Geography of Dubai

Dubai is a lively city on the Persian Gulf coast of the United Arab Emirates. It sits about 16 meters or 52 feet above sea level and covers 1,588 square miles (4,110 km²). The city grew by taking land from the sea through land reclamation from the sea. It borders Abu Dhabi to the south, Sharjah to the northeast, and Oman to the southeast. A small area named Hatta, which is an exclave of Dubai, is surrounded by Oman and nearby emirates Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah.

Dubai lies in the Arabian Desert, but its land looks different from other parts of the UAE. Instead of gravel, Dubai has sandy deserts with fine, white sand made from crushed shell and coral. East of the city, there are salt-crusted coastal plains called sabkha, followed by lines of sand dunes that run north to south. Further east, the dunes grow larger and turn reddish because of iron oxide.

To the east, the flat sandy desert meets the Western Hajar Mountains. These mountains create a rugged, dry landscape that rises up to about 1,300 meters (4,265 feet) in places. Dubai does not have natural rivers or oases, but it has a natural inlet named Dubai Creek. This creek has been made deep enough for large ships to pass through. The city also has many gorges and waterholes at the base of the Western Hajar mountains. Much of southern Dubai is covered by huge sand dunes that stretch into The Empty Quarter. Dubai is in a very stable area for earthquakes, with the nearest fault line, the Zagros Fault, 200 kilometers away. Experts say the chance of a tsunami here is very low because the Persian Gulf waters are not deep enough to create one.

Fauna and flora

The sandy desert around Dubai is home to wild grasses and date palms. Plants like desert hyacinths, acacia, and ghaf trees grow in different areas. Natural parks have many kinds of trees.

Dubai’s desert has animals such as the MacQueen’s bustard, striped hyena, caracal, desert fox, falcons, and Arabian oryx. Many birds travel through Dubai in spring and autumn. The waters near Dubai have many fish and sea creatures, including tropical fish, jellyfish, coral, dugong, dolphins, whales, sharks, and turtles.

Urban areas

Dubai Creek runs from northeast to southwest through the city. The eastern part is called Deira. Deira is next to the emirate of Sharjah to the east and the town of Al Aweer to the south. The Dubai International Airport is south of Deira. Palm Deira is north of Deira along the Persian Gulf. Much of Dubai’s buildings are west of Dubai Creek, along the Jumeirah coast. Places like Port Rashid, Jebel Ali, Burj Al Arab, the Palm Jumeirah, and areas such as Business Bay are in this part of the city. Dubai is known for its special man-made islands, such as the Palm Islands and The World archipelago.

Climate

Main article: Climate of Dubai

Dubai has a hot desert climate. The summers are very hot and windy, with temperatures often reaching around 40 °C (104 °F). Even at night, it stays warm. Winters are cooler, with temperatures around 24 °C (75 °F) during the day. Dubai gets some rain each year. The humidity in summer can make the heat feel very hot. The highest temperature ever recorded in Dubai was 48.8 °C (119.8 °F).