Country guide
The United Arab Emirates has been one country since 2 December 1971, when seven emirates — Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Fujairah and Ras Al...
Photograph · Tonenight · CC BY-SA 4.0
Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor
The United Arab Emirates has been one country since 2 December 1971, when seven emirates — Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah — federated. It covers 83,600 km² and held 11,027,129 people in 2024, of whom about 11 per cent are Emirati citizens; the rest came to work, and that shapes the food, the languages and the shape of a week more than any monument does. Abu Dhabi is the capital and Dubai the largest city, close enough to treat as one base. The northern emirates beyond them are quieter and far less built.
Checked 2026-08-25
Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.
Photograph · Tim Reckmann from Hamm, Deutschland · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photograph · Валерий Дед · CC BY 3.0
Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.
35 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
نافورة دبي
The Dubai Fountain is a choreographed water and light show staged on the Burj Lake, the artificial lake that lies between the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall and Souk Al Bahar in Downtown Dubai.
Deira Gold Souk
Deira Gold Souk is an open-air jewellery market in Al Ras, at the northern end of Deira, a few hundred metres back from the Dubai Creek waterfront.
سوق التوابل
Dubai Spice Souk is a traditional market in Deira, Dubai's historic commercial district. The souk forms part of the older trading quarter near Dubai Creek, where merchants have conducted business for generations.
Deira Clocktower is a prominent roundabout monument located in the Deira district of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
دبي باركس
Dubai Parks and Resorts is a large integrated leisure destination in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It encompasses multiple theme parks and entertainment zones within one complex.
حديقة مشرف الوطنية
Mushrif Park is a major public park in Dubai, known locally as حديقة مشرف الوطنية. The park occupies a substantial green space in the eastern part of the city, offering a natural environment distinct from Dubai's urban core.
Six to eight days is enough for roughly four days in Dubai and two or three in Abu Dhabi. Sharjah can be a separate museum day, while Ras Al Khaimah or Fujairah requires dedicated road time rather than being treated as a quick urban extension.
UAE entry permission depends on nationality and may be arranged in advance or granted under a nationality-specific rule. Confirm the current position through the federal ICP service or the responsible UAE embassy, especially for a stopover itinerary.
Dubai combines metro, tram, buses, and marine transport; Abu Dhabi relies more heavily on buses and taxis. Travel between emirates remains road-based, so allow for an intercity bus, taxi, or rental car rather than expecting a passenger train.
November through March gives the most practical outdoor hours for this Dubai-Abu Dhabi route. In hotter months, schedule waterfront and heritage districts early or late and reserve the middle of the day for indoor museums.
The United Arab Emirates uses the dirham (AED). Cards are widely useful in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, but retain an AED backup for smaller fares or deposits and check which currency a card terminal proposes.
Police in the UAE can be reached on 999 and ambulance services on 998. Type G sockets supply 230 V; tap-water guidance is not recorded here, so ask the accommodation for the building-specific position.
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