Oil revenue helped accelerate the development of the city, which was already a major mercantile hub.Ī 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. In the eastern Arabian Peninsula on the coast of the Persian Gulf, it is a major global transport hub for passengers and cargo.
It is second-most in five-star hotels in the world and boasts the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa, which is 828 metres (2,717 ft) tall. Įstablished in the 19th century as a small fishing village, Dubai grew into a regional trading hub from the early 20th century and grew rapidly in the late 20th and early 21st centuries with a focus on tourism and luxury. Dubai ( / d uː ˈ b aɪ/, doo- BY Arabic: دبي, romanized: Dubay, IPA:, Gulf Arabic pronunciation: ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the country's seven emirates.
