The Middle Eastern emirate of Dubai may be well known as a luxury travel destination, but it’s also home to miles and miles of snowy-white, fine-sand beaches. These beaches are on the warm, aqua-blue Persian Gulf (known locally as the Arabic Gulf), turning the area into a true beach resort destination.
Although many beaches are private and associated with luxury residential communities or hotels, the government has made sure to provide a large number of public beaches. Most beaches in Dubai are man-made, so they’re flat and wide, with soft white sand.
Dubai’s intense summer temperatures mean many people go to the beach after dinner and into the night. The busy season is during winter, when many tourists come from Europe to escape the cold. Most beaches have basic services: bathrooms, changing rooms, and showers, and most of the official beach parks also have lifeguards. Some beaches even offer Smart Palms, which are free public Wi-Fi hot spots with solar-powered device charging stations.
Dubai is an emirate (like a state) within the country of the United Arab Emirates and offers visitors a level of personal security found in few vacation destinations. You’ll notice people leave their purses, wallets, and mobile phones on their beach chairs when they go swimming.
Choose the best place to relax along the shore with our list of the top 20 beaches in Dubai.