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.
144 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Miraj Islamic Art Centre is an independent Islamic art collection set within Umm Al Emarat Park in Abu Dhabi. The venue’s defining character is this pairing of a focused art destination with one of the city’s major park settings.
متحف الغموض
The Museum of Illusions in Dubai is an attraction dedicated to optical illusions, visual tricks, and perceptual phenomena. It presents interactive exhibits that challenge visitors' understanding of reality through carefully constructed rooms, installations, and displays.
Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi is a scientific and cultural institution in Saadiyat Cultural District. Its galleries trace 13.8 billion years from the formation of the universe through the evolution of life and the environments of the present day.
NYUAD Art Gallery is an independent, public-facing contemporary art gallery on the New York University Abu Dhabi campus on Saadiyat Island. It is a non-collecting exhibition space, so the experience centres on changing exhibitions rather than a permanent collection.
Wahat Al Karama
Wahat Al Karama is a war memorial and monument site in Abu Dhabi, situated opposite Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Its name translates to Oasis of Dignity.
Observation Deck at 300 is the enclosed level-74 viewpoint inside Tower 2 of Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers.
Qasr Al Hosn is Abu Dhabi's oldest building, the ancestral home of the Al Nahyan family and the symbolic centre from which the city developed.
الحديقة القرآنية
Quranic Park is a Dubai public park themed around Islamic heritage and the Holy Quran. Its Arabic name is الحديقة القرآنية. The park occupies a substantial plot in Al Khawaneej and opened as a cultural-religious destination for residents and visitors.
Kai Beach is the current operating name of the former Saadiyat Public Beach on Saadiyat Island.
SeaWorld Abu Dhabi is an indoor marine-life theme park on Yas Island and the first SeaWorld park built outside the United States.
سوق مدينة جميرا
Souk Madinat Jumeirah is a purpose-built covered marketplace inside the Madinat Jumeirah resort, in the Jumeirah district a short way south of the Burj Al Arab.
Surf Abu Dhabi is a controlled-wave surf venue on Hudayriyat Island, built around a bookable surf basin rather than an open beach break.
teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi is an immersive digital art museum under development in Abu Dhabi, conceived by the Japanese interdisciplinary art collective teamLab.
Theatre Of Digital Art is an immersive cultural venue in Dubai dedicated to digital art exhibitions and multisensory experiences. It utilises advanced projection technology to transform interior spaces into dynamic visual environments.
The National Gallery in Dubai is an art institution presenting collections and exhibitions to the public. It operates as a cultural venue within the city's developing arts landscape.
ذا فيو ات ذا بالم
The View at The Palm is an observation deck situated on the Palm Jumeirah, Dubai's iconic artificial archipelago. Positioned atop The Palm Tower, this vantage point offers panoramic outlooks over the frond-shaped island, the Arabian Gulf, and the Dubai skyline.
Al Ittihad Square
Al Ittihad Square is an open civic space in Abu Dhabi, named for the union that gives the United Arab Emirates its national identity.
وو-هوو!
Woo-hoo! is listed as a visitor attraction in Dubai and is included in the city’s tourism landscape. Its name gives the place a playful identity, while the available description places it among Dubai’s broad range of visitor experiences.
ياس مول
Yas Mall is a large enclosed shopping and leisure centre on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. Its practical appeal is the way retail browsing, meals and indoor entertainment can be combined in one air-conditioned destination.
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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