The photography guide to United Arab Emirates Dubai
33 photo spots 140 inspiring images 1 event 19 contributors

Dubai photography guide

Our contributors have added 33 photo spots to this Dubai photo guide. Have you discovered an amazing new location in Dubai?

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Introduction

Dubai is the largest and most populated city in the United Arab Emirates. It is located on the southeast coast of the Persian Gulf and is the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, one of the seven emirates.

Dubai is a cityscape photographer’s paradise that rivals New York, Shanghai, Tokyo or Hong Kong with state-of-the-art multi-lane highway grids and breathtaking spaghetti junctions, a futuristic metro system, the world’s largest man-made islands and some of the tallest skyscrapers in the world, including the 828 m Burj Khalifa which dominates the skyline.

There are several great districts of Dubai, which you should definitely visit: Dubai Downtown, Dubai Marina, Deira, Business Bay and Palm Island in particular. Dubai also boasts incredible local cuisine, fantastic shopping, great sandy beaches, water parks and family attractions. For true thrill seekers, Dubai offers a unique skydiving experience from a plane some 3900m above Palm Jumeirah as well as other out-of-city adrenaline-pumping experiences and adventures.

Most popular Dubai photo spots


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Top Picks

For me most valuable and incredible experience is the visit to the observation deck at Burj Khalifa. This majestic building will literally bring you to the skies with a 360-degree city view when the light is on your side. You can choose from two decks at either 456 m or 555 m. Your journey begins when you step into the At the Top, Burj Khalifa SKY lounge, from where you will be personally escorted to a dedicated elevator. From the deck you’ll see the 7-star hotel Burj Al Arab and the marina panorama. From the other side you have views of Sheik Zayed road and several of the tallest skyscrapers.


Travel

Visit Dubai at any time of year except summer for an incredible experience. Summer time is very hot there; spring or autumn season are more enjoyable. It’s popular, so expect lots of tourists, but Dubai is a safe city with amazing things to do. Traffic is heavy in Dubai, so your best option is to take a taxi; most companies are government-owned. Otherwise use public the transport system which, in my opinion, is one of the best in the world.

Official government taxi companies are differentiated by their different roof colours:

Arabia Taxi (Green roof)

Cars Taxi (Blue roof)

Dubai Tax (Red roof)

Metro Taxi (Orange roof)

National Taxi (Yellow roof)

If you plan to visit attractions in different parts of Dubai, be rigorous about your time management to cover the distance and allow for traffic and transport.

In shopping centres, it is not unusual to negotiate the advertised price. In many shops it is considered a tradition to haggle and it will give you an opportunity to meet some incredible salesman and people.

Always try to respect cultural customs even though Dubai is one of the more liberal Emirates.


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Curated By

Marek Kijevský Curator
Passionate photographer from Slovakia. Based in Prague and visiting Dubai regularly for photography.
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