Top 5 Places to Visit in the United Arab Emirates

The top places to visit in the UAE are the Burj Khalifa, Palm Jumeirah, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the Louvre Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah’s Faya Palaeolandscape. Dubai alone recorded a record 18.72 million international overnight visitors in 2024, up 9% over 2023, per Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism. These five span the world’s tallest building, a man-made island, a landmark mosque, a Louvre outpost, and a 210,000-year-old desert site.

1. Burj Khalifa, Dubai — At 828m, the world’s tallest building since its January 2010 opening. For deeper Dubai coverage, see the Dubai travel guide.
2. Palm Jumeirah, Dubai — A palm-shaped artificial archipelago, with construction starting in June 2001 and the first residents moving in by 2007.
3. Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi — Opened in 2007, home to the Guinness World Record-holding hand-knotted carpet, measured at 5,630 sq metres.
4. Louvre Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi — Opened to the public November 11, 2017, on Saadiyat Island as the first Louvre outpost outside France.
5. Faya Palaeolandscape, Sharjah — UNESCO World Heritage-listed in July 2025, with archaeological evidence of human presence stretching back more than 210,000 years.

Planning note: Dubai and Abu Dhabi sit about 90 minutes apart by road, so a first trip typically bases in one and day-trips the other. Winter (November-March) is peak season with daytime temperatures around 22-28°C; summer routinely exceeds 40°C — check the current Dubai forecast conditions before locking in dates. For cultural-heritage context across the wider Middle East, see the Cairo travel guide.

Sources

• Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism 2024 visitor figures, via Dubai’s Public Debt Management Office
• Guinness World Records — Burj Khalifa, tallest building in the world
• Wikipedia — Palm Jumeirah
• Guinness World Records — Largest hand-woven carpet
• Wikipedia — Louvre Abu Dhabi
• Gulf News — Sharjah’s Faya Palaeolandscape draws global attention after UNESCO recognition

Read the Top 10 Countries to Visit in 2026 roundup for how the UAE compares globally.