An Arabic proverb says "Daba Dubai" meaning "They came with a lot of money."Īccording to Fedel Handhal, a scholar on the UAE's history and culture, the word Dubai may have come from the word daba (a past tense derivative of yadub which means "to creep"), referring to the slow flow of Dubai Creek inland. One theory suggests the word used to be the souq in Ba. Many theories have been proposed as of the word "Dubai". Oil production contributed less than 1 percent of the emirate's GDP in 2018.Īccording to government data, the population of Dubai is estimated at around 3,456,058 as of 2021. A centre for regional and international trade since the early 20th century, Dubai's economy relies on revenues from trade, tourism, aviation, real estate, and financial services. It has historically always been a thriving trading hub, though with each round of development it perpetuates its reputation as a place less defined by what passes through it, but. Oil revenue helped accelerate the development of the city, which was already a major mercantile hub. Stretching from Deira, the city’s financial district, to Internet City, Dubai is fabled to be named after the Arabic proverb Daba Dubaithey came with money. It is also a major global transport hub for passengers and cargo. Located in the eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula on the coast of the Persian Gulf, Dubai aims to be the business hub of Western Asia. It has the second most five-star hotels in the world and the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa. Dubai is one of the world's most popular tourist destinations. Holiday Ayo - Dubai is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai.Įstablished in the 18th century as a small fishing village, the city grew rapidly in the early 21st century into a cosmopolitan metropolis with a focus on tourism and hospitality.