurious destination. In 1987, the name of the board was changed to Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM).

When it comes to tourism, Dubai is a hotspot.

In terms of the nationalities that visit Dubai the most, Indians, Saudis, Russians and Britons top that list.

It was the 3rd most visited place on Earth in 2023 and is slated to be the destination with the highest number of visitors in 2025.

There you have it folks. Dubai is not a country but a capital city of the Dubai Emirate.