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 pristine white sandy beaches. These beaches lie on the Persian Gulf (known locally as the Arabian Gulf), which is warm blue and aqua, making the region a true seaside destination.
Although many beaches are private and associated with residential communities or luxury hotels, the government has taken care to provide a large number of public beaches. Most of Dubai’s beaches are man-made. They are therefore flat and wide, with soft white sand.
Dubai’s intense summer temperatures mean that many people go to the beach after dinner and into the night. The busiest season is winter, when many tourists come from Europe to escape the cold. Most beaches have basic services: bathrooms, changing rooms and showers, and most official beach parks also have lifeguards. Some beaches even offer Smart Palms, which are free public Wi-Fi hotspots with charging stations for solar-powered devices.
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 that people leave their handbags, wallets and cell phones on their beach chairs when they go swimming.
Choose the best place to relax on the shore with our list of Dubai’s best beaches.
Presentation of each beach
– 1 JBR Beach
Dubai’s biggest beach is always the best. The huge open beach of JBR (Jumeirah Beach Residence) encompasses the entire JBR district. Although some areas are reserved for hotels, most are open to the public. Every few hundred meters, there are full toilet facilities (whose cleanliness is beyond reproach) and places to buy food and refreshments.
The water is warm and a beautiful shade of blue-green, and the sand is white and powder-soft. Lifeguards are on duty, and buoys separate the swimming sections.
The Hilton Dubai Jumeirah faces the water and is located on The Walk (the wide little street that runs along the shore). There are also many places where you can rent water and land toys such as bicycles and scooters.
– 2 Umm Suqeim Beach
Umm Suqeim Beach (also known as Sunset Beach) is the place to go if you want Instagram-worthy photos of the ultra-luxurious Burj al Arab hotel. It’s another great flat beach along the coast, directly next to the Burj (which sits on its own little peninsula stretching out into the sea).
With the exception of lifeguard posts and rudimentary facilities, the area is little more than a beach with limited services (toilets, showers and changing rooms). A few patches of green lawn, shaded picnic spots and play areas are available.
The beach is also home to one of Dubai’s only surf breakers. The waves aren’t big, but they’re there, and there are usually other surfers around.
After playing in the Persian Gulf, visit the huge Wild Wadi water park in Umm Suqeim for even more fun.
– 3 Kite Beach
Kite Beach is a section of Umm Suqeim beach near the northern end. It’s a wide, flat beach, and the place to go to rent kayaks and paddleboards. The exposed beach is windy and popular with kitesurfers.
The sand is a little coarser than on other beaches, with many shells. There’s a skate park and lots of little ice-cream stands.
Kite Beach is also popular with Dubai foodies for the many food trucks that gather there during the day and evening. Small restaurants and cafés line Jumeirah Beach Road, which runs alongside the beach.
The Jumeirah Beach Hotel is a magnificent luxury hotel, also designed to resemble a sail. It is located on Jumeirah Beach Road in Umm Suqeim, opposite the beach. It’s an ideal destination for families, as all guests enjoy free access to the Wild Wadi water park. The hotel is also close to other attractions, such as Ski Dubai, the indoor ski resort located in the Mall of the Emirates.
– 4 Al Mamzar Beach Park
Al Mamzar is a fantastic beach for families. There are four beach areas in the public park area, all of which are supervised by lifeguards. A picnic area, children’s playground and two huge swimming pools are available. All these events are free and open to the public.
Fridays are the busiest days in the park (weekends in Dubai are Fridays and Saturdays). Showers, bathrooms and changing rooms are available. Make a day of it by renting small air-conditioned beach tents with barbecues.
Al Mamzar Open Beach, another beach area, offers a more natural beach experience with fewer crowds. Al Mamzar is located near the Deira district, which is an excellent place to visit, as it is the original center of Dubai. It is also close to the nearby emirate of Sharjah.
The Sharjah Palace Hotel is close to the Al Mamzar Beach Park and just across the border (the border is simply indicated by a sign, as when crossing from one US state to another).
– 5 Dubai Creek
Deira, where Dubai began as a commercial port. A stroll through the souks of Deira is a must, so it’s also a good place for sightseeing.
In the area where it borders the creek, Creek Park boasts acres of green space and small beaches. Dubai Creek is not a freshwater river, but rather a wide arm of the sea.
The XVA Art Hotel is located on Al Fahidi Street, in the heart of the historic Deira district, next to the creek, if you’re looking for a place to stay.
– 6 Jebel Ali Beach
Jebel Ali is the emirate’s newest recreational development region, located around 30 minutes south of downtown Dubai. The area is home to several long sandy beaches where you can be virtually alone. It is already recognized as an industrial zone with the world’s largest artificial harbor.
As well as the beaches, it’s a popular diving spot. The large, flat Jebel Ali Beach lies directly opposite Palm Jebel Ali, the second of the three palm-shaped islands.
The JA Jebel Ali Beach Hotel is a large luxury complex located on the beach. The property features numerous swimming pools, a golf course and a private beach.
– 7 La mer
Dubai’s newest beach development is an entertainment complex in its own right. It is located just north of Deira and Old Dubai and features a magnificent stretch of protected beach as well as restaurants, entertainment and a water park.
The beach is flat and wide, and is maintained several times a day to keep it beautiful. As the beach is on a harbor protected by the Pearl Jumeirah development, the water is warm and the waves gentle.
La Mer also boasts opulent sun loungers and other sumptuous beach amenities. Rent one of the Day Rooms for a truly sumptuous beach experience. These are beach cabins, little air-conditioned havens where you can escape the heat, relax on your sofa and grab a cold drink from your fridge.
The project will include a hotel, the Rove La Mer, due to open in 2020. In the meantime, the Dubai Marine Beach Resort & Spa, located near La Mer, is an excellent seaside choice.
– 8 Marina Beach
Dubai Marina, located near JBR, is an upscale residential enclave. Marina Beach is located opposite the JBR beach mall and is the last stretch of sandy beach along The Walk. It’s a beautiful beach, wide and flat, with Dubai’s characteristic smooth white sand. Lifeguards are on duty and the water is warm.
You’re also just a few steps from The Walk’s restaurants, stores, cafés and ice cream parlors.
Built primarily as a luxury apartment building, the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Dubai – Jumeirah Beach is a beautiful property. The hotel offers spacious apartment-style units with full ocean views and large balconies.
– 9 Black Palace Beach
Black Palace Beach, also known as Secret Beach, is a beautiful undeveloped beach located between the Burj Al Arab hotel and the Palm Jumeirah complex. It’s in the Al Sufouh district, and is just a beach with no vendors, sun loungers or facilities.
The beach is long and wide, with golden sand that gradually slopes down to the turquoise water. You can even enjoy your beach time with a view of the Burj al Arab in the background.
Take Al Sufouh Street towards Madinat Jumeirah to reach Black Palace beach. After a few minutes’ drive, a road leads through the palm trees to a parking lot and then to the beach.
– 10 Riva
RIVA is one of Dubai’s finest beach clubs, bars and restaurants. Whether you want to lounge on the shore, dine al fresco by the water or paddle, it’s all possible. Enjoy a burger, dip chicken skewers in satay sauce and adopt a horizontal position on a deckchair.
All the beaches on the Palm Jumeirah are part of luxury residential areas or apartment blocks located on some of the “fronds”, or are associated with a luxury hotel. Riva Beach Club is the only beach club that sells the public daily access to its beach on the Palm for around $30 per person per day.
