Dubai’s Podcast

About Dubai

Dubai (, doo-BY; Arabic: دبي, romanized: Dubayy, IPA: [dʊˈbajj], Gulf Arabic pronunciation: [dəˈbaj]) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the country's seven emirates. Established in the 19th century as a small fishing village, Dubai grew into a regional trading hub in the early 20th century and grew rapidly in the late 20th and early 21st centuries with a focus on tourism and luxury. It has the second-most five-star hotels in the world and boasts the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa, which is 828 metres (2,717 ft) tall. In the eastern Arabian Peninsula, on the coast of the Persian Gulf, it is a major global transport hub for passengers and cargo. Oil revenue helped accelerate the development of the city, which was already a major mercantile hub.