The best time to visit Dubai

Dubai’s two seasons.

Dubai has a cool season and a hot one. From November to March, average daytime highs at Dubai International Airport run from about 24°C in January to 31°C in November, with nights from 15 to 21°C. From May to September, highs average 38°C or more, reaching about 42°C in August, with warm, humid nights.

Rain is rare: about 79 millimetres a year, falling on around twenty days, mostly between December and March. October and April sit between the seasons, warm by day and lovely in the evenings.

Why winter is the high season.

The cool months are when Dubai is at its best outdoors. Beach clubs and terraces are full, the desert is comfortable for a dinner under the stars or a dawn balloon flight, and the city hosts its great events, from the shopping festival to golf, racing and art.

They are also the busiest. In 2025, December was Dubai’s busiest month on record, with about 2.04 million international visitors, the first month above two million, followed by January with about 1.94 million.

The shoulder months: October and April.

October and April bridge the two seasons. In October, highs fall to about 36°C and the sea is at its warmest, around 30°C, as the outdoor season begins and Global Village opens. In April, highs of about 34°C, the last of the cool evenings and a sea of about 25°C bring Art Dubai and the end of the season.

Both are quieter than December and January, and for travellers who like heat, both are fine months for the beach, with long, warm evenings for dining outdoors by the water.

Dubai in numbers.

Dubai welcomed a record 19.59 million international overnight visitors in 2025, up from 18.72 million in 2024. Hotel occupancy across the year was 80.7 per cent, across about 154,000 rooms, and the average stay was 3.7 nights. The summer months are the quietest, and December and January the busiest.

Is it worth visiting Dubai in summer?

For travellers who will spend the days indoors, yes. From June to August highs average 40°C or more, and the sea is as warm as about 32°C, so the beach is best at dawn or after sunset. The city’s malls, restaurants, spas and indoor attractions are air-conditioned, and it is the quietest time of the year.

Visitor numbers fall in the summer months, which makes it a time to find the finest hotels at their least busy, and for families, a city of indoor attractions and beach pools.

The sea, month by month.

The Arabian Gulf is warm all year. Sea temperatures run from about 21°C in January and February to about 33°C in August. In April, October and November the water is warm and the air comfortable at the beach; from May to September, swimming is best early and late in the day.

Ramadan in Dubai.

Ramadan follows the lunar calendar, moving about eleven days earlier each year. In 2027 it is expected to begin around 8 February, with Eid al-Fitr around 9 or 10 March, depending on the sighting of the moon. Eid al-Adha is expected around 16 or 17 May 2027.

Visitors are welcome throughout Ramadan, and the evenings, when the fast is broken at iftar, are a beautiful time to be in the city. The UAE government advises that non-Muslims are not required to fast, that malls provide dining areas away from those who are fasting, that some restaurants adjust their hours by day but open fully at iftar, and that attractions, restaurants and cultural sites stay open. Visitors are advised to be considerate of those fasting when in public.

The season’s events.

Some of Dubai’s events are worth planning around (dates for the 2026–27 season):

• The Dubai Fitness Challenge, 31 October to 29 November 2026.
• Global Village, the open-air festival of world cultures, from 14 October 2026 through May 2027.
• The Dubai Shopping Festival, 4 December 2026 to 17 January 2027.
• The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, nearby, on 6 December 2026.
• GITEX Global, the technology show, 8 to 11 December 2026.
• The Hero Dubai Desert Classic golf tournament, expected 21 to 24 January 2027.
• The Dubai World Cup horse race at Meydan, at the end of March.
• Art Dubai, 9 to 11 April 2027 at Madinat Jumeirah.
• The Dubai Airshow, 15 to 19 November 2027.

Christmas and New Year.

The festive weeks are Dubai’s busiest, as December’s record shows, with the shopping festival under way and New Year’s Eve celebrated across the city. The finest suites, beach villas and restaurant tables for those weeks are reserved long in advance.

Into the desert.

The desert is at its best from November to March, when nights fall to 15 to 17°C in December to February and days are mild. It is the season for a dawn balloon flight over the Margham desert followed by breakfast at a Bedouin-style camp, falconry with a master falconer, and dinner under the stars.

In summer, desert experiences move to the early morning and the evening, when the heat eases.

Dubai and Abu Dhabi together.

Abu Dhabi is about ninety minutes by road and about 25 minutes by helicopter. Its Louvre, its Grand Prix in December and the Liwa desert of the Empty Quarter make it a natural addition to a stay in Dubai, in the same cool season.

Where to stay in each season.

In the cool months, a beach resort on Palm Jumeirah or the Jumeirah coast makes the most of the sea and the outdoor terraces, with Downtown and DIFC a short drive away for dining. In summer, many travellers prefer a hotel with a large spa, indoor pools and its own restaurants, close to the city’s air-conditioned attractions.

Privacy and discretion.

Dubai routinely hosts royalty, heads of state and public figures, and discretion is built into how its finest hotels work. Private beach clubs, helicopter transfers, VIP arrivals and dedicated royal suites are standard rather than special requests, in every season.

The golf season.

Golf in Dubai is a winter pursuit, at its best from December to March. The Hero Dubai Desert Classic is played at the Emirates Golf Club each January, expected from 21 to 24 January in 2027, and tee times in the cool months are best reserved early.

Dubai or Abu Dhabi?

Dubai is the city for energy, dining, shopping and nightlife; Abu Dhabi for culture, the desert and a more understated pace. Many journeys combine both, with about four nights in Dubai and three in Abu Dhabi, in the same cool season.

The art season.

The cool months are also Dubai’s cultural season. Alserkal Avenue’s galleries are at the heart of the city’s art scene, Art Dubai gathers galleries from around the world each April, and the Louvre Abu Dhabi, under Jean Nouvel’s rain-of-light dome, is about ninety minutes away.

For families.

The UAE is one of the safest countries in the world, and Dubai is made for families, with theme parks, waterparks, indoor skiing and family resorts. In summer, its indoor attractions keep children busy through the heat; in winter, the beach and the desert are at their best.

A stopover between continents.

Dubai lies roughly equidistant from London, Mumbai and Nairobi, and many families break a long journey here: three nights turn a single long flight into two comfortable ones, with dining and the beach in between. In the cool season, a stopover becomes a holiday in its own right.

Arriving privately.

Private jets land at Dubai World Central or Dubai International, where cars can meet guests at the aircraft steps, and helicopters link Dubai and Abu Dhabi in about 25 minutes. The busiest weeks for private flights are the Grand Prix weekend and the season’s great events, when an advisor secures arrangements early.

The best of Abu Dhabi’s season.

Abu Dhabi’s cool season mirrors Dubai’s. The Grand Prix weekend falls on 4 to 6 December in 2026, the Louvre Abu Dhabi is a fine escape from the midday sun in any month, and from November to March the Liwa desert of the Empty Quarter, reached by helicopter, offers nights under some of the darkest skies anywhere, in a luxury desert camp.

How far ahead to book.

For December, January and the weeks of the season’s great events, reserve the finest suites and villas early. In summer, and in the quieter weeks of the cool season, far more is available at shorter notice. An advisor knows which hotels and restaurants fill first and which can still be secured.

The best months, by what you want to do.

Choose the month by the journey you have in mind:

• The beach and outdoor dining: November to April.
• The desert: November to March.
• Golf: December to March, with the Desert Classic in January.
• Shopping: the Dubai Shopping Festival, December to January.
• Art: Art Dubai in April.
• The quietest city: June to September.

Your questions.

Tell us when you would like to visit Dubai.

Recommendations chosen for you, an itinerary crafted around them, and every booking managed by an independent Ultra Advisor who works with local specialists in UAE — Dubai & Abu Dhabi.