Dubai is one of the seven emirates of the UAE (United Arab Emirates) and is located along the coast of the Arabian Gulf. The municipality of Dubai located within the city is sometimes referred to as Dubai City in order to distinguish it from the surrounding city. By area, Dubai is the second largest emirate in UAE, but it has the largest population of all the Emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai are the only two emirates in the UAE that posses veto powers over.

Tourism is one of Dubai's main sources of revenue and is known for its beaches. Other notable industries in Dubai include petroleum, natural gas, real estate, trade, and financial services. In terms of GDP contribution, real estate overtook the petroleum industry in Dubai. The boom in real estate interest is attributed to the large scale constructions continuously developed in the Emirates. Notable landmarks in Dubai include the Burj Al Arab, which is the second tallest hotel in the world.

The emirate's economic landscape was largely built from the petroleum industry. This, however, is slowly being replaced by the tourism and real estate industry as UAE heads are marketing Dubai, and other emirates like it, as being premier tourist destinations.