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Abra water taxis with red canopies on Dubai Creek, one crossing with passengers, and low buildings with a minaret along the waterfront behind

Where to stay in Dubai

Photo: EditQ, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Places to stay in Dubai

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About Dubai

By road, the old town on Dubai Creek is about 11 km from Dubai International, Downtown about 18 km and Dubai Marina about 36 km. Parkin charges by the hour in the central zones, more at peak times, and hotels and holiday homes add the Tourism Dirham per room per night, for up to 30 nights.

United Arab Emirates. Guide last checked .

Facts and rules

Last checked . Each fact links to its source.

Airport
Dubai International (DXB), in Al Garhoud; by road about 18 km to Downtown Dubai, about 11 km to Al Fahidi in Bur Dubai and about 36 km to Dubai Marina. Source
Tourism Dirham, hotels
Per occupied room per night: AED 20 at five-star hotels and resorts, AED 15 at four-star, AED 10 at three-star and two-star, AED 7 at one-star hotels and guest houses; AED 20, 15 or 10 in hotel apartments by class. Source
Tourism Dirham, holiday homes
AED 15 per bedroom per night in a deluxe holiday home, AED 10 in a standard one; a maid's room counts as a bedroom. A stay of more than 30 consecutive nights pays for the first 30 only. Source
2026 fee exemption
In May 2026 the Government of Dubai announced that establishments registered with DET are exempt from collecting the Tourism Dirham and the sales fees on hotel rooms, in a package of three to 12 months. The dates are unverified as of September 2026. Source
Municipality fee
7% of hotel sales, cut from 10% by Decree No. 27 of 2019. Source
VAT
5%. The lease of a residential building is exempt; hotel apartments and serviced units are taxed at the standard rate. Source
Holiday home permits
A holiday home needs a DET permit, renewed yearly, and every print and digital advert must show the operator's trade name and the permit number. Source
Parking with a rental car
In most zones Parkin charges from 8:00 to 22:00, Monday to Saturday, AED 2.10 to AED 6.30 an hour by zone; premium zones cost AED 6.30 for an hour at 8:00 to 10:00 and 16:00 to 20:00. Free on Sundays and public holidays. Source
Entry, UK visitors
A free visitor visa on arrival, valid for up to 90 days over 180 days. Passports need 6 months of validity on arrival. Source
Entry, EU visitors
Up to 90 days in any 180 without a visa under the EU and UAE visa waiver agreement, which does not cover Ireland or paid work. Source
Entry, US visitors
A no-fee visa on arrival for personal travel of 30 days or less; an extension is at the discretion of immigration officials. Source
Monthly stays
A holiday home stay runs on DET's guest check-in document, valid for up to three months and renewable before it expires. Source
Leases (Ejari)
A residential lease falls under Dubai's tenancy law, which requires registration with RERA through the Dubai Land Department's Ejari; the law does not apply to hotel establishments. Source
Emergency numbers
Police 999, ambulance 998, fire 997 Source

Areas of Dubai

Downtown Dubai and Business Bay

The district around the Burj Khalifa, the Dubai Mall and the Dubai Fountain, with high-end hotels and a 3.5 km strip of restaurants and cafés on Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard; Business Bay, a district of towers along the extended Dubai Creek, lies just south. It suits a first visit built around the sights and the Dubai Mall.

Dubai airport (DXB)
about 18 km
Al Fahidi, Bur Dubai
about 10 km
Dubai Marina
about 22 km

Car and parking

Parkin's zone GP, which covers the Burj Khalifa area and Business Bay, charges AED 4.20 for an hour off-peak and AED 6.30 at peak times, 8:00 to 10:00 and 16:00 to 20:00, from Monday to Saturday; Sundays are free. SMS payment works only on UAE networks, so pay in the Parkin app.

Striped umbrellas and sun loungers on the beach at JBR, with a large observation wheel standing across the water
Photographed in 2018. Photo: Karan85hp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Dubai Marina and JBR

A district built around an artificial canal along 3 km of the coast, and on its shore JBR, a 1.7 km waterfront of 40 towers, five of them hotels, within walking distance of the Dubai Tram and the Dubai Metro. It suits a beach stay in a tower hotel or apartment, less so a trip centred on the old town.

Dubai airport (DXB)
about 36 km
Downtown Dubai
about 22 km
The beach at JBR
about 2 km

Car and parking

Parkin's zone table does not name Dubai Marina or JBR; the zone code on the sign sets the price, within Parkin's range of AED 2.10 to AED 6.30 an hour. Ask about a space before booking: a holiday home's terms must give the guest's parking space number.

Rows of white sun loungers and parasols on a beach on Palm Jumeirah, with palm trees, a bridge and a pink hotel tower in the distance
Photo: Saaremees, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Palm Jumeirah

Artificial islands of reclaimed land shaped like a palm tree: a mixed commercial and residential trunk, homes and villas on the fronds, and resorts along the outer crescent. It suits a resort stay or a villa for a family or group, with Dubai Marina a short drive away.

Dubai airport (DXB)
about 37 km
Dubai Marina
about 8 km
Downtown Dubai
about 24 km

Car and parking

Parkin's zone table does not list Palm Jumeirah, so parking depends on the hotel or building; ask before booking. In a holiday home, DET's rules make the guest terms state the parking space number and how many cars are allowed.

Clear shallow water at Kite Beach in Jumeirah, with the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab hotel on the horizon
Photo: IvaTheCat, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim

Jumeirah is a coastal residential district of mostly low-rise houses and hotel developments, from large detached homes to modest town houses, and Umm Suqeim, which borders it on the same coast, holds the Burj Al Arab and Umm Suqeim Beach. It suits a beach hotel or a villa close to Downtown.

Dubai airport (DXB)
about 19 km
Downtown Dubai
about 6 km
Umm Suqeim 3
about 10 km

Car and parking

Parkin names Jumeirah among its premium parking areas, where an hour costs AED 6.30 at peak times and AED 2.10 to AED 4.20 off-peak, by zone, Monday to Saturday from 8:00 to 22:00. Ask a villa host whether the house has its own parking.

A wind tower rising above sand-coloured walls and a wooden door in the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood of Bur Dubai, with murals on the walls
Photo: EditQ, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Deira and Bur Dubai

The historic districts on either side of Dubai Creek, crossed by abras, the wooden boats that work as water taxis: Deira at the northern end, Bur Dubai on the western bank with the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood and the 1.8 km Al Seef promenade. The closest areas to the airport, they suit short stays, early flights and the old town.

Dubai airport (DXB)
about 11 km
Downtown Dubai
about 10 km
Deira from Al Fahidi by road
about 6 km

Car and parking

Parkin names Deira and Bur Dubai among its premium parking areas: AED 6.30 for an hour at peak times and AED 2.10 to AED 4.20 off-peak, by zone, free on Sundays. Its multistorey car parks charge AED 5 an hour or AED 40 for 24 hours, plus VAT, around the clock.

The turquoise reservoir of Hatta Dam below bare, rocky mountain slopes, with a fence along the shore
Photo: SHARON VISHAKHAM, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Hatta

An inland exclave of the emirate of Dubai in the mountains, where Hatta Resorts rents lodges, domes, caravans and vintage campers alongside a hotel and holiday homes. Most activities, from kayaking to mountain biking, run from 1 October to 5 May. It suits a night or two out of the city.

Dubai airport (DXB)
about 107 km
Downtown Dubai
about 110 km

Car and parking

Visit Hatta puts the drive from Dubai at about 90 minutes, with the Sharjah-Kalba route on the E102 usually the quickest. The older E44 passes through Omani territory near Al Madam, and rental cover may not extend to Oman (via GetCar).

Guides

Questions

Which area of Dubai is best for a first visit?

Downtown Dubai, around the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Mall, for the sights, or Dubai Marina and JBR for a beach stay in a tower hotel or apartment. Deira and Bur Dubai, on the creek, are the closest areas to the airport, about 9 to 11 km by road.

How much is the Tourism Dirham in Dubai?

AED 7 to AED 20 per room per night by hotel class, and AED 10 or AED 15 per bedroom per night in a holiday home, for at most 30 consecutive nights. In May 2026 the Government of Dubai announced an exemption from collecting it; its dates are unverified as of September 2026.

Is parking free in Dubai on Sundays?

In most zones, Parkin's street parking is free on Sundays and public holidays, and overnight from 22:00 to 8:00. Multistorey car parks charge around the clock: AED 5 an hour or AED 40 for 24 hours, plus VAT.

Must a Dubai holiday home listing show a permit number?

Yes. DET's rules require the operator's trade name and the holiday home permit number in every print and digital advert, and the permit must be displayed in the unit.