Quad Bike Dubai for First Timers – Everyone starts somewhere, preferably on sand.
Quad Bike Dubai 101: Beginner Tips and Safety
There's a magic to Dubai's desert that's hard to describe until you're there-the soft roar of the engine, the warm wind, and dunes that rise and fall like frozen waves. Quad biking gives you a way to explore that landscape up close. But the same elements that make it thrilling can make it risky if you're new to off‑roading. With a little preparation and respect for the terrain, your first ride can be memorable for all the right reasons.
Quad Bike Dubai for First Timers – Everyone starts somewhere, preferably on sand.
Quad Bike Dubai for First Timers – Everyone starts somewhere, preferably on sand.
Quad Biking Dubai Must Do Activity – The bucket list item that actually delivers.
Best Quad Bike Dubai Deals – More ride time, less regret.
Quad Bike Dubai Cheap Packages – Big thrills that don’t scare your wallet.
Start with the right operator and the right machine Your experience starts long before you hit the sand. Choose a reputable tour company-one that maintains its bikes, provides proper safety gear, and offers a real briefing, not just a quick “you'll be fine.” Look for recent reviews that mention safety, and don't be shy about asking how often the quads are serviced and whether their tours include a guide-to-rider ratio that feels comfortable.
For beginners, an automatic quad in the 150–250cc range is usually ideal. It gives you enough power to climb moderate dunes without being twitchy. If you're smaller in build or nervous, ask for a lower-powered option. Make sure the bike fits: you should be able to reach the handlebars comfortably with a slight bend in your elbows and operate the brakes without stretching.
Know the rules before you ride In Dubai and across the UAE, quad bikes aren't allowed on public roads. Stick to tour areas, designated off‑road zones, or private land with permission. Age limits and policies vary by operator, but many require drivers to be 16+ for full-size quads and may offer smaller youth models for teens. Always bring ID, and check whether your tour includes third‑party liability coverage; if not, consider personal travel insurance that covers motorized activities. Regulations and land-use rules can change-follow your guide's instructions and posted signs, and avoid restricted or protected areas.
Dress for the desert, not for the photos The right clothing helps you ride longer and safer:
Helmet and goggles: Non‑negotiable. A DOT- or ECE-certified helmet and snug goggles protect against sand, sun, and impacts.
Gloves: Reduce blisters and give better grip when your hands get sweaty.
Boots: Over‑the‑ankle boots with good tread help control the quad and shield your feet.
Clothing: Long sleeves and long pants in lightweight, breathable fabric protect from sun and scrapes. A neck scarf or buff keeps sand out and doubles as sun protection.
Sun and hydration: Apply high‑SPF sunscreen, bring a reusable water bottle, and drink regularly. Morning or late‑afternoon rides are cooler and have softer light.
Do a quick pre‑ride check Even on guided tours, spend a minute getting familiar with your quad.
Controls: Identify the throttle, brakes, gear selector if applicable, kill switch, and starter.
Brakes and throttle: Test responsiveness at a crawl.
Tires: Rentals usually set pressures for the dunes-don't change them yourself. Visually check for damage.
Lanyard/kill switch: If your bike uses a safety tether, clip it to you.
Riding basics: how to work with the dunes The desert rewards smoothness and punishes panic. These fundamentals will keep you upright and in control:
Eyes up, chin level: Look where you want to go, not at the front tires. Your body follows your gaze.
Steady throttle: On sand, momentum is your friend. Ease onto the power rather than stabbing at it, and avoid chopping the throttle on climbs to prevent bogging down.
Weight shifting: Move your body to keep the quad balanced.
Climbing: Lean forward to keep the front light and tracking.
Descending: Shift your weight back, use engine braking, and apply rear brake gently; avoid grabbing the front brake on steep downhills.
Traversing a slope: Lean uphill to counteract the tilt and keep your inside foot on the peg.
Cresting dunes: Approach perpendicularly, with enough speed to reach the top but not launch. Pause or slow just before the crest to check what's beyond-drop-offs and soft cornices are common.
Turning: On soft sand, turn with a bit of throttle and a wide arc. Sharp turns at low speed can catch a tire and tip the quad.
Spacing: Leave at least 3–5 bike lengths on flat terrain and more on dunes. Dust reduces visibility and soft crests can hide the rider ahead.
Group etiquette and communication Guided tours use hand signals and sometimes helmet radios.
Quad Bike Dubai for First Timers – Everyone starts somewhere, preferably on sand.
Quad Biking Dubai Red Dune Adventure – The dunes that fight back just enough to be fun.
Learn the basics before moving off:
Stop, slow, hazard, single-file, and regroup signals are common.
If you stall or get stuck, raise a hand and wait for the guide rather than spinning the wheels deeper.
Overconfidence early on: The first 10 minutes feel easy on flat sand. The dunes are different. Build speed gradually, practice weight shifts, and listen to feedback from the bike.
Riding too slowly on climbs: If you lose momentum, don't fight the bike. Turn downhill in a controlled arc and try again with a smoother approach.
Braking hard on descents: Use engine braking and light, progressive pressure. Keep the bike straight and eyes ahead.
Doubling on a single‑seater: It changes the center of gravity and increases rollover risk. Don't do it unless the quad is designed for two riders and your operator permits it.
Safety extras that make a difference
Flag or whip light: In dune areas, a high‑visibility flag helps others see you coming over crests. Many tours provide these-if not, ask.
Navigation and backup: Desert topography can be disorienting. Stick with your group. If riding independently with permission, carry a fully charged phone, power bank, and a pin of your start point; tell someone your plan and ETA.
Weather awareness: Summer heat is intense and sandstorms can blow in quickly. If visibility drops or winds pick up, slow down, regroup, and be ready to end the session early.
Zero alcohol and medications: Even small impairments are magnified in the dunes. Save the celebration for after the ride.
Respect the desert The dunes are living landscapes. Stay on established tracks where asked, avoid vegetation pockets and wildlife, and pack out everything you bring in, down to bottle caps and snack wrappers. Be mindful near camel farms or recreational areas at Al Badayer, Al Qudra, or Lahbab-these are shared spaces. If you fly a drone, know that permits and no‑fly zones are strictly enforced near cities and airports.
Making the most of your first ride For your first time, consider a short, guided morning session of 60–90 minutes. You'll get the best light, cooler temperatures, and enough time to learn without fatigue. After the ride, hydrate, stretch, and give yourself a moment to take in where you've been-those endless amber lines on the horizon tend to linger in the memory.
Quad biking in Dubai doesn't have to be extreme to be extraordinary. With the right mindset, a bit of instruction, and respect for both the machine and the terrain, you'll find a rhythm out there: steady throttle, smooth breath, eyes up. The desert rewards riders who listen-to the guide, to the wind, and to their own limits. That's how a first ride becomes the start of a lifelong love for the dunes.
About Geography of Dubai
This time-lapse video shows the rate of Dubai's growth at one frame per year from 2000 through 2011. In the false-colour satellite images making up the video, bare desert is tan, plant-covered land is red, water is black and urban areas are silver.Dune bashing in one of the deserts of Dubai
Dubai is situated on the Persian Gulf coast of the United Arab Emirates and is roughly at sea level (16 m or 52 ft above). The emirate of Dubai shares borders with Abu Dhabi in the south, Sharjah in the northeast, and the Sultanate of Oman in the . Hatta, a minor exclave of the emirate, is surrounded on three sides by Oman and by the emirates of Ajman (in the west) and Ras Al Khaimah (in the north). The Persian Gulf borders the western coast of the emirate. Dubai is positioned at 25°16′11″N55°18′34″E / 25.2697°N 55.3095°E / 25.2697; 55.3095 and covers an area of 1,588 sq mi (4,110 km2), which represents a significant expansion beyond its initial 1,500 sq mi (3,900 km2) designation due to land reclamation from the sea.[1]
Dubai lies directly within the Arabian Desert. However, the topography of Dubai is significantly different from that of the southern portion of the UAE in that much of Dubai's landscape is highlighted by sandy desert patterns, while gravel deserts dominate much of the southern region of the country.[2] The sand consists mostly of crushed shell and coral and is fine, clean and white. East of the city, the salt-crusted coastal plains, known as sabkha, give way to a north–south running line of dunes. Farther east, the dunes grow larger and are tinged red with iron oxide.[3]
The flat sandy desert gives way to the Western Hajar Mountains, which run alongside Dubai's border with Oman at Hatta. The Western Hajar chain has an arid, jagged and shattered landscape, whose mountains rise to about 1,300 metres (4,265 feet) in some places. Dubai has no natural river bodies or oases; however, Dubai does have a natural inlet, Dubai Creek, which has been dredged to make it deep enough for large vessels to pass through. Dubai also has multiple gorges and waterholes, which dot the base of the Western Al Hajar mountains. A vast sea of sand dunes covers much of southern Dubai and eventually leads into the desert known as The Empty Quarter. Seismically, Dubai is in a very stable zone—the nearest seismic fault line, the Zagros Fault, is 200 kilometres (124 miles) from the UAE and is unlikely to have any seismic impact on Dubai.[4] Experts also predict that the possibility of a tsunami in the region is minimal because the Persian Gulf waters are not deep enough to trigger a tsunami.[4]
Fauna and flora
[edit]
A view of the Dubai Creek from a harbour
The sandy desert surrounding the city supports wild grasses and occasional date palms. Desert hyacinths grow in the sabkha plains east of the city, while acacia and ghaf trees grow in the flat plains within the proximity of the Western Al Hajar mountains. Several indigenous trees such as the date palm and neem as well as imported trees such as the eucalyptus grow in Dubai's natural parks. The MacQueen's bustard, striped hyena, caracal, desert fox, falcon and Arabian oryx are common in Dubai's desert. Dubai is on the migration path between Europe, Asia and Africa, and more than 320 migratory bird species pass through the emirate in spring and autumn. The waters of Dubai are home to more than 300 species of fish, including the hammour. The typical marine life off the Dubai coast includes tropical fish, jellyfish, coral, dugong, dolphins, whales and sharks. Various types of turtles can also be found in the area including the hawksbill turtle and green turtle, which are listed as endangered species.[5][6]
Urban areas
[edit]
Dubai Creek runs northeast–southwest through the city. The eastern section of the city forms the locality of Deira and is flanked by the emirate of Sharjah in the east and the town of Al Aweer in the south. The Dubai International Airport is located south of Deira, while the Palm Deira is located north of Deira in the Persian Gulf. Much of Dubai's real-estate boom is concentrated to the west of Dubai Creek, on the Jumeirah coastal belt. Port Rashid, Jebel Ali, Burj Al Arab, the Palm Jumeirah and theme-based free-zone clusters such as Business Bay are all located in this section.[7] Dubai is notable for sculpted artificial island complexes including the Palm Islands and The World archipelago.
Climate
[edit]
Main article: Climate of Dubai
Dubai has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh). Summers in Dubai are extremely hot, prolonged, windy, and humid, with an average high around 40 °C (104 °F) and overnight lows around 30 °C (86 °F) in the hottest month, August. Most days are sunny throughout the year. Winters are comparatively cool, though mild to warm, with an average high of 24 °C (75 °F) and overnight lows of 14 °C (57 °F) in January, the coolest month. Precipitation, however, has been increasing in the last few decades, with accumulated rain reaching 110.7 mm (4.36 in) per year.[8] Dubai summers are also known for the very high humidity level, which can make it very uncomfortable for many with exceptionally high dew points in summer. Heat index values can reach over 60 °C (140 °F) at the height of summer.[9] The highest recorded temperature in Dubai is 48.8 °C (119.8 °F).
^Environmental Development and Protection in the UAE Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Aspinall, Simon
^"Historic population statistics" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 March 2009. Retrieved 31 July 2009.
^ abFar enough from the fault lines. Archived 27 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine The National, 23 April 2008.
^Flora and fauna of Dubai Archived 2 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine gowealthy.com
^Natural UAE Archived 26 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine UAE Interact. Retrieved 29 April 2010.
^"Dubai Floor Plan & Area Map". Archived from the original on 11 August 2017. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
^"Climate in Dubai across the year. Dubai Meteorological office". Dubaiairport.com. Archived from the original on 18 December 2010. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
^Al Serkal, Mariam M. (14 July 2016). "64 degrees in Dubai – should you worry?". Gulf News. Dubai. Archived from the original on 17 July 2019. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
^"Climate (Average Temperatures:1977–2015;Precipitation:1967-2009)". Dubai Meteorological Office. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
^"Climate Yearly Report 2003–2018". UAE National Center of Meteorology NCM. Archived from the original on 15 February 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
About Economy of Dubai
Skyline of Downtown Dubai; Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, is visible at the center
The economy of Dubai's gross domestic product of the calendar year 2023 as of January 2024 is AED 429 billion ($USD 116.779 billion).[1] Dubai has substantially transformed over the last couple of decades.[2] More than 90% of the population are foreigners.[2]
The International Herald Tribune described it as "centrally-planned free-market capitalism".[3] Oil production, which once accounted for 50% of Dubai's gross domestic product, contributes less than 1% today.[4] In 2018, wholesale and retail trade represented 26% of the total GDP; transport and logistics, 12%; banking, insurance activities and capital markets, 10%; manufacturing, 9%; real estate, 7%; construction, 6%; tourism, 5%.[5][6]
Dubai became important ports of call for Western manufacturers. Most of the new city's banking and financial centres were headquartered in the port area. Dubai maintained its importance as a trade route through the 1970s and 1980s. The city of Dubai has a free trade in gold and until the 1990s was the hub of a "brisk smuggling trade" of gold ingots to India, where gold import was restricted.
Dubai has sought to boost itself as a tourism destination by building hotels and developing real estate. Port Jebel Ali, constructed in the 1970s, has the largest man-made harbor in the world, but is also increasingly developing as a hub for service industries such as IT and finance, with the new Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The Emirates airline was founded by the government in 1985 and is still state-owned; based at Dubai International Airport, it carried over 49.7 million passengers in 2015.[7] The government has set up industry-specific free zones throughout the city in hopes of giving a boost to Dubai property. Internet access is restricted in most areas of Dubai with a proxy server filtering out sites deemed to be against cultural and religious values of the UAE.
Due to financial secrecy, low taxes, and valuable real estate, Dubai is an appealing destination for money launderers, criminals, corrupt political figures and sanctioned businesspeople to launder or hide money.[8][2][9][10][11][12]
During the 2008 financial crisis, Dubai almost defaulted and, therefore, was obliged to downsize and restructure suffering state entities. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) stated in 2019 that Dubai's debt exceeded 100% of its GDP. Abu Dhabi rolled over a bailout loan of $20 billion to Dubai to save it.[13][14][15]
Corporations
[edit]
During the first quarter of 2015, Dubai saw a 12.5% rise in the number of new registered companies as 9,317 new firms registered with the Dubai Trade, and this had brought the total number of registered companies in Dubai to 106,000.[16]
Between January and August 2017, Dubai issued licenses for 249,000 businesses, making up 46.8% of the total number of licenses issued across the UAE during that period.[17][18]
Main economic drivers
[edit]
Travel and tourism
[edit]
Main article: Tourism in Dubai
Tourism is a major economic source of income in Dubai and part of the Dubai government's strategy to maintain the flow of foreign cash into the emirates.[19] The tourism sector contributed in 2017 about $41 billion to the GDP, making up 4.6% of the GDP, and provided some 570,000 jobs, accounting for 4.8% of total employment.[20] The contribution of the sector to the GDP rose by 138% during the years 2007-2017.[20]
The Dubai International Airport (DXB) recorded 83.6 million passengers in 2016,[20][21] and 14.9 million visitors stayed in Dubai hotels in the same year, a rise of 5% from 2015.[22][23]
Since the Abraham Accords peace agreement was signed on Sept. 15, 2020, over 50,000 Israelis visited the UAE as daily direct flights between Tel Aviv and Dubai were operated even during the COVID-19 pandemic as the two countries declared each other ‘green zones,' sparing travellers the quarantine periods.[24][25][26][27][28][29][30] On Dec. 26, 2020, an order signed by Israel's Health Ministry Director-General Chezy Levy went into effect, requiring all returnees from Dubai to enter a 14-day quarantine.[31][32]
Real estate and property
[edit]
Main article: Developments in Dubai
The government's decision to diversify from a trade-based but oil-reliant economy[33] to one that is service- and tourism-oriented resulted in the property boom from 2004 to 2008.[citation needed] Construction on a large scale has turned Dubai into one of the fastest-growing cities in the world.[34] The property boom is largely driven by megaprojects such as the off-shore Palm Islands and The World, and the inland Dubai Marina, Burj Khalifa complex, Dubai Waterfront, Business Bay, Dubailand and Jumeirah Village.
The Palm Jumeirah, the world's largest man-made island
Dubai is home to skyscrapers such as Emirates Towers, which are the 12th and 24th tallest buildings in the world,[citation needed] and the Burj-al-Arab hotel, located on its artificial island and currently the world's fifth tallest[35] and most expensive[citation needed] hotel.
Emaar Properties constructed the world's current tallest structure, the Burj Khalifa. The height of the skyscraper is 828 m (2,716.5 ft) tall, with 163 floors. Adjacent to Burj Khalifa is the Dubai Mall, which at the time of construction was the world's largest shopping mall.[citation needed]
Also under construction is what is planned to become Dubai's new central business district, named Business Bay. The project, when completed, will feature 500 skyscrapers built around an artificial extension of the existing Dubai Creek. [citation needed]
In February 2005, the construction of Dubai Waterfront was announced, it will be 2½ times the size of Washington, D.C., roughly seven times the size of the island of Manhattan. Dubai Waterfront will be a mix of canals and islands full of hotels and residential areas that will add 800 km (500 mi) of man-made waterfront. It will also contain Al Burj, another one of the tallest buildings in the world.
Dubai has also launched Dubai Science Park (previously DuBiotech and merged with EnPark). This is a new business park to be targeted at biotechnology companies working in pharmaceuticals, medical fields, genetic research and biodefense.
One of Dubai's plans in 2006 was for a 30-story, 200-apartment skyscraper that will slowly rotate at its base, making a 360-degree revolution once a week. The world's first rotating skyscraper was to be in the center of the Dubailand complex.[36]
There are over 300 stores in the Gold Souk.
The International Media Production Zone is a project targeted at creating a hub for printers, publishers, media production companies, and related industry segments. Launched in 2003, the project was scheduled to be completed in 2006.
In May 2006 the Bawadi was announced, with a planned 27 billion US-dollar investment intended to increase Dubai's number of hotel rooms by 29,000, doubling it from the current figure offers now. The largest complex was to be called "Asia, Asia" and was planned to be the largest hotel in the world with more than 6,500 rooms.[citation needed]
The first villa freehold properties that were occupied by non-UAE nationals were The Meadows, The Springs, and The Lakes (high-end neighborhoods designed by Emaar Properties, collectively called Emirates Hills).
Expatriates of various nationalities brought capital into Dubai in the early 2000s. Iranian expatriates were estimated to have invested up to $200 billion in Dubai.[37] From 2005 to 2009, trade between Dubai and Iran tripled to $12 billion.[38]
Dubai nationals have also purchased real estate in New York City and London. Purchases in 2005 included New York's 230 Park Avenue (formerly known as the New York Central Building or the Helmsley Building) and Essex House on Central Park South.[39]
The Dubai property boom of the mid-2000s peaked in 2008 and plummeted in a wave of activity that saw large-scale projects, including partially completed properties, abandoned. Many developers failed, while others, including those with government backing, entered into debt-restructuring deals with their lenders. By 2012 the market began picking up steam again. 2013 was a stellar year with prices accelerating significantly, however, the government and industry players began putting in place measures that would safeguard against another bubble developing. One notable difference is the number of cash buyers compared to those in previous years who borrowed heavily. Part of the reason for the current cash surge is the influx of investment from troubled countries.[40]
In September 2013, the Dubai Land Department increased property transfer fees from 2 to 4%.[41] In early 2014 the government regulator imposed restrictions on outside-companies acquiring real estate in the emirate, insisting such companies had to have a presence in Dubai, and had to be owned by a natural person or persons, and not by another company. The measures were largely seen as a means to dampen speculation in property prices.[42]
Major real estate companies in Dubai actively attract new investors from abroad, concluding partnerships with real estate portals and investment foundations. In 2018, Ellington Properties signed a partnership with Beike, one of the major China real estate listing portals. As per the agreement, Beike "will build awareness of Ellingtons premium Dubai real estate offering to Chinese investors"[43]
In July 2019, more than 500 people lost their jobs following an economic downfall observed in the second quarter of 2019, following which Jumeirah Group LLC implemented job cuts. Dubai's economy weighs in on its tourism sector. Hotel occupancy fell to 67% in the second quarter of 2019, the lowest second-quarter occupancy since 2009.[44] JLL predicted at the time that "further declines in performance are expected over the next 12 months before the hotel market recovers on the back of strong visitor arrivals growth associated with Expo 2020."[45]
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, real estate prices and overall demand for property dropped in 2020. Cavendish Maxwell, a realty consultancy, found that apartment prices in Dubai fell 12% from Q1 2019 to Q1 2020.[46] In contrast, the estate agent firm Chestertons saw the rental market perform better, with an average decrease of only 1.5% in apartment rental prices in Q1 2020.[47]
In January 2023, it was reported that Dubai's property transactions hit a record high by the end of 2022, which surpassed the records of the year 2009. The hike was said to be partly a result of Dubai capitalizing on the Russia-Ukraine crisis. Waves of Russian nationals were said to have flooded Dubai to reside and invest their capital into the Emirates property market, safeguarding it from international sanctions. Hussain Sajwani, Chairman of DAMAC claimed that an estimated 15% of his customers constituted of Russian nationals.[48]
Property prices in Dubai increased following the February 2022 Ukraine invasion, as wealthy Russian nationals started making high investments in the Emirati real estate. The EU Tax Observatory and Norway's Centre for Tax Research revealed that Russian Investment in Dubai's developing and in-development properties since 2022 was around $6.3 billion. Knight Frank claimed that Dubai property prices increased 124% since 2020. Real estate experts revealed that rising property prices forced British expatriates to search property somewhere else, including nearby places like Ras Al Khaimah.[49]
In February 2025, it was asserted that Dubai could face issues as its popularity led to increasing tourist arrivals and growing population in the state. There was a record hike in real estate transactions and in bookings on the Emirates airline. Consequently, the congestion in Dubai worsened and property prices also went up. In 2024, rental prices increased by 20% in some key resident areas. Thomas Edelmann, managing director of the RoadSafetyUAE, said convincing and getting people to Dubai is easier than building the new intersection or highways.[50]
Transport
[edit]
The transport sector is one of the main drivers of economic growth in Dubai.[51] The value of the transport and storage sector reached $12.5 billion in 2017, accounting for 11.2% of Dubai's economy.[52][53]
In 2018, the sector was the second-largest contributor to the total GDP, contributing $48.8 billion to GDP - 12.3% of the total GDP, an increase of 2.1% from $47.7 billion in 2017.[51]
Construction
[edit]
Main article: Developments in Dubai
Since 2000, Dubai's municipality has initiated construction phases in the city, predominantly in the Mina Seyahi area, located further from Jumeirah, towards Jebel Ali.[54] This has come at a cost however. Dubai ( and UAE ) construction companies employ low-wage labourers from Asia for up to 12 hours a day, six or seven days a week.[55] These workers often have their passports withheld and are threatened if they speak to media. During the 1990s and 2000s, many workers staged protests and those who were expats were deported.[56][57]
In 2002 a change was made to the law allowing non-nationals of the UAE to own property (not land) in Dubai as fee simple, and 99-year leases are sold to people with ownership remaining with private companies. Property companies include Nakheel Properties, Emaar Properties and Ellington Properties. Rent rises were capped at 7% per annum up to 2007 under a directive from Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Legislation in this area is still developing as the property market for foreigners is relatively new.
Property prices in Dubai have experienced a downfall since 2014. A difference of more than 25 percent has been noted. More than two-year ago Dubai's Creek Tower construction started, but no completion date is in sight yet. A cutback on the construction project has come into the scene since followed by realty developers postponing supplier payments. Consultancy firms like JLL cite the falling property prices to continue in 2019.[58] Despite the economic slump and a relatively slower growth expectation, the estimated cost of Expo 2020 construction has reached AED38 billion ($10.3 billion).[59]
Information and communication technology
[edit]
The information and communications technology (ICT) sector accounted for 4.1% of Dubai's real GDP in 2018.[60]
Diamonds
[edit]
Main article: Developments in Dubai
Dubai is one of the world's largest diamond trading hubs alongside Antwerp.[61][62][63] It handled in $35 billion worth of rough and polished diamonds in 2010, a surge from $3 million a decade earlier.[64][65] In the first half of 2011, Dubai traded $25.3 billion, a 55% rise from the first half of 2010.[66][67]
Dubai Marina Mall interior
Dubai has become the world's third largest diamond trading hub, with trade of rough and cut diamonds increasing since 2001. The emirate's diamond trade was virtually nonexistent at the beginning of the 2000s, but was worth nearly $35 billion in 2013 and 2014.[68] The emirate has been able to leverage off its geographical position between major supplies of mined diamonds in Africa, to the main cutting centres in India and further east in China. There is also a perception of Dubai as a buying hub for consumers of diamonds jewellery, due to the large number of jewellers in the emirate and the tax-free business regime.[68] The customs duties of 1% in 2011 contributed to the UAE's competing with traditional diamond centers.[22] In 2018, the UAE rolled back the 5% value added tax (VAT) for wholesale diamond investors.[69][70][71]
The diamond trading takes on an exchange managed by the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre, with many of the industry participants housed in office space in the Almas Tower in the JLT business cluster.[72] Facilities there include Kimberley Process Certification offices and access to secure transportation agencies such as Brinks and Transguard, in addition to networking and meeting rooms.[73][unreliable source?] The DMCC houses over a thousand precious stone companies, both Emirati and foreign.[74][75][76]
In September 2019, the Dubai Multi Commodities Center launched the world's largest trading floor, with 41 fully-secured tables and high-level security measures, at the Dubai Diamond Exchange (DDE) in the Almas Tower.[22]
Right after the UAE-Israeli accord, Israeli diamond trader Zvi Shimshi launched a company in Dubai and 37 other Israeli contacted the DMCC to establish a presence in Dubai.[77] Later in 2020, the DMCC launched a representative outpost in the Israel Diamond Exchange (IDE) to strengthen trading relations between the two markets and help Israeli businesses establish a presence in Dubai.[78]
Gold
[edit]
See also: Dubai Gold Souk
Trade in gold grew during the 1940s due to Dubai's free trade policies that encouraged entrepreneurs from India and Iran to set up stores in the Dubai Gold Souk. Despite a general slump in the global gold market, Dubai's share of value of trade in gold and diamonds to its total non-oil direct trade increased from 18% in 2003, to 24% in 2004. In 2003, the value of trade in gold in Dubai was approximately Dh. 21 billion (US$5.8 billion), while trade in diamonds was approximately Dh. 25 billion (US$7 billion) in 2005. India is Dubai's largest buyer of gold, accounting for approximately 23% of the emirate's total gold trade in 2005. Switzerland was Dubai's largest supplier of gold ingots, wastes and scrap. Similarly, India accounted for approximately 68% of all diamond-related trade in Dubai; Belgium's share in Dubai's diamond trade was about 13% (2005).[79]
In 2014, Dubai, accounted for about 25% of the world's annual gold trade, competing with Shanghai and London.[80]
A June 2019 report by The Wall Street Journal reported, the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro sold 7.4 tons of gold ingots, worth $300 million through illicit channels to evade United States sanctions. In March 2019, the billions passed through African Gold Refinery (AGR) in Uganda, and were later exported to Dubai.[81]
A Reuters investigation in 2019 revealed that billions of dollars' worth of gold was smuggled from Africa to Dubai.[82][83] As per customs data retrieved by Reuters, the UAE imported $15.1 billion worth of gold from Africa in 2016, a surge from $1.3 billion in 2006. However, much of the exported gold was not recorded by African states.[83]
The London Bullion Market Association (LMBA) threatened in a Nov. 2020 letter to ban countries with large gold markets, including the UAE, from entering the mainstream market if they fail to meet regulatory standards.[84] While the letter did not specify a center, four people involved in drafting it said its main focus was the gold industry in Dubai.[84]
The UAE became a major trade hub for Russian gold, following the international sanctions affecting Moscow's export routes. The largest handlers of Russian Gold exports to the UAE was a Dubai subsidiary of French Logistics, Temis Luxury Middle East. It imported 15.6 tonnes valued at $863 million midway of 24 February 2022 and 3 March 2023. Other largest handlers of gold shipped in the UAE in the year to 3 March 2023 included Shams Gold Trading with 8 tonnes, Privilege Group DMCC with 7.5 tonnes, Al Aseel Jewellery LLC with 5.3 tonnes and Paloma Precious DMC with 5.1 tonnes.[85]
Industry and manufacturing
[edit]
Dubai is also home to some significant industrial ventures in energy production through DEWA,[86] although this is primarily water and power production for Dubai. In the aluminum industry Emirates Global Aluminum produces 2.4 million tonnes of aluminum per year (~$3.8B USD in revenue). Investments were made in car manufacturing with Zarooq Motors; the start of UAE car industry. Production and sales were due to begin in 2016 but seem to have run into some trouble insofar as no cars have actually been manufactured.[87] Dubai Ports is also an example of industrialization in Dubai.
Foreign investment
[edit]
In 2002, Dubai allowed foreigners to own real estate, and the global real estate consulting firm Jones Lang LaSalle named Dubai, along with Dublin and Las Vegas, its "World Winning City," a research program aimed at identifying the future's most attractive property markets.[88]
Dubai's Department of Economic Development issued on June 3, 2021 guidelines stating that it was no longer compulsory for foreign investors to have Emirati partners or specify a quota ratio for them, which means that foreigners have been allowed full ownership of businesses in Dubai, in order to boost the economy after the COVID-19 recession.[89][90] As soon as the decision was issued in June 2021, investors in Dubai took advantage of it.[89][91][90]
COVID-19 impact
[edit]
Capital Economics, a UK-based consultancy firm, described Dubai as "the most vulnerable of the economies in the Middle East and North Africa to the economic damage from such (lockdown) measures" and speculated that the emirate's economy would "contract by at least 5-6%" in 2020 if the measures were still in force until the summer.[92]
The COVID-19 pandemic led to several years of declining revenues for Dubai's most important sectors.[92]
In April 2020, an estimate of 70% of Dubai's companies expected to go out of business by November 2020 due to the COVID-19 lockdowns, according to a survey by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce.[93] Half of the restaurants and hotels included in the survey, as well as about 74% of travel and tourism companies and 30% of transport, storage, and communications companies, expected to go out of business within a month.[93]
Expo 2020, which was expected to attract 25 million visitors to Dubai, stimulate the economy, and mark the start of 50 years of achievements, was postponed to Oct. 1, 2021 due to the pandemic and associated travel restrictions.[94]
See also
[edit]
Cities portal
United Arab Emirates portal
Dubai World
Economy of the United Arab Emirates
Human rights in the United Arab Emirates
The National Sukuk Program
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External links
[edit]
Media related to Economy of Dubai at Wikimedia Commons
UAE Banking Digest
About Desert Buggy Rental Dubai - Dune ATV Quad Bike Safari Tours
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Desert Buggy Rental Dubai - Dune ATV Quad Bike Safari Tours, AL FAHAD TOWER - OFFICE 305 - Al Thanyah First - Barsha Heights - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Desert Buggy Rental Dubai - Dune ATV Quad Bike Safari Tours, AL FAHAD TOWER - OFFICE 305 - Al Thanyah First - Barsha Heights - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Desert Buggy Rental Dubai - Dune ATV Quad Bike Safari Tours, AL FAHAD TOWER - OFFICE 305 - Al Thanyah First - Barsha Heights - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Desert Buggy Rental Dubai - Dune ATV Quad Bike Safari Tours, AL FAHAD TOWER - OFFICE 305 - Al Thanyah First - Barsha Heights - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Desert Buggy Rental Dubai - Dune ATV Quad Bike Safari Tours, AL FAHAD TOWER - OFFICE 305 - Al Thanyah First - Barsha Heights - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Desert Buggy Rental Dubai - Dune ATV Quad Bike Safari Tours, AL FAHAD TOWER - OFFICE 305 - Al Thanyah First - Barsha Heights - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Desert Buggy Rental Dubai - Dune ATV Quad Bike Safari Tours, AL FAHAD TOWER - OFFICE 305 - Al Thanyah First - Barsha Heights - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Desert Buggy Rental Dubai - Dune ATV Quad Bike Safari Tours, AL FAHAD TOWER - OFFICE 305 - Al Thanyah First - Barsha Heights - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Desert Buggy Rental Dubai - Dune ATV Quad Bike Safari Tours, AL FAHAD TOWER - OFFICE 305 - Al Thanyah First - Barsha Heights - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Desert Buggy Rental Dubai - Dune ATV Quad Bike Safari Tours, AL FAHAD TOWER - OFFICE 305 - Al Thanyah First - Barsha Heights - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
