Geography of Dubai

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

Dubai is located within the Arabian Desert, but its landscape is different from the rest of the UAE. Instead of gravel deserts, Dubai features sandy deserts with fine, white sand made mostly from crushed shell and coral. East of the city, you can find salt-crusted coastal plains called sabkha, followed by lines of sand dunes that run north to south. Further east, the dunes become larger and take on a reddish color due to iron oxide.

To the east, the flat sandy desert gives way to the Western Hajar Mountains, which form a rugged, arid landscape rising up to about 1,300 meters (4,265 feet) in some places. Dubai does not have natural rivers or oases, but it does have a natural inlet called Dubai Creek, which has been made deep enough for large ships to pass through. The city is also home to many gorges and waterholes at the base of the Western Hajar mountains. Much of southern Dubai is covered by vast sand dunes that stretch into The Empty Quarter. Dubai is in a very stable seismic zone, with the nearest fault line, the Zagros Fault, located 200 kilometers away. Experts say the chance of a tsunami in the region 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, and natural parks have both native and imported trees.

Dubai’s desert is a habitat for animals such as the MacQueen’s bustard, striped hyena, caracal, desert fox, falcons, and Arabian oryx. Many migratory birds pass through Dubai in spring and autumn. The waters near Dubai host many fish species and marine life, including tropical fish, jellyfish, coral, dugong, dolphins, whales, sharks, and several types of turtles.

Urban areas

Dubai Creek runs from northeast to southwest through the city. The eastern part of the city is called Deira and 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, and Palm Deira is north of Deira along the Persian Gulf. Much of Dubai’s growth in buildings is 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 all in this part of the city. Dubai is well-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, windy, and humid, with temperatures often reaching around 40 °C (104 °F). Even at night, it stays warm, around 30 °C (86 °F) in August, the hottest month. Winters are much cooler, with temperatures around 24 °C (75 °F) during the day and dropping to about 14 °C (57 °F) at night in January. Dubai gets some rain, with about 110.7 mm (4.36 in) falling each year. The humidity in summer can make the heat feel even hotter, sometimes making it feel like over 60 °C (140 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded in Dubai was 48.8 °C (119.8 °F).