Dubai has about 4 million residents, 92% of them expatriates, the world’s tallest building at 829.8 metres, and no personal income tax. These 15 facts update the original list with 2025 and 2026 figures and fix a few things that were wrong the first time.
The city went from a pearling village to the seventh most-visited city in the world (2024) in a few decades. Here is what is still true, what changed, and what we cut.
| Fact | Figure |
|---|---|
| Tallest building | Burj Khalifa, 829.8 m |
| Population (2025) | About 4 million, 92% expatriates |
| International overnight visitors (2025) | 19.59 million |
| Airport traffic (2024) | Over 92 million passengers |
| Dubai Mall visitors (2023) | 105 million |
| Corporate tax (since June 2023) | 9% above AED 375,000 of profit |
| Personal income tax | None on salaries |
1. The Burj Khalifa is 829.8 metres tall
Construction ran from 2004 and the Burj Khalifa opened on 4 January 2010. It is still the tallest structure ever built. On a clear day with a low tide, people at the top can reportedly see the Iranian coast, about 153 km away. A rival is coming: the Burj Azizi is under construction on Sheikh Zayed Road with a proposed height of 725 metres.
2. Thirty-nine percent of the Burj Al Arab is empty space
The hotel opened on 1 December 1999 on an artificial island 280 metres offshore, and 39% of its height is non-occupiable space. It has 199 suites, each with eight dedicated staff. The “seven-star” label came from a British journalist, and the hotel’s management says it never used the term itself.
3. There is no personal income tax, but there is a corporate tax now
Residents pay no tax on salaries. What changed since the original article: the UAE introduced a 9% federal corporate tax on 1 June 2023, with profits up to AED 375,000 taxed at 0%. There is also a 5% VAT. Starting a company in Dubai is still cheaper than in most places, just not tax-free.
4. Nine out of ten residents were born elsewhere
The population stands at about 4 million as of 2025, and 92% are expatriates. In 2013 only about 15% of the emirate’s population were UAE nationals, with Asian residents making up most of the rest.
5. Dubai welcomed 19.59 million overnight visitors in 2025
That is a record, up 5% on 2024, according to the emirate’s tourism department. In 2024, it was the seventh most-visited city in the world.
6. Dubai International is the busiest airport for international passengers
It handled over 92 million passengers in 2024. A second airport, Al Maktoum International, has opened its first phase.
7. Dubai Mall had 105 million visits in 2023
Dubai Mall has over 1,200 shops and 13 million square feet of built area. The 2023 count was up 19% on 2022. In 2024 its owner announced a AED 1.5 billion ($408 million) expansion adding 240 luxury stores. The original article called it the largest mall in the world. Today it is better described as one of the largest, and the most visited.
8. The indoor ski slope is in a different mall
The original list put the ski resort in Dubai Mall. It is actually at the Mall of the Emirates. Ski Dubai opened in November 2005 with 22,500 square meters of snow area, an 85-metre mountain and a 400-metre run.
9. The metro opened at 9:09:09 pm on 9 September 2009
More than 110,000 people rode it in the first two days. It was the world’s longest driverless metro from 2009 to 2016, and regained that title in 2021. The original said 42 stations built in 18 months. We could not support either number, so we dropped them. A third line, the Blue Line (30 km, 14 stations, AED 18 billion), is expected by 2029.
10. Dubailand became theme parks
The original talked about a $64.3 billion amusement park plan. What actually opened is Dubai Parks and Resorts, in phases from October to December 2016: Motiongate, Real Madrid World (previously Bollywood Parks) and Legoland Dubai, on about 25 million square feet.
11. The Palm Jumeirah has the Middle East’s first monorail
The 5.4 km monorail opened on 30 April 2009 and links Atlantis to the mainland. The original sentence confused this number with the size of the island. Dutch dredging company Van Oord built the Palm, and 28 hotels had opened on its crescent by the end of 2009.
12. Princess Tower lost its record
The 101-storey, 413.4 metre residential tower was finished in 2012 and became the world’s tallest residential building. Today the title belongs to Central Park Tower in New York at 472.4 metres, and Princess Tower is the third tallest building in Dubai.
13. It is called the City of Gold
Dubai has traded gold freely for decades, and the Gold Souk in Deira has over 380 retailers. It hosted a ring recorded as the world’s largest, weighing 64 kg. We dropped the 2013 trade volume claim because we could not confirm it.
14. Oil is under 1% of the economy
In 2018, oil production contributed less than 1% to the emirate’s GDP. Trade, tourism, aviation, finance and real estate drive it now.
15. The luxury car graveyard
Stories of expensive cars abandoned in Dubai after the 2008 financial crisis went around the world. Property values fell by as much as 64% between 2001 and November 2008 by one measure, and the tale stuck. We covered the story in Luxury Car Graveyard in Dubai Makes Car Lovers Cry.
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Keep reading
- The most luxurious mall in the world, the Dubai Mall: a closer look at the place with 105 million visits
- Dubai floating private island villas: the other big Dubai build story
- 15 mindsets travel teaches you: what visiting a city like this does to your thinking
FAQ
How tall is the Burj Khalifa?
It is 829.8 metres (2,722 ft) tall, the tallest structure ever built, and it opened on 4 January 2010.
Does Dubai have income tax?
There is no personal income tax on salaries. A 9% federal corporate tax started on 1 June 2023 for profits above AED 375,000, and VAT is 5%.
How many people live in Dubai?
About 4 million as of 2025, and 92% of them are expatriates.
How many tourists visit Dubai?
The emirate hosted 19.59 million international overnight visitors in 2025, a 5% rise on 2024.
Where is the indoor ski slope in Dubai?
Ski Dubai is inside the Mall of the Emirates. It opened in November 2005 and has an 85-metre indoor mountain.
Is Princess Tower still the tallest residential building?
No. It held the title after 2012, but Central Park Tower in New York, at 472.4 metres, is the tallest now.
Last updated: October 2026.
