The Best Photo Spots in Dubai, and When to Shoot Them

Dubai is one of the most photographed cities in the world, and most people come home with the same handful of pictures taken from the same handful of crowded spots.

The best shots of the city are rarely the obvious ones. The Burj Khalifa looks better from outside than from inside it. Burj Al Arab looks best from a public beach that costs nothing. And the light in Dubai changes so much through the day that the time you shoot matters as much as where you stand.

Before any of that, though, there are rules. In Dubai, they matter more than in most cities.

The Rules First

Do not photograph people without their permission. Under UAE law, taking or publishing photos or videos of people without their consent is a criminal offence, even in public places, with penalties that can reach fines of up to AED 500,000 and imprisonment. Be especially careful on beaches, in markets, and around women and families. If someone ends up clearly identifiable in your shot, ask first, and do not post them online without consent.

Avoid government buildings, military sites, airports, and courts. Photographing them is prohibited.

Do not photograph accidents, police activity, or incidents.

Leave the drone at home. Recreational drone flying in Dubai has been suspended for years, and flying without the correct permits carries heavy penalties. Check the current rules with the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority before you even pack one.

Commercial shoots need permits. If you are filming for a brand or for paid content, you need approval from the relevant authorities.

None of this stops you taking beautiful photographs. It just means pointing your camera at the city, not at the people in it.

When the Light Is Best

Early morning is the best time almost everywhere. The air is clearest before the haze builds during the day, the light is soft, the temperature is comfortable, and the popular spots are empty.

Late afternoon is the second window, when the light turns warm and the shadows get longer.

Midday is the worst. The sun is high and harsh, the haze is at its heaviest, and buildings look flat.

October to April gives the clearest skies. Summer humidity and dust make the skyline look washed out for much of the day.

Clear days after wind or rain are the rare days when you can see across the whole city. If you get one, use it.

Burj Khalifa

The tallest building in the world is surprisingly hard to photograph well, because it is so tall that most people end up too close to it.

Dubai Mall Waterfront Promenade

The classic shot. Stand by the lake outside Dubai Mall near Souk Al Bahar and the tower rises above the water. On a still morning, you get its reflection too. Free.

Burj Park

The open lawn at the base of the tower gives you a clean, uncluttered view with space in the foreground. Free.

Sky Views

The viewpoint that actually puts the Burj Khalifa in your photos, at eye level from around 219 metres up in a neighbouring tower. Paid. Our guide to Dubai's observation decks compared explains why the Burj Khalifa itself is the one deck where you cannot photograph the Burj Khalifa.

Dubai Creek Harbour

For the full skyline, with the Burj Khalifa standing above the rest of Downtown. The promenade looks back across the water at the city. Free, and far less crowded than Downtown.

Tip: Shoot vertical, step back further than feels natural, and use the widest lens you have.

Burj Al Arab

The sail shaped hotel sits on its own island, which makes it easy to frame from the beaches along the Jumeirah coast.

Sunset Beach, Umm Suqeim

The best free shot of Burj Al Arab in the city, with the hotel rising directly out of the sea at the end of the beach. Go early in the morning when the beach is empty. Free.

Kite Beach

A wider view along the coast, with the hotel in the distance and the long sweep of sand in the foreground. Free.

Madinat Jumeirah Abra Ride

For a closer, framed view with traditional wooden boats and the canals of Madinat Jumeirah in the foreground. Paid. Details on our Madinat Jumeirah abra ride page.

Umm Suqeim Park

A quieter green space with views toward Burj Al Arab, popular with locals. Free. See our Umm Suqeim Park page.

Dubai Marina

Marina Walk

The promenade along the canal gives you towers on both sides and boats on the water. Morning light catches the towers on one side of the canal, afternoon light the other. Free.

From the Water

Some of the best Marina shots are taken from water level. The Dubai Marina abra crosses the canal for only a few dirhams, and the towers look completely different from below. Our guide to every abra ride in Dubai covers the routes.

The Palm Jumeirah Boardwalk

For the full Marina skyline in one frame, look back from the boardwalk on the Palm. You get the towers lined up across the water with nothing in front of them. Free.

Palm Jumeirah

The Palm only makes sense from above. On the ground it is roads, villas, and hotels.

The View at The Palm on Level 52 is the only accessible place to photograph the island's shape, with the fronds, trunk, and crescent laid out below you. Paid. Our guide to The View at The Palm explains which ticket is worth it.

Dubai Frame

A 150 metre picture frame in Zabeel Park, designed to be photographed.

From the ground in Zabeel Park, you can frame the structure against the sky or line it up with the skyline behind it.

From the top, you can photograph old Dubai to the north and the modern skyline to the south from the same glass bridge.

Paid to go up, around AED 50. The view from the park is free, though the park itself charges a small entry fee.

Old Dubai

The most photogenic part of the city, and the most underrated.

Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood

Narrow sand coloured lanes, carved wooden doors, and wind towers against the sky. Go early in the morning, when the light is soft and the lanes are quiet. Free.

The Creek and the Abras

Wooden abras crossing the creek, with Deira on one side and Bur Dubai on the other. Shoot from the waterfront at the abra stations or from the boat itself for one dirham. See our Dubai Creek abra crossing page.

The Spice Souk

Open sacks of spices in every colour. Beautiful, but remember the rules: ask before photographing traders or their stalls up close. Most will happily agree if you ask.

Al Seef

Heritage style lanes along the creek, with the water and the old city in the background. Free.

Our Old Dubai walking route links all of these together in a single morning, which also happens to be the best time to photograph them.

Beyond the City

Al Qudra Lakes

Lakes in the desert, with birds on the water and dunes around them. Climb the viewing towers for the wider shot. Free. Our Al Qudra Lakes guide explains which lake to head for.

Hatta Dam

Turquoise water between bare mountains, unlike anywhere else in the UAE. Free from the viewpoints. Our Hatta day trip guide covers the full trip.

The Desert

Red dunes, ripples in the sand, and long shadows in the early morning. A morning desert safari gives you the best light of the day, before the heat and the crowds.

The Free Shots and the Paid Ones

Most of the best photographs in Dubai cost nothing.

Free: the Dubai Mall waterfront, Burj Park, Dubai Creek Harbour, Sunset Beach, Kite Beach, Marina Walk, the Palm boardwalk, Al Fahidi, Al Seef, Al Qudra, and the Hatta viewpoints.

Paid: Sky Views, The View at The Palm, the top of Dubai Frame, and the Madinat Jumeirah abra.

Almost free: the creek abra and the Marina abra.

Practical Tips

Go on a weekday morning. The difference in crowds compared with a weekend afternoon is enormous.

Shoot vertical for tall buildings. Dubai's skyline is built for portrait format.

Bring a wide lens, or use the ultra wide mode on your phone.

Carry water. Even in winter, an hour of shooting in the sun is thirsty work.

Respect the rules. No people without permission, no drones, and no government or military buildings.

Final Takeaway

Most of Dubai's best photographs cost nothing and are taken early in the morning, from a step or two further back than everyone else is standing. Shoot the Burj Khalifa from the water, Burj Al Arab from a public beach, the Marina from the Palm, and the old city before the crowds arrive.

Just keep your lens on the city and off the people in it, and leave the drone at home.

You can browse every attraction in Dubai with live opening hours on Day & Night Dubai.