Dubai is the capital of the Emirate of Dubai and the largest city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on the Persian Gulf.

The city of Dubai (sometimes referred to as "Dubai City" or "Dubai City" to distinguish it from the Emirate of Dubai) is home to approximately 85% of the emirate's population (3,103,000 residents as of mid-2018). Almost all of the emirate's economic, social, cultural, and political life takes place in Dubai. In 2016, Dubai had 15.3 million visitors, ranking it 4th in the world. It also had the highest tourism revenue of any city at over $31 billion.

The city of Dubai is located on the northern edge of the Emirate of Dubai and is divided by the Khor Dubai, a bay of the Persian Gulf that is 100 to 1300 meters wide and about 14 kilometers long. Formerly, the then independent cities of Deira on the north side and Bur Dubai on the south side were located here. Bridges are located somewhat away from the city center; pedestrians are transported to the opposite side by small passenger ferries (Abras).

The city extends primarily south along Jumeirah Beach and Sheikh Zayed Road, as Dubai directly borders the emirate of Sharjah to the north.

Thanks to a decades-long construction boom, Dubai is the city with the world's highest number of skyscrapers over 300 meters high as well as the world's tallest building (Burj Khalifa, 828 meters).