Dubai helicopter tour helicopter ride

Coordinates: 24°28′N 54°22′E / 24.467°N 54.367°E / 24.467; 54.367Country United Arab EmiratesEmirate Abu DhabiMunicipal regionCentral Capital District^[1]Government

 • TypeMunicipality • BodyAbu Dhabi City Municipality • Director-General of City MunicipalitySaif Badr al-QubaisiArea

972 km² (375 sq mi)Elevation

27 m (89 ft)Population

2,189,860 • Rank2nd • Density2,250/km² (5,840/sq mi)DemonymsAbu Dhabian, DhabyaniGDP

 • TotalUS$ 118.4 billion (2023) • Per capitaUS$ 75,600 (2023)Time zoneUTC+4 (UAE Standard Time)Websitewww.tamm.abudhabi

Abu Dhabi^[a] is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The city is the seat of the Abu Dhabi Central Capital District, the capital city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the UAE's second-most populous city, after Dubai. The city is situated on a T-shaped island, extending into the Persian Gulf from the central-western coast of the UAE.

Abu Dhabi is located on an island in the Persian Gulf, off the Central West Coast. Most of the city and the Emirate reside on the mainland connected to the rest of the country. As of 2023^[update], Abu Dhabi's urban area had an estimated population of 2.5 million,^[5] out of 3.8 million in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.^[6] The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), headquartered in the city, is estimated to manage approximately US$1 trillion in assets, making it the world's third-largest sovereign wealth fund after Norway's Government Pension Fund Global and China's CIC.^[7][8] Abu Dhabi itself has over a trillion US dollars' worth of assets under management in a combination of various sovereign wealth funds headquartered there.^[9]

Abu Dhabi houses local and federal government offices and is the home of the United Arab Emirates Government and the Supreme Council for Financial and Economic Affairs. The city is home to the UAE's president, a member of the Al Nahyan family. Abu Dhabi's rapid development and urbanisation, coupled with the massive oil and gas reserves and production and relatively high average income, have transformed it into a large, developed metropolis. It is the country's centre of politics and industry, and a major culture and commerce centre. Abu Dhabi accounts for about two-thirds of the roughly $503 billion UAE economy.^[10]

The area surrounding Abu Dhabi abounds in archaeological evidence from historical civilisations, such as the Umm Al Nar Culture, which dates back to the third millennium BC. Other settlements were also found farther outside the modern city of Abu Dhabi, including the eastern^[11] and western regions of the Emirate.^[12] On December 2, 1971, Abu Dhabi, along with five other emirates, formed the United Arab Emirates (UAE).^[13] This union was marked by the establishment of a federal government and the appointment of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as the first President of the UAE.

"Abu" is Arabic for father, and "Dhabi" is the Arabic word for gazelle. Abu Dhabi means "Father of Gazelle."^[14]

The Bani Yas, the tribe from which the Al Nahyan family are drawn, was originally settled in the Liwa Oasis in the Emirate's western region. This tribe was the most significant in the area, having over 20 subsections. In 1761, the discovery of fresh water by a hunting party led by Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa Al Nahyan near the coast saw a settlement established there.^[14] A popular story is that the hunters were pursuing a gazelle, hence the name of the settlement. The Al Bu Falah subsection of the tribe were the first to establish the new settlement and remained the source of the tribal rulers.^[15] Originally consisting of a fort and twenty houses, within two years the town consisted of a settlement of some 400 houses. The fort remains at the centre of Abu Dhabi today, the Qasr Al Hosn.^[14]

The pearl diving business was a key industry prior to the discovery of oil reserves. According to a source about pearling, the Persian Gulf was the best location for pearls.^[16] The pearl industry boomed from the late 19th century through to the second decade of the 20th century, however it is believed to date back around 7,000 years. Pearl divers dive for one to three minutes and would have dived as many as thirty times per day. Air tanks and any other sort of mechanical device were forbidden. The divers had a leather nose clip and leather coverings on their fingers and big toes to protect them while they searched for oysters.^[17] The divers were not paid for a day's work but received a portion of the season's earnings.^[18] There are three main journey of pearl divers, happening between the 5th and 9th month each year. Summer was the busiest time. Pearl divers made very deep dives, about 50 dives were made a day, each about 3 minutes long.^[19]

In the 19th century, as a result of treaties (known as "truces" which gave the coast its name) entered into between Great Britain and the sheikhs of the Arab States of the Persian Gulf, Britain became the predominant influence in the area.^[20] The main purpose of British interest was to protect the trade route to India from pirates, hence, the earlier name for the area, the "Pirate Coast". After the suppression of piracy, other considerations came into play, such as a strategic need of the British to exclude other powers from the region. Following their withdrawal from India in the year 1947, the British maintained their influence in Abu Dhabi as interest in the oil potential of the Persian Gulf grew.^[21]

In the mid to late 1930s, as the pearl trade declined, interest grew in the oil possibilities of the region. On 5 January 1936, Petroleum Development Trucial Coast Ltd (PDTC), an associate company of the Iraq Petroleum Company, entered into a concession agreement with the ruler, Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan Al Nahyan, to explore for oil. This was followed by a seventy-five-year concession signed in January 1939. However, owing to the desert terrain, inland exploration was fraught with difficulties. In 1953, D'Arcy Exploration Company, the exploration arm of BP, obtained an offshore concession which was then transferred to a company created to operate the concession: Abu Dhabi Marine Areas (ADMA) was a joint venture between BP and Compagnie Française des Pétroles (later Total). In 1958, using a marine drilling platform, the ADMA Enterprise, oil was discovered in the Umm Shaif field at a depth of about 2,669 metres (8,755 ft). This was followed in 1959 by PDTC's onshore discovery well at Murban No.3.^[22]

ADMA discovered the Bu Hasa oil field in 1962 and the Lower Zakum oil field in 1963. Today, in addition to the oil fields mentioned, the main producing fields onshore are Asab, Sahil and Shah, and offshore are al-Bunduq, and Abu al-Bukhoosh.^[22]

Perceived mismanagement of the emirate's oil revenues, as well as fears of a pan-Arab uprising, led to the British backing a bloodless coup by Shakhbut's younger brother Zayed Al Nahyan on August 6, 1966.^[23]

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding missing information. (December 2025)

The city of Abu Dhabi is on the southeastern side of the Arabian Peninsula, adjoining the Persian Gulf. It is on an island less than 250 metres (820 ft) from the mainland and is joined to the mainland by the Maqta and Mussafah Bridges. A third, Sheikh Zayed Bridge, designed by Zaha Hadid, opened in late 2010. Abu Dhabi Island is also connected to Saadiyat Island by a five-lane motorway bridge. Al-Mafraq bridge connects the city to Reem Island and was completed in early 2011. This is a multi-layer interchange bridge and it has 27 lanes which allow roughly 25,000 automobiles to move per hour. There are three major bridges in the project, the largest has eight lanes, four leaving Abu Dhabi city and four coming in.^[24]

Most of Abu Dhabi city is located on the island itself, but it has many suburban districts on the mainland, for example, Khalifa City A, B, and C; Khalifa City Al Raha Beach;^[25] Al Bahia City A, B, and C; Al Shahama; Al Rahba; Between Two Bridges; Baniyas; Shamkha; Al Wathba and Mussafah Residential.

Gulf waters of Abu Dhabi holds the world's largest population of Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphins.^[26][27][28] To the east of the island is the Mangrove National Park, located on Al Qurm Corniche. Al-Qurm (ٱلْقُرْم) is Arabic for "The Mangrove".^[29]

Abu Dhabi has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh). Sunny blue skies can be expected throughout the year. The months of May through September are generally extremely hot and humid with maximum temperatures averaging above 40 °C (104 °F), mainly occurring during the peak summer months of July and August. During this time, sandstorms occur intermittently, in some cases reducing visibility to a few metres.^[30] Due to high humidity, especially in coastal areas, the heat index (or "feels-like" temperature) can be significantly higher than the actual air temperature.^{[citation needed]} Dust storms are common during the hot, dry months, affecting air quality and visibility.^{[citation needed]}

The cooler season is from November to March, which ranges between moderately hot to mild. This period also sees dense fog on some days and a few days of rain. On average, January is the coolest month of the year, while August is the hottest. Since the Tropic of Cancer passes through the emirate, the southern part falls within the Tropics. However, despite the coolest month having an 18.8 °C (65.8 °F) average, its climate is far too dry to be classed as tropical.

For its geography, Abu Dhabi has been twinned with:

Abu Dhabi City is the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the local government of Abu Dhabi is directly led by the Ruler of Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi is the largest and wealthiest of the seven emirates, and it plays a crucial role in the UAE's governance and economy. The Ruler has the executive authority to issue local laws, create or merge government departments, and appoint heads of departments. The Ruler of Abu Dhabi appoints the Abu Dhabi Executive Council to lead the day-to-day management of government affairs. The Department of Municipal Affairs is responsible for municipal affairs for the entire emirate. Abu Dhabi is part of the Central Capital District,^[b] which is separate from the eastern and western municipal regions of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The main settlement of the eastern region, officially "Al Ain Region" since a decree by Sheikh Khalifa in March 2017, is Al Ain City, and that of the western region, officially "Al Dhafra Region" as per the same decree,^[39][40] is Madinat Zayed.^[1][12]

The Government of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi officially leads both the city and greater emirate with agencies operating out of Abu Dhabi with branches in other cities. The Abu Dhabi Government has various agencies and organisations operating across the emirate such as the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council and the Regulation and Supervision Bureau, which are responsible for infrastructure projects in the city.

Because Abu Dhabi is the capital of the UAE, it also serves as the headquarters of the Federal government of the United Arab Emirates, the office of the President of the United Arab Emirates, and seat of the Federal Supreme Council.^[41]

The Abu Dhabi Government Media Office (ADGMO) was formed in 2019 and is responsible for representing the government in the media, organising press conferences for the emirate and monitoring local and international media. It is a state-sponsored organisation that communicates the latest developments in the capital, and the emirate's vision, values and traditions.^{[42][43][44][45]}

The city was planned under the guidance of Sheikh Zayed by Japanese architect Katsuhiko Takahashi in 1967 initially for a population of 40,000.^[46] The density of Abu Dhabi varies, with high employment density in the central area, high residential densities in central downtown and lower densities in the suburban districts. In the dense areas, most of the concentration is achieved with medium- and high-rise buildings. Abu Dhabi's skyscrapers such as the notable Burj Mohammed bin Rashid (World Trade Center Abu Dhabi), Etihad Towers, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority Tower,^[47] the National Bank of Abu Dhabi headquarters,^[48] the Baynunah (Hilton Hotel) Tower,^[49] and the Etisalat headquarters are usually found in the financial districts of Abu Dhabi.^[50] Other notable modern buildings include the Aldar Headquarters, the first circular skyscraper in the Middle East^[51] and the Emirates Palace with its design inspired by Arab heritage.^[52]

The development of tall buildings has been encouraged in the Abu Dhabi Plan 2030, which will lead to the construction of many new skyscrapers over the next decade, particularly in the expansion of Abu Dhabi's central business district such as the new developments on Al Maryah Island and Al Reem Island.^[53] Abu Dhabi already has a number of supertall skyscrapers under construction throughout the city. Some of the tallest buildings on the skyline include the 382 m (1,253.28 ft) Central Market Residential Tower, the 324 m (1,062.99 ft) The Landmark and the 74-story, 310 m (1,017.06 ft) Sky Tower, all of them completed. Also, many other skyscrapers over 150 m (492.13 ft) (500 ft) are either proposed or approved and could transform the city's skyline. As of July 2008^[update], there were 62 high-rise buildings 23 to 150 m (75.46 to 492.13 ft) under construction, approved for construction, or proposed for construction.^[54]

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque represents a key fixture of the city's architectural patrimony. Its construction was initiated under the administration of the late President Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, a key figure in the foundation of the modern United Arab Emirates.^[55]

The mosque was constructed with materials from countries around the world, including Italy, Germany, Morocco, Pakistan, India, Turkey, Iran, China, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Greece, and the United Arab Emirates.^[56] More than 3,000 workers and 38 contracting companies took part in the construction of the mosque. Consideration of durability motivated the choice of many materials specified in the design of the structure. These materials include marble, stone, gold, semi-precious stones, crystals, and ceramics. Construction began on 5 November 1996. The building is large enough to safely contain a maximum of approximately 41,000 people. The overall structure is 22,412 square metres (241,240 square feet). The internal prayer halls were initially opened in December 2007.^[55]

As one of the most visited buildings in the UAE, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center was established to manage the day-to-day operations, as a place of worship and Friday gathering and as a centre of learning and discovery through its education and visitor programs.^[57]

In July 2019, the Grand Mosque was listed among the top global attractions by TripAdvisor. As a part of its Travelers Choice Awards, the travel website placed the architectural masterpiece on number three out of the 750 landmarks considered from 68 countries.^[58]

In May 2021, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center attended the Arabian Travel Market 2021 exhibition. This was part of the centre's core strategy to be active in the religious and cultural aspects of society.^[59]

The Founder's Memorial, a monument and visitor centre in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a memorial to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the first President of the United Arab Emirates, who died in 2004. The memorial consists of an open Heritage Garden and Sanctuary Garden at the centre of which is a cubic pavilion housing The Constellation, an artwork dedicated to Zayed's memory.^[60]

The UAE Presidential Palace, Qaṣr Al-Waṭan ("Palace of the Nation"),^[61] opened to the public in March 2019.^[62][63] It was built on the grounds of Ladies beach and construction was finished in 2018. Historically, 'barza' refers to a majlis session during which important matters can be brought to the attention of a Sheikh. After the Great Hall, it is the largest space in the UAE's Presidential Palace which holds up to 300 guests.^[64]

The Abrahamic Family House, a multi-faith complex on Saadiyat Island, includes the Imam Al-Tayeb Mosque, St. Francis Church, and the Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue—the UAE's first purpose-built synagogue. The project was inaugurated on 16 February 2023 and officially opened to the public on 1 March 2023.^[65][66][67]

On 22 September 2019, the Department of Community Development (DCD) in Abu Dhabi held a ceremony to grant licenses to 17 churches and the first-ever traditional Hindu temple. The listed churches were Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant churches, including St Joseph's Cathedral. The initiative was taken under the slogan "A Call for Harmony", to allow people from all religions and cultures to practice their faith in the country.^[68]

Qasr Al Hosn is the oldest building in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, built by the Bani Yas tribe in 1761. It was once the seat of the government and the palace of the ruling Al Nahyan family. Today, it is a museum open to all visitors portraying the history of Abu Dhabi and early lifestyles. It is where the visitors will notice the art Talli, a traditional form of decorative embroidery done by women, and the making of Al Sadu patterns which represent symbols of daily life. A three-screen mini-theatre is available which describes the traditional form of weaving practised by Bedouin women.^[69]

Abu Dhabi has several parks, gardens, a zoo, and more than 400 kilometres (249 miles) of coastline, of which 10 kilometres (6 miles) are public beaches.^[70]

• 
  The Lake Park
• 
  Mangroves at Mangrove National Park, near Al Qurm Corniche on Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Street in the eastern part of the city^[29]
• 
  Giraffe at Emirates Park Zoo in Al Bahiyah, near the Abu Dhabi–Dubai highway

The UAE's large hydrocarbon wealth gives it one of the highest GDP per capita in the world and Abu Dhabi owns the majority of these resources—95% of the oil and 92% of gas.^[71] Abu Dhabi thus holds 9% of the world's proven oil reserves (98.2bn barrels) and almost 5% of the world's natural gas (5.8 billion cubic metres or 200 billion cubic feet). As of April 2022, oil production in the UAE was about 3.0 million barrels per day (BPD).^[72] The UAE is looking to expand its maximum production capacity from approximately 4 million BPD to 5 million BPD by 2030.^[73] In recent years, the focus has turned to gas as increasing domestic consumption for power, desalination and reinjection of gas into oil fields increases demand. Gas extraction is not without its difficulties, however, as demonstrated by the sour gas project at Shah where the gas is rich in hydrogen sulfide content and expensive to develop and process.^[22]

In 2009, the government diversified its economic plans. Served by high oil prices, the country's non-oil and gas GDP outstripped that attributable to the energy sector. Non-oil and gas GDP now constitutes 64% of the UAE's total GDP. This trend is reflected in Abu Dhabi with substantial new investment in industry, real estate, tourism and retail. As Abu Dhabi is the largest oil producer of the UAE, it has reaped the most benefits from this trend. It has taken on an active diversification and liberalisation program to reduce the UAE's reliance on the hydrocarbon sector. This is evident in the emphasis on industrial diversification with the completion of free zones, Industrial City of Abu Dhabi, twofour54 Abu Dhabi media free zone and the construction of another, ICAD II, in the pipeline. There has also been a drive to promote tourism and real estate with the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority and the Tourism and Development Investment Company undertaking several large-scale development projects. These will be served by improved transport infrastructure, with a new port, an expanded airport and a proposed rail link between Abu Dhabi and Dubai all in the development stages.^[74]

Abu Dhabi's Emirate is the wealthiest of the UAE in terms of Gross domestic product (GDP) and per capita income. More than $1 trillion is invested worldwide in the city. In 2010, the GDP per capita reached $49,600, which ranks ninth in the world. Taxation in Abu Dhabi, as in the rest of the UAE, is nil for a resident or a non-bank, non-oil company. Abu Dhabi is also planning many future projects sharing with the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) and taking 29% of all the GCC future plannings. The UAE has a fast-growing economy: in 2006 the per capita income grew by 9%, providing a GDP per capita of $49,700 and ranking third in the world at purchasing power parity.

Abu Dhabi's government is looking to expand revenue from oil and gas production to tourism and other things that would attract different types of people. This goal is seen in the amount of attention Abu Dhabi is giving its International Airport. The airport experienced a 30%+ growth in passenger usage in 2009.^[75] This idea of diversifying the economy is also seen in the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030^[76] planned by the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council. In this plan, Abu Dhabi's economy will be sustainable and not dependent on any single source of revenue. More specifically the non-oil portion of income is planned to be increased from about 40% to about 70%.^[77] As of July 2019, Abu Dhabi allocated $163 million to finance global entertainment partners as part of its plan to diversify the economy and wean it off oil.^[78]

Many Hollywood and other national film production teams have used parts of the UAE as filming locations. Neighbouring Dubai gets a lot of attention, but in recent years Abu Dhabi has become a popular destination. The Etihad Towers and Emirates Palace Hotel were some of the city's landmarks used as filming locations for the movie Furious 7, in which cars rush through the building and smashed through the windows of the towers.^[79]

In 2018, Abu Dhabi launched Ghadan 21, a string of initiatives to diversify the economy. The total injection is AED 50 billion.^[80] There are four main areas these initiatives must fall under: business and investment, society, knowledge and innovation, and lifestyle. The first phase includes over 50 initiatives that reflect the priorities of citizens, residents and investors.^[81]

The desalinated water supply and power production are managed by the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA). As of 2006^[update], it supplied 560.2 MiGD (million imperial gallons per day) of water,^[82] while the water demand for 2005–06 was estimated to be 511 MiGD.^[83] The Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi (EAD) states that groundwater is the most significant source of water, as well as desalinated potable water, and treated sewage effluent. At 40.6 MiGD, the Umm Al Nar storage is the largest water source for Abu Dhabi, followed by the rivers Shuweihat and Taweelah.^[84] With falling groundwater level and rising population density, Abu Dhabi faces a severely acute water shortage. On average each Abu Dhabi resident uses 550 litres (120 imp gal; 150 US gal) of water per day.^[85] Abu Dhabi daily produces 1,532 tonnes of solid wastes which are dumped at three landfill sites by the Abu Dhabi Municipality.^[86][87] The daily domestic wastewater production is 330 MiGD and industrial waste water is 40 MiGD. A large portion of the sewerage flows as waste into streams and separation plants.^[87]

The city's per capita electricity consumption is about 41,000 kWh and the total supplied is 8,367 MW as of 2007^[update].^[88] The distribution of electricity is carried out by companies run by SCIPCO Power and APC Energy. As part of UAE's Energy Strategy 2050 to reduce the carbon emission of power generation by 70%, Noor Abu Dhabi solar park project which is the largest solar project in the world was completed on 2 July 2019.^[89][90][91] The Abu Dhabi Fire Service runs 13 fire stations that attend about 2,000 fire and rescue calls per year.

State-owned Etisalat and private du communication companies provide telephone and cell phone service to the city. Cellular coverage is extensive, and both GSM and CDMA (from Etisalat and Du) services are available. Etisalat, the government-owned telecommunications provider, held a virtual monopoly over telecommunication services in Abu Dhabi prior to the establishment of other, smaller telecommunications companies such as Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC – better known as Du) in 2006. The Internet was introduced into Abu Dhabi in 1995. The current network is supported by a bandwidth of 6 GB, with 50,000 dialup and 150,000 broadband ports.

Etisalat announced implementing a fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network in Abu Dhabi during the third quarter of 2009 to make the emirate the world's first city to have such a network.^[92]

Abu Dhabi in the 1960s and 70s was planned for a predicted topmost population of 600,000. Following the urban planning ideals of the time period, the city has high-density tower blocks and wide grid-pattern roads.^[93] The population density is at its apex on the most northerly part of the island. At this point, the main streets have a large amount of 20- to 30-story towers. These towers are in a rectangular pattern, and inside is an ordinary grid pattern of roads with low rise buildings such as 2-story villas or 6-story low-rise buildings.

Due to this planning, a modern city with tall offices, apartment buildings, broad boulevards, and busy shops is present. Principal thoroughfares are the Corniche, Airport Road, Sheikh Zayed Street, Hamdan Street, and Khalifa Street. Abu Dhabi is known in the region for its greenery; the former desert strip today includes numerous parks and gardens. The design of the inner city roads and main roads are quite organised. Starting from the Corniche, all horizontal streets are oddly numbered, while all vertical streets are evenly numbered. Thus, the Corniche is Street No. 1, Khalifa Street is Street No. 3, Hamdan Street is Street No. 5, Electra Street is Street No. 7, and so on. Conversely, Salam Street is Street No. 8.^[94]

Mail is generally delivered to post-office boxes only; however, there is door-to-door delivery for commercial organisations. There are many parks throughout the city. Entrance is usually free for children, however, there is often an entrance fee for adults. The Corniche, the city's seaside promenade, is about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) in length, with gardens, playgrounds, and a BMX/skateboard ring.^[95]

In 2007, the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC) was established, which is the agency responsible for the future of Abu Dhabi's urban environments and the expert authority behind the visionary Plan Abu Dhabi 2030 Urban Structure Framework Plan that was published in September 2007.^[53] The UPC is also working on similar plans for the regions of Al-Ain and Al-Gharbia.

Because of the rapid development of Abu Dhabi, a number of challenges to the city's urban organisation have developed, among them:

• Today, the city's population far surpasses the original estimated maximum population when it was designed. This causes traffic congestion, a shortage of car parking spaces, and overcrowding.
• Although there is an addressing system for the city, it is not widely used, causing problems in describing building locations. Directions must often be given based on nearby landmarks.
• However, there is a new naming system under the name of Onwani which is overhauling the entire addressing system of the entire Abu Dhabi Emirate. Its phases have already been implemented and are a success. The addressing system is up to international standards.

Human rights organisations have heavily criticised violations of human rights in Abu Dhabi. As with other parts of the UAE, foreign workers are not given proper treatment^[96] and many companies (both government and private) have yet to improve working conditions.^[97]

In 2025, Abu Dhabi was ranked as the safest city in the world for the ninth year running by the statistical analysis website Numbeo.^[98]

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1960	25,000	—
1965	50,000	+100.0%
1969	46,400	−7.2%
1975	127,763	+175.4%
1980	243,257	+90.4%
1985	283,361	+16.5%
1995	398,695	+40.7%
2003	552,000	+38.5%
2009	896,751	+62.5%
2013	921,000	+2.7%
2014	1,205,963	+30.9%
2018	1,807,000	+49.8%
2023	3,800,000	+110.3%
The town of Abu Dhabi first conducted a census in 1968. All population figures in this table prior to 1968 are estimates obtained from populstat.info. Sources:[3][99][100][101]

Abu Dhabi ranks as the 67th most expensive city in the world and the second-most in the region behind Dubai.^[102]

As of 2014^[update], 477,000 of 2,650,000 people living in the emirate were UAE nationals. Approximately 80% of the population were expatriates.^[103] The median age in the emirate was about 30.1 years. The crude birth rate, as of 2005^[update], was 13.6%, while the crude death rate was about 2%.^[104]

Article 7 of the UAE's Provisional Constitution declares Islam the official state religion of the UAE.^[105]

The majority of the inhabitants of Abu Dhabi are migrant workers from Nepal, India, Pakistan, Russia, Ethiopia, Somalia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, China, Uganda, Vietnam, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Tanzania and various countries from across the Arab world. Some of these expatriates have been in the country for decades with only a few of them awarded citizenship.^[106] Consequently, English, Hindi-Urdu (Hindustani), Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, Marathi, Tulu, Somali, Tigrinya, Amharic and Bengali are widely spoken.^[107]

The native-born population are Arabic-speaking Arabs who are part of a clan-based society. The Al Nahyan family, part of the al-Falah branch of the Bani Yas clan, rules the emirate and has a central place in society.^[108] There are also Arabs who are from other parts of the Arab world.

Rapidly developing transportation in Abu Dhabi city is anchored by vast systems of highways connecting various islands and suburbs together alongside expanding public and private transport options.^[109]

The main Abu Dhabi island is connected by three vast highways with their own bridges, the oldest of which is Al Maqta Bridge, built in 1968 as the first connection to the previously small fishing village on the island,^[110] now part of the E22 highway. The second Mussafah Bridge was opened in 1977,^[111] now part of the E20 highway that transforms into Khaleej Al Arabi Street, and the third bridge was the Sheikh Zayed Bridge opened in 2010, now part of the E10 highway and Sheikh Zayed Road, all of which connect the entire island to the Corniche Road, the 8 km promenade and beach at the tip of the island that overlooks the Persian Gulf.^[29] As the city expands, new bridges and roads have been constructed, or are currently under construction to link the main island with Al Maryah Island, Al Reem Island, Saadiyat Island, and other previously undeveloped islands.^[109] For example, in 2023, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed Al Nahyan inaugurated the Umm Yifeenah Bridge, an 11 km highway connection between Al Reem Island and Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street.^[112] This change, and many other, are a part of Abu Dhabi's 2030 Urban Structure Framework Plan.^[113]

Zayed International Airport (AUH) is the city's main aviation hub and the second busiest airport in the UAE. Passenger numbers at Zayed International Airport rose by 17.2 percent in 2015, with more than 23 million travelers passing through its terminals during that year. A second runway and new terminal was also built recently.^[114] In July 2024, it was reported that the airport launched the world's first-of-its-kind "Smart Travel" biometric.^[115]

On 30 June 2019, the Department of Community Development (DCD) in Abu Dhabi officially inaugurated a multi-faith prayer room at Zayed International Airport. Located away from the main airport, the prayer room aims at enhancing the country's "position as an international hub for tolerance".^[116]

Abu Dhabi City is additionally served by the Al Bateen Executive Airport, situated on the main Abu Dhabi island, which was the old international airport for Abu Dhabi until AUH opened in 1982. The airport underwent renovation and expansion in 2022 to accommodate twin-aisle jets and resumed operation to private, business, and VIP traffic in addition to hosting an Abu Dhabi Police search and rescue base.^[117]

On December 5, 2024, Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi (AUH) won the title of "World's Most Beautiful Airport" at the Prix Versailles, a prestigious award for architecture and design. The award recognised its impressive architectural design in the Airports category. (WAM)^[118]

Abu Dhabi City is connected to the second phase of the Etihad Rail network, completed in 2023, for freight operations across the seven emirates. Passenger traffic has been confirmed and will allow for travel from Abu Dhabi city to other emirates on the network, however no date on commencement of operation has been set.^[119]

Public transport systems in Abu Dhabi include public buses, taxis, ferries, and hydroplanes.^[120] A massive expansion of public transport is anticipated within the framework of the government's Surface Transport Master Plan 2030.^[121] The expansion was expected to see 130 km (81 mi) of metro and 340 km (210 mi) of tramways and bus rapid transit (BRT) routes. The city has nonetheless planned for further smart public transport options in various areas within the city, such as Yas Island and Saadiyat Island, in addition to expected rail service to other nearby cities.^[122]

The first town bus entered service in about 1969 but this was all part of a very informal service. There are other inter-city buses departing the Abu Dhabi central bus station; these inter-city buses are not only intra-emirate buses, but also inter-emirate services. On 30 June 2008, the Department of Transport began public bus service in Abu Dhabi with four routes.^[123] There are also public buses serving the airport. In an attempt to entice people to use the bus system, all routes were zero-fare until the end of 2008.^[124] The four routes, which operate between 6 am and midnight every day, run at a frequency of 10 to 20 minutes.^[124] Within the first week of service, the bus network had seen high usage. Some of the buses, which have a maximum capacity of 45 passengers, only had room for standing left. Some bus drivers reported as many as 100 passengers on a bus at one time.^[125] Due to the new, zero-fare bus service success, many taxi drivers were losing business. Taxi drivers have seen a considerable decrease in the demand for taxis while lines were forming for the buses.^[126]

As of 2021, the Abu Dhabi public bus system had completed 53.3 million passenger trips, with a fleet of 583 buses for the city of Abu Dhabi.^[127]

In 2022, Abu Dhabi launched autonomous self-driving public transport options in Yas Island and Saadiyat Island. The route in Saadiyat Island stops at cultural and tourist stops such as Louvre Abu Dhabi, NYU Abu Dhabi, and Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi whereas the Yas Island route focuses on the attractions in the island such as Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. The expansion include autonomous trams (Automated Rapid Transit or "ART"), taxis, and minibuses.^[6][128]

During October 2023, the Integrated Transport Centre (ITC) launched the ART Service on mainland Abu Dhabi as a pilot phase as part of the Smart Mobility project. It spans approximately 27 kilometres from Reem Mall, Al Reem Island, until Marina Mall, serving 25 stations in total.^[129]

In 2025, WeRide and Uber announced the launch of Level 4 fully driverless Robotaxi commercial operations. Public commercial operations commenced on 26 November without a vehicle specialist inside the AV, starting with Yas Island. This initiative is supported by Abu Dhabi's Integrated Transport Centre.^[130]

The Emirate has many ports. One is Port Zayed. The others are Musaffah Port and Khalifa Port, which opened in 2012.^[131] They are owned by Abu Dhabi Ports Company and managed by Abu Dhabi Terminals.^[132] Water transport includes water taxis which can accommodate up to 12 passengers, and ferries which can carry up to 100 passengers on board. Water taxis can be hired for point-to-point travel across the city's waterways, offering a convenient option for shorter trips, and ferry transport system is a convenient and scenic way to travel between the city's islands and mainland.^[133]

In 2021, the number of passengers who used public ferries reached 114,093.^[127]

Abu Dhabi introduced four toll gates in 2021 on all bridges (Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Maqtaa Bridge, Mussafah Bridge, and Sheikh Khalifa Bridge) entering the main Abu Dhabi island that only operate during peak hours, and by year-end had over 1.8 million registered cars in the system. Drivers must manually create an account to add balance to their toll gate allowance. Crossing the toll gate costs 4 AED.^[127] Abu Dhabi's toll gate system, known as Darb, is aimed at reducing traffic congestion and promoting smoother traffic flow. Drivers must register their vehicles on the Darb app or the official website. The system automatically deducts the toll charges from a prepaid account.^[134]

Abu Dhabi's first flying taxi vertiport will open at the Zayed Port Cruise Terminal by late 2025.^[135] It will serve helicopters and eVTOLs, offering direct access to Saadiyat Island, the Corniche, and the Louvre Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi has a diverse and multicultural society.^[136] The city's cultural imprint as a small, ethnically homogeneous pearling community was changed with the arrival of other ethnic groups and nationals—first by the Iranians in the early 1900s, and later by various African, Asian, European, and Middle Eastern ethnicities in the 1950s and 1960s. Abu Dhabi has been criticised for perpetuating a class-based society, where migrant workers are in the lower classes, and suffer abuse which "is endemic to the system".^[137]

Major holidays in Abu Dhabi include Eid al Fitr which marks the end of Ramadan, Eid ul-Adha which marks the end of Hajj, and National Day (2 December) which marks the formation of the United Arab Emirates.^[138]

This unique socioeconomic development in the Persian Gulf has meant that Abu Dhabi is generally more tolerant than its neighbours, including Saudi Arabia.^[139] Emiratis have been known for their tolerance; Christian churches, Hindu temples, Sikh gurdwaras (with the first synagogue commencing construction in 2020), and Buddhist temples can be found alongside mosques. The cosmopolitan atmosphere is gradually growing; as a result, there are a variety of African, Asian, European, Middle Eastern, and Western schools, cultural centres, and themed restaurants.

Abu Dhabi is home to several cultural institutions, including the Cultural Foundation and the National Theater. The Cultural Foundation, while closed for reconstruction as of spring 2011, is home to the UAE Public Library and Cultural Center.^[140] Various cultural societies such as the Abu Dhabi Classical Music Society have a strong and visible following in the city. The recently launched Emirates Foundation offers grants in support of the arts and to advance science and technology, education, environmental protection, and social development. The International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) will be based in Abu Dhabi. The city also stages hundreds of conferences and exhibitions each year in its state-of-the-art venues, including the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), which is the Persian Gulf's largest exhibition centre and welcomes around 1.8  million visitors every year.^[141]

The Red Bull Air Race World Series has been a spectacular sporting staple for the city for many years, bringing tens of thousands to the waterfront.^[142] Another major event is the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC).^[143]

The diversity of cuisine in Abu Dhabi reflects the cosmopolitan nature of society. Arab food is trendy and is available everywhere in the city, from the small shawarma to the upscale restaurants in the city's many hotels. Fast food and South Asian cuisine are also trendy and are widely available. The sale and consumption of pork, though not illegal, is regulated and sold only to non-Muslims in designated areas.^[144] Similarly, the sale of alcoholic beverages is regulated. A liquor permit is required to purchase alcohol; however, alcohol is^{[further explanation needed]} available in bars and restaurants within four or five stars hotels. Shisha and qahwa boutiques are also popular in Abu Dhabi.

Poetry in Abu Dhabi and the UAE is highly regarded and often centres around satire, religion, family, chivalry, and love. According to an article from an Abu Dhabi tourism page, sheikhs, teachers, sailors, and princes make up a large bulk of the poets within the UAE. al-Khalil ibn Ahmad al-Farahidi formed a unique form of poetry to the UAE in the 8th century and was written in 16 metre. Another Emirati poet, Ibn Daher, is from the 17th century. Daher is important because he used Nabati poetry (AKA Bedouin poetry), a type of poetry written in the vernacular instead of classical/religious Arabic. Other important poets from the UAE are Mubarak Al Oqaili (1880–1954), Salem bin Ali al Owais (1887–1959), and Abdulla bin Sulayem (1905–1976). These poets made headway in Classical Arabic poetry as opposed to the Nabati poetry of the 17th century.^[145]

Today in Abu Dhabi, a group called the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation works to preserve the art and culture of the city. According to an article from the English Pen Atlas, Al Jawaher wal la'li was the first manuscript to come out of the UAE. According to another article, this book was written in the 1990s and was banned in the city for some time for making accusations about the ruling family.^[146]

For cultural influences, Abu Dhabi, since 2010, has become one of the major shooting spots for many film companies, including Hollywood. Some of the most famous films featuring Abu Dhabi are: The Kingdom (2007), Arrambam (2013), Baby (2015),^[147] Furious 7 (2015), Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), Dishoom (2016), War Machine (2017), Tiger Zinda Hai (2017), Race 3 (2018), Saaho (2019), Six Underground (2019), The Misfits (2021), Dune (2021), Vikram Vedha (2022), Crew (2024), Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (2024) and War 2 (2025).

In 2024, the Madison Square Garden Company confirmed that a second Sphere venue, identical to the Sphere in Las Vegas would be built in Abu Dhabi.^[148] The following year in 2025 it was confirmed that Disney would build a theme-park in Abu Dhabi called Disneyland Abu Dhabi. It will be located on Yas Island.^[149]

Abu Dhabi is home to international and local private schools and universities, including government-sponsored INSEAD, New York University Abu Dhabi, Khalifa University, Higher Colleges of Technology, Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, and Abu Dhabi University. New York University opened a government-sponsored satellite campus in Abu Dhabi in September 2010.^[150]

All schools in the emirate are under the authority of the Abu Dhabi Education Council. This organisation oversees and administers public schools and licenses and inspects private schools. From 2009, the council has brought over thousands of licensed teachers from native English speaking countries to support their New School Model Program in government schools.

Every year in the season of admissions, an exhibition is launched in Abu Dhabi Exhibition Center under government supervision.^[151] Universities from every corner of the world exhibit their career programs and scholarship programs. Heriot-Watt University, University of Bolton, Cambridge University, Oxford University, the Petroleum Institute, Khalifa University, and Abu Dhabi University attend.

In October 2019, Abu Dhabi announced the world's first graduate-level AI research institution, Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI). It enables graduation for students, businesses and governments to advance artificial intelligence. The university began accepting applications for masters and PhD programmes a year before the classes, which are scheduled to begin in September 2020.^[152]

Abu Dhabi has a diverse and expanding sporting culture underpinned by investments in sporting infrastructure and the hosting of global sporting events. Liwa Motorsport and traditional sports such as camel racing and equestrian sports have developed alongside popular modern sports such as Jiu-jitsu and football. Abu Dhabi follows the UAE's National Sport Strategy 2031 which aims to increase general participation in sports and expand the types and frequency of sport facilities available in the city.^[153]

Zayed Sport City (ZSC) is a large free zone complex in the heart of Abu Dhabi city with a mixed-use of properties and sporting facilities to encourage sport participation. ZSC offers practice facilities for basketball, billiards, football, paintball, and a dedicated ice rink.^[153] The complex is also home to the Zayed Sports City Stadium, the largest in the UAE with a seating capacity of 45,000 and is the headquarters of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, which is responsible for hosting events in the city and Mubadala Arena, the home of the UAE Jiu Jitsu team.

Jiu Jitsu is a popular sport in the city with a dedicated complex in the Mubadala Arena. It is a 'Soft Art' originated from the ancient martial art of the Samurai in Japan several centuries ago and it has been adopted by Brazil in the early 1900s. Jiu Jitsu does not include punches or kicks, but it applies the techniques such as throws, control positions and locks.^[154] Abu Dhabi government's Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) maintains a comprehensive after-school program for interested and talented jiujitsu students.^[155] The Abu Dhabi Jiujitsu Schools Program began in 2008 under the patronage of crown prince (now President) Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a keen Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitor. The program launched in 14 schools for pupils in grades 6 and 7 and has since expanded to 42 government schools, with 81 Brazilian coaches brought in as instructors.^[156]

9 to 13-year-old students are taught Brazilian jiu-jitsu as part of the curriculum. The plan is for up to 500 schools to be participating in the school-Jitsu program by 2015. The project was set up by special request of Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan to the head coach of the Emirates jiu-jitsu team, Carlos "Carlão" Santos, now also the managing director of the School-Jitsu Project.^[157]

Football is the most popular sport in the city and the city has four football stadiums, namely Al Jazeera Stadium, Al Wahda Stadium, Sheikh Zayed Football Stadium (Zayed Sports City) and Hazza Stadium.^[158] The city hosts the Al Jazira Club, Al Wahda FC, and Baniyas Club, all of which compete at the UAE Pro League. In addition to local tournaments, the city has hosted international football events including five FIFA Club World Cup and the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.^[159]

The city hosts the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix of Formula One, which has been held at the Yas Marina Circuit since 2009.^[160] The race takes place late in the Formula One season in November or December, and it is usually the last race of the season. The Yas Marina Circuit is one of the most expensive racing tracks built and regularly hosts various other local races and tours.^[161] The circuit has also hosted other events such as the V8 Supercars series of Dubai.

Abu Dhabi regularly hosts the International Judo Federation Abu Dhabi grand slam. Engendering some criticism, the International Judo Federation refused to allow the Israeli flag and the Israeli national anthem at the international games in 2017. Some referred to this action as anti-Semitic.^[162][163] The ban on Israeli symbols was lifted in 2018 and Israeli flag and the national anthem was allowed to be displayed.^[164] Israeli minister of sports Miri Regev was also allowed to attend the event.^[164]

In March 2019, Abu Dhabi hosted the first Special Olympics World Games in the Middle East. The event took place from 14 to 21 March 2019 and featured more than 7,500 athletes participating in 24 sporting disciplines. The official World Games Flame of Hope was lit in Athens and flown to Abu Dhabi, where it then embarked on the torch run, visiting all seven emirates of the UAE.^[165] It was the first time the Special Olympics World Games were hosted in the Middle East and North Africa region, with Abu Dhabi being the host city. More than 2,500 coaches and 20,000+ volunteers were available in the Olympics.^[166]

The city has hosted multiple international cricket tournaments, such as the ICC Men's T20 World Cup,^[167] and tennis events such as the Mubadala World Tennis Championship.It has also hosted many UFC events.

Abu Dhabi has many sites and attractions that include the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Mariam Umm Eisa Mosque, Emirates Palace, Qasr Al Watan, Six Flags Qiddya City Yas Marina Circuit, The Corniche, Hayyatii Towers, Etihad Towers, Yas Marina, Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi, Yas Island, Saadiyat Island, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, SeaWorld Abu Dhabi and Jubail Mangrove Park.^[168]

On 29 April 2022, Abu Dhabi announced a 100% capacity for commercial activities, tourist attractions and events in the emirate.^[169]

The Walt Disney Company announced on 7 May 2025 that it plans to build its seventh worldwide theme park resort in Abu Dhabi on Yas Island.^[170]

• Abu Dhabi Fund for Development
• Abu Dhabi Investment Council
• Abu Dhabi Global Market
• Abu Dhabi Vegetable Market
• Abu Dhabi Mall
• Archaeology of the United Arab Emirates
• Department of Municipal Affairs (Abu Dhabi)
• Dubai-Abu Dhabi Highway
• Marawah
• National Center for Documentation and Research
• Postage stamps and postal history of Abu Dhabi

• Abu Dhabi Government Services
• Department of Urban Planning and Municipalities. Archived 3 April 2019 at the Wayback Machine.

 

25°16′02″N 55°18′24″E / 25.267236°N 55.306675°E / 25.267236; 55.306675)

The creek has been extended by 13 km (8.1 mi) through Business Bay, Dubai Canal and through Jumeirah into the Arabian Gulf.

Including the most remarkable buildings alongside the Deira side of the Creek are the Deira Twin Towers, the old Dubai Creek Tower, Sheraton Dubai Creek, National Bank of Dubai, and Chamber of Commerce.^[15] On the other side of Al Maktoum Bridge along Dubai Creek is Dubai Creek Park, one of the largest parks in Dubai.^[16]

The creek is also home to the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, comprising an 18-hole tournament golf course, clubhouses, residential development, and the Park Hyatt hotel.

Present crossings, in order from northwest to southeast

• Al Shindagha Tunnel
• Al Maktoum Bridge
• Floating Bridge (temporary; to be replaced by the "Dubai Smile" in the future)
• Al Garhoud Bridge
• Business Bay Crossing
• Infinity Bridge

Future/planned crossings

• Dubai Smile (to replace the Floating Bridge)
• Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Crossing (to link Al Jaddaf and Bur Dubai)

• Port Saeed
• Dubai Creek Harbour
• Al Jaddaf Marine Station
• Business Bay Marina

Bibliography

• Hammad, Ahmed (June 2019). "Business Bay – Dubai Creek Extension -Construction Management, Challenges and Results. Part II – Project Details" (PDF). Journal of Engineering and Architecture. 7 (1): 100–109. doi:10.15640/jea.v7n1a11 (inactive 12 July 2025). eISSN 2334-2994. ISSN 2334-2986. S2CID 191180349. Archived from the original on 6 March 2020.cite journal: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link)
• Gupte, Pranay (2011). Dubai: The Making of a Megapolis. Viking. Penguin Books India. ISBN 9780670085170.

• Ahmad Makia (April 2015) "Dubai Creek as an Island City-State: Free Zones, Canals, and City Doppelgängers." Avery Review:7

Dubai Creek Harbour== External links ==

 

 

Emirates

An Emirates Airbus A380
IATA ICAO Call sign EK UAE EMIRATES
Founded	15 March 1985; 40 years ago (1985-03-15)
Commenced operations	October 25, 1985; 40 years ago (1985-10-25)
Hubs	Dubai International Airport
Frequent-flyer program	Emirates Skywards
Subsidiaries	Arabian Adventures Congress Solutions International Emirates Holidays Emirates Tours
Fleet size	260
Destinations	148
Parent company	The Emirates Group
Headquarters	Garhoud, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Key people	Tim Clark (President) Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum (Chairman & CEO)
Founder	Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum
Revenue	US$ 34.83 billion (2024-25)[1]
Net income	US$ 5.19 billion (2024-25)[1]
Employees	69,465 (2024-25)[1]
Website	emirates.com

Emirates^[a] is one of the two flag carriers^[2] of the United Arab Emirates (the other being Etihad Airways). Based in Garhoud, Dubai, the airline is a subsidiary of The Emirates Group, which is owned by the government of Dubai's Investment Corporation of Dubai.^[3] It is the world's largest long haul airline^[4] as well as the largest airline in the Middle East,^[5] operating more than 3,600 flights per week from its hub at Terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport. It operates in more than 150 cities in 80 countries across six continents on its fleet of over 250 aircraft.^[6] Cargo operations are undertaken by Emirates SkyCargo.^[7]

Emirates is the world's third-largest airline by scheduled revenue passenger-kilometers flown.^[8] It is also the second-largest in terms of freight tonne-kilometers flown.

During the mid 1980s, Gulf Air began to cut back its services to Dubai. As a result, Emirates was founded on 15 March 1985, with backing from Dubai's royal family and its first two aircraft provided by Pakistan International Airlines. With $10 million in start-up capital, it was required to operate independently of government subsidies. Pakistan International Airlines also provided free training facilities to Emirates cabin crew at Karachi Airport. The airline was founded by Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the airline's present chairman. In the years following its founding, the airline rapidly expanded both its fleet and its destinations. In October 2008, Emirates moved all of its operations at Dubai International Airport to Terminal 3.^[9]

Emirates operates a mixed fleet of Airbus and Boeing wide-body aircraft and is one of the few airlines to operate an all-wide-body aircraft fleet (excluding Emirates Executive).^[10] As of January 2026^[update], Emirates is the world's largest Airbus A380 operator with 116 aircraft in service.^[11] Since its introduction, the Airbus A380 has become an integral part of the Emirates fleet, especially on long-haul, high-density routes. Emirates is also the world's largest Boeing 777 operator with 133 aircraft in service.^[12]

Emirates was founded in March 1985 with backing from Dubai's ruler, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

On 25 October 1985, Emirates operated its first flight from Dubai International Airport to Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, Pakistan using an Airbus A300B4-200, registered AP-BBM. Later a second flight departed Dubai for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai, India, using a Boeing 737-300, registered AP-BCD, both wet-leased from Pakistan International Airlines. In 1986, Emirates added Ratmalana Airport, Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Queen Alia International Airport and Cairo International Airport to its route network.

On 3 July 1987, A6-EKA flew from Toulouse–Blagnac Airport to Dubai as Emirates took delivery of its first owned aircraft, an Airbus A310-304. Flights to Frankfurt Airport commenced via Atatürk Airport, London Gatwick and Male International Airport. This was followed by Changi Airport, Bangkok airport and Hong Kong International Airport.

During its early years, Emirates experienced strong growth, averaging 30% annually.^[13] The Gulf War helped boost business for the airline as it was the only airline to continue flying in the last ten days of the war. In June 1991 shortly after the end of the hostilities caused by the Gulf War, Emirates finally managed to acquire slots at London Heathrow. In 1996, Emirates took delivery of its baseline Boeing 777-200, followed by the extended-range version in 1997 and in 1999 the Airbus A330-200 and Boeing 777-300. In 2000, the airline placed an order for a large number of aircraft, including the Boeing 777-300ER and the Airbus A380, and also launched its frequent flyer program, Skywards.^[14]

Since then, the airline has continued to expand its fleet and network, with a focus on operating flights to anywhere in the world via Dubai and competing with other major airlines on international routes. Its growth has attracted criticism from other carriers, who claim that the airline has unfair advantages and have called for an end to open-skies policies with the UAE as a result.^[15][16] In 2017, Emirates "renewed its aircraft buying spree" and agreed to buy a number of Boeing's 787 Dreamliners for $15.1 billion. The Wall Street Journal described the deal as a "painful loss" for Airbus.^[17] In 2023, Emirates ordered $50 billion of Boeing jets with their sister airline, flyDubai at the Dubai Airshow.^[18] Emirates ordered 90 aircraft, including both versions of the new long-haul jet.^[18]

In April 2024, Emirates announced its plan to relocate its hub to Al Maktoum Airport (DWC) when the new airport is fully completed.^[19]

The airline is a subsidiary of The Emirates Group, which is a subsidiary of the Dubai government's investment company, Investment Corporation of Dubai.^[20][21][22] The airline has recorded a profit every year, except its second year, and the growth has never fallen below 20% a year. In its first 11 years, it doubled in size every 3.5 years and has every four years since.^[23]

In 2015, Emirates paid dividends worth AED 2.6 billion (US$708 million), compared to AED 1 billion (US$272 million) in 2014.^[24] The government has received AED 14.6 billion from Emirates since dividends started being paid in 1999 for having provided an initial start-up capital of US$10 million and an additional investment of about US$80 million at the time of the airline's inception.^[25] The Dubai government is the sole owner of the company, but it does not invest any new money into it or interfere with the airline's operations.^[23]

Emirates has diversified into related industries and sectors, including airport services, engineering, catering, and tour operator operations. Emirates has seven subsidiaries and its parent company has more than 50.^[26][27] At the end of the fiscal year on 31 March 2020, the company employed a total of 59,519 staff, of which 21,789 were cabin crew, 4,313 were flight deck crew, 3,316 were in engineering, 12,627 were listed as other, 5,376 employees were at overseas stations, and 12,098 were at subsidiary companies.^[1]: 72 The Emirates Group employed a total of 105,730 employees.^[1]: 184

Emirates provides its employees with benefits such as comprehensive health plans and paid maternity and sick leave. Another strategy employed by Emirates is to use profit sharing and merit pay as part of its competency-based approach to performance management.^[28] In 2023 and 2024, the group awarded its employees hefty bonuses as their share of the company's profits earned in those years. In 2023, employees got 24 weeks of pay^[29] as their bonus, and in 2024, they received 20 weeks of pay.^[30] In 2025, Emirates Group awarded its employees a 22-week bonus following a record-breaking profit of AED 22.7 billion—an 18% increase over the prior year.

The airline claims to have lower emissions than other airlines because its fleet has an average fuel burn of fewer than 4 liters for every 100 passenger–kilometers.^[31] In 2023, the airline announced it would invest $200 million over three years to fund research and development regarding the reduction of fossil fuels in commercial aviation, including investing in the development of alternative fuel and energy solutions.^[32]

The key trends for Emirates are (as of the financial year ending 31 March):^[33]

	Turnover (AED b)	Net profit[b] (AED b)	Passengers flown (m)	Passenger load factor (%)[c]	Cargo carried (000 tonnes)	Number of A380	Sources
1998	4.0	0.26	3.6	70.0	200	—
1999	4.4	0.31	4.2	74.5	214	—
2000	5.1	0.30	4.7	71.9	269	—
2001	6.3	0.42	5.7	75.1	335	—
2002	7.1	0.46	6.7	74.3	401	—
2003	9.5	0.90	8.5	76.6	525	—
2004	13.1	1.5	10.4	73.4	660	—
2005	17.9	2.4	12.5	74.6	838	—
2006	22.6	2.4	14.4	75.9	1,019	—
2007	29.1	3.0	17.5	76.2	1,156	—
2008	38.8	5.0	21.2	79.8	1,282	—
2009	43.2	0.68	22.7	75.8	1,408	4
2010	43.4	3.5	27.4	78.1	1,580	8
2011	54.2	5.3	31.4	80.0	1,767	15
2012	62.2	1.5	33.9	80.0	1,796	21
2013	73.1	2.2	39.3	79.7	2,086	31
2014	82.6	3.2	44.5	79.4	2,250	47
2015	88.8	4.5	49.2	79.6	2,377	59
2016	85.0	7.1	51.8	76.5	2,509	75
2017	85.0	1.2	56.0	75.1	2,577	94
2018	92.3	2.7	58.4	77.5	2,623	102	[34]
2019	97.9	0.87	58.6	76.8	2,659	109	[35]
2020	91.9	1.0	56.1	78.5	2,389	115	[36]
2021	30.9	−20.2	6.5	44.3	1,873	113	[37]
2022	59.1	−3.9	19.5	58.6	2,139	118	[38]
2023	107	10.5	43.6	79.5	1,849	116	[1]
2024	121	17.2	51.9	79.9	2,176	116	[39]
2025	127	19.0	53.6	78.9	2,338	116	[40]

In the 1990s, Emirates launched its first set of commercials all with the slogan "So be good to yourself, Fly Emirates". In 1999, it launched a rare A330-200 commercial with different pictures showing the aircraft painted in the original livery and the livery used from 1999 until 2023, which was launched a few months prior.

Commercials reappeared beginning in 2002 and the airline adopted the slogan "Fly Emirates. Keep Discovering" in 2004. In the 2010s, Emirates utilized multiple slogans in its advertising including "Fly Emirates. Keep Discovering", "Fly Emirates To over Six Continents", and "Hello Tomorrow".^[41] Emirates currently uses the slogan "Fly Better".

Emirates introduced a new uniform design in August 2008 for its 16,000 staff, designed by Simon Jersey. The offboard uniform includes the Emirates hat, red kick-pleats in the skirts, more fitted blouses, and the return of red leather shoes and handbags. For the onboard uniform, male and female cabin crew wear service waistcoats in place of the previously worn service jackets and tabards. The male flight attendants wear a chocolate brown suit, featuring pinstripes, with a cream shirt and caramel, honey, and red tie. Both male and female pursers wear this chocolate brown color but with no red featured.^[42]

Since its formation in 1985, Emirates aircraft have carried a section of the United Arab Emirates flag on the tail fins, a calligraphy version of the logo in Arabic on the engines, and the "Emirates" logo on the fuselage both in Arabic and English. The color scheme used since 1985 was changed in November 1999, with the first Boeing 777-300.^[43] This change included the modification of the logotype, the enlargement and movement of the English logo (the Arabic remaining smaller) towards the front of the aircraft, and a different, flowing flag on the tailfin.^[44]

In 2022, Emirates launched two commercials featuring a flight attendant standing on the spire of the Burj Khalifa. The first commercial was about the UAE moving to the UK's Amber list in the wake of the COVID-19 travel restrictions. The second commercial was to promote the Expo 2020 event with an Airbus A380, painted in a special livery, circling the woman. The woman in the videos was a qualified stuntwoman dressed as an Emirates flight attendant.^[45]

From 2011 until 2022, Emirates sponsored the Emirates Air Line cable car over the River Thames in East London.^[46]

Since 2015, Emirates has sponsored the England-based Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth on the south coast.^[47] The airline had £3.5 million worth of plans to paint the landmark red, but after discussion with the residents of Portsmouth and Southsea, Emirates agreed the tower was to be colored blue and gold, with red lettering of the Emirates sponsor,^[48] for the reason that Portsmouth F.C. (the local football team) is colored blue and rival football team Southampton F.C. is colored red. It is now named "Emirates Spinnaker Tower".

Emirates sponsors Cricket Australia,^[49] Lord's Taverners,^[50] and Pro Arch Tournament.^[51] Its branding also features on international cricket umpires' shirts.^[52] Emirates was also an official partner of the International Cricket Council. The deal gives Emirates association with all major ICC tournaments, including the 2011, 2015, and 2019 ICC Cricket World Cups, the Women's Cricket World Cups, ICC Champions Trophy, and ICC World Twenty20.^[53]

Emirates is the Twenty20 shirt sponsor of Durham County Cricket Club and holds the naming rights to the Riverside Ground, now known as Emirates Riverside, as well as the naming rights to the Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground, and is the shirt sponsor of Lancashire County Cricket Club. Emirates was also the major sponsor of the Kings XI Punjab (seasons two-four) and Deccan Chargers (season five), teams of the Indian Premier League, the largest domestic cricket tournament in the world.

Emirates was a sponsor of FIFA and the FIFA World Cup, but stopped its sponsorship in early 2015 because of allegations of corruption and bribery within FIFA, as well as FIFA's controversial decision to award the 2022 FIFA World Cup to Qatar.^[54]

Emirates was the primary shirt sponsor of Chelsea from August 2001 until May 2005.^[55] Since the 2006–07 season, it has been the primary shirt sponsor of Arsenal (2006 to 2028, including Arsenal's home ground Emirates Stadium),^[56] AC Milan since the 2010–11 season, Real Madrid since the 2013–14 season, Benfica since the 2015–16 season,^[57] Olympique Lyonnais since the 2020–21 season,^[58] and Étoile du Sahel since the 2023–24 season.^[59] It was also the primary shirt sponsor of the New York Cosmos. Emirates is also the title sponsor of the FA Cup and Emirates Cup. It was also the primary shirt sponsor of Paris Saint-Germain (until May 2019), and Hamburger SV until June 2020.

In August 2009, the Scottish Junior Football Association announced that Emirates would sponsor its Scottish Cup competition.^[60] Emirates is the sponsor of Asian Football Confederation travel and play, in the AFC Champions League and AFF Suzuki Cup. It also sponsors FC Dallas in Major League Soccer.

Football clubs currently sponsored by Emirates

• Arsenal
• Arsenal WFC
• Lyon
• AC Milan
• AC Milan WFC
• Real Madrid
• Real Madrid B
• Real Madrid W
• Benfica
• Benfica B
• Benfica under-19
• Étoile du Sahel
• FC Dallas

Emirates has sponsored the Super League Rugby League team, the Warrington Wolves between 2013 and 2017. The multi-year sponsorship cost has been touted as around £300,000 annually.^[61]

It is also the main sponsor of USA Rugby^[62] and the World Rugby panel of international referees.^[62] Since 2015, Emirates has sponsored the South African Super Rugby team, the Lions and has the naming rights of the team and the Ellis Park rugby stadium.

It also sponsors the Rugby World Cup since 2007 and the Women's Rugby World Cup starting in 2025.

On 23 September 2019, Emirates partnered with Beirut Basketball Club to sponsor their 2019–2020 season; the deal included branding opportunities during televised matches, social media activation rights, and game ticket allocations.^[63] The season was later canceled amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Emirates later signed a multi-year sponsorship with the club in September 2023, becoming its official airline and jersey sponsor for the next three seasons.^[64]

On 8 February 2024, Emirates signed a multi-year partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA) to become the official airline of the league. This deal also included getting the naming rights for the NBA Cup, becoming the Emirates NBA Cup starting in the 2024 season. Additionally, an Emirates patch would be added to NBA referee jerseys.^[65]

• Horse racing - Emirates sponsors the Dubai International Racing Carnival. It sponsored the Australian Turf Club's Autumn and Spring Carnival until 2011, and the Melbourne Cup Carnival from 2003 until 2017.^[66][67] It is also a regular sponsor of another equestrian sport, showjumping, notably at events in Dubai with the CSI5* Emirates Airline Dubai Grand Prix, and with the Longines Masters series, which currently runs CSI5* competitions in Hong Kong, Paris, and New York (formerly held in Los Angeles).
• Tennis - It sponsors all four major tennis tournaments: the Australian, French and US Opens, and Wimbledon (since 2024). Since the 2012 season, Emirates also sponsored the US Open Series, a six-week summer tennis season leading up to the US Open. Its sponsorship was to run until 2019.^[68]
• Formula One (F1) - It was the sponsor of the British F1 team McLaren in the 2006 season. It was also the official airline sponsor of Formula One from the 2013 season until the 2022 season. It was outbid by rival Qatar Airways for the 2023 season.^[69]
• Australian football - Emirates sponsors Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League.
• Baseball - Since the 2016 season, Emirates is the official airline of the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball.
• Cycling - Since 2017, Emirates has been the sponsor of the UAE Team Emirates (former Team Lampre-Mérida), which is a UCI World Tour Cycling Team. Being a World Tour, the team obtains automatic entry to the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, and Vuelta a Espana, as well as all the major one-day races.
• Sailing - Emirates is the primary sponsor of the Emirates Team New Zealand, winners of the 35th America's Cup in sailing.

In 2015, Jennifer Aniston starred in two commercials for the airline.^[70][71] Since 2023, Penélope Cruz has been the brand ambassador for Emirates.^[72]

Emirates became one of the official premier partners of the Expo 2020 event hosted by Dubai. To commemorate the event, Emirates unveiled a special livery in three colors (orange, green, and blue) to represent the three themes of the event, namely, Opportunity, Sustainability, and Mobility. One of its A380s was painted in a blue, nose-to-tail livery that said, "Join The Making of a New World". The sponsorship lasted from 1 October 2021 till the event's closure on 31 March 2022.

As of August 2024, Emirates operates over 3,000 flights every week across its network of 137 destinations in 77 countries across six continents from its hub in Dubai.^[73] On 21 November 2024, Emirates added a 5th weekly flight to its Dubai-Antananarivo route, commencing on 13 December 2024 for a duration of 4 weeks, to cater for the surge in holidaymakers during the year-end festive season. The move saw an increase in capacity for the number of seats to Seychelles and Madagascar.^[74]

On 10 October 2024, it was reported that Emirates had relaunched direct flights to Adelaide Airport beginning 28 October 2024. The flight resumption to Adelaide was a fourth option for travelers to the United Kingdom or Europe after Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways.^[75]

In March 2025, Emirates announced plans to expand its Asian network by introducing flights to three new destinations: Shenzhen in China, Da Nang in Vietnam, and Siem Reap in Cambodia. This expansion marks Emirates' fourth gateway into the Chinese mainland and its third into Vietnam. With these additions, the Dubai-based airline will now serve 49 destinations across Asia and the Pacific. This move aims to enhance connectivity and cater to the growing demand for travel in these regions.^[76][77]

Emirates has partnerships with other airlines, but is not a member of any of the three global airline alliances – Oneworld, SkyTeam, or Star Alliance. In 2000, the airline briefly considered joining Star Alliance, but opted to remain independent.^[78] The reasoning for this was later revealed by the senior vice president of the airline's commercial operations worldwide: "Your ability to react in the marketplace is hindered because you need a consensus from your alliance partners".^[79]

Emirates codeshares with the following airlines:^[80]

Emirates have Interline agreements with the following airlines:

Emirates Executive was launched in 2013 for corporate and private charters. It operates a single Airbus ACJ319 business jet,^[124] accommodating 19 people.^[125] It features a mix of private suites and seating, a lounge, a dining area, and bathrooms with full-height showers.^[126]

Emirates SkyCargo is the cargo division of Emirates. It began operations in October 1985, the same year Emirates was formed, and launched its aircraft services in 2001 with a Boeing 747 Freighter. It serves 10 exclusive cargo destinations, besides others in common with the Emirates passenger network.^[127] During the 2020 pandemic, SkyCargo also began to operate 777-300ER and A380 passenger aircraft as preighters to expand their total cargo capacity.^[128] In 2022, Emirates ordered 5 more Boeing 777 freighters, up from their 11 at the time.^[129]

As of January 2026, Emirates operates a fleet of 260 passenger aircraft and 11 cargo aircraft operated by Emirates SkyCargo.^[1] Emirates currently has 116 Airbus A380s and 129 Boeing 777s, including 10 777-200LRs and 119 777-300ERs, making them the largest operator of both types.^[130] The airline also has 16 Airbus A350-900s, and one Airbus A319 as an executive jet (this is painted in a plain white livery). Emirates has had no narrow-body aircraft in its mainline fleet since 1995.

In July 2014, Emirates finalized an order for 150 Boeing 777X aircraft, consisting of 35 777-8s and 115 777-9s,^[131] and was expected to become the launch operator for the 777X in mid 2020.^[132] In November 2017, it signed a commitment for 40 787-10s,^[133] but by early 2019, it was considering cancelling this order because engine margins were insufficient for the hot Dubai weather, in favour of the Airbus A350.^[134]

In February 2019, Emirates signed a memorandum of understanding with Airbus for 40 A330-900s and 30 A350-900s, while reducing its total A350 order to eight^[135] (with the last one to be delivered in 2022)^[136] after which Airbus planned to permanently cease production of the A380. Emirates received the final A380 (registration A6-EVS) built by Airbus on 16 December 2021. It was the 123rd A380 to join the fleet. The delivery officially marked the end of the Airbus A380 production 14 years after the first delivery to Singapore Airlines in 2007.^[137]

In November 2019, Emirates announced an order of 50 A350-900s worth US$16 billion that superseded the February memorandum of understanding.^[138] Also in November 2019, Emirates placed an order for 30 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners for a value of US$8.8 billion, while reducing its order of 777Xs from 150 to 126.^[139]

In December 2019, Emirates clarified that 11 of its 777X orders were subject to reconfirmation, but the overall number of orders had not been reduced.^[140] Being the largest operator of the A380, Emirates maintains its fleet via the MRO subsidiary of Safran, OEMServices.^[141]

On 13 November 2023, at the Dubai Airshow, Emirates finalized an order of 90 777X aircraft worth US$52 Billion, including 50 Boeing 777-9 aircraft and 35 Boeing 777-8 aircraft. This brings the total Boeing 777X backlog to 205 aircraft. Another 5 Boeing 787 Dreamliners were ordered, growing Emirates' 787 backlog to 35 – while converting 30 787-9s to 20 787-8 and 10 787-10 aircraft.^[142]

On 16 November 2023, also at the Dubai Airshow, Emirates ordered an additional 15 Airbus A350-900s worth US$6 billion, bringing the total of A350-900s ordered by Emirates to 65.^[143] The first A350-900 was delivered on November 25, 2024.^[144] A350 services began on 4 January 2025, with an inaugural flight to Edinburgh.

On 18 April 2025, it was announced that Emirates would be receiving Airbus A350-900 outfitted with seating for ultra long haul flights, capable of flying over 15 hours non-stop with a range of over 14,000 km (8,699 mi; 7,559 nmi). Adelaide will be the first city served, replacing the current Boeing 777-200LR aircraft serving the city.^[145]

On 19 November 2025, at the Dubai Airshow 2025, Emirates announced a top-up order for 8 additional A350-900 aircraft worth US$3.4 billion, bringing the total Emirates A350-900 order to 73 with 13 already delivered at the time.^[3]

The first livery of Emirates, created by Negus & Negus, was similar to the second livery, except that the company name "Emirates" was written in a different font; it was relatively smaller, located on the top of the windows; and it was followed by the company name in Arabic. All aircraft wearing the first-generation livery were either repainted or retired. This livery was retired by 2005 as the last aircraft with the first generation livery (an Airbus A310-300) was repainted to the second generation livery.

The second Emirates livery, which featured a UAE flag on the vertical stabilizer and a white fuselage, with the golden word "Emirates" painted on the upper fuselage, was introduced in November 1999 on the Boeing 777-300 and the Airbus A330-200, as well as all other aircraft that were delivered from November 1999 onward. The livery rolled out shortly after in 2000 on the rest of the Emirates fleet, and Emirates repainted all aircraft to this livery by 2005. The second Emirates livery also kept the Arabic company name, but the font size was smaller than the one from the first Emirates livery. The Emirates logo in Arabic is painted gold on all engines. The livery was updated in 2005 when the red word "Emirates" was introduced and painted on the belly of the fuselage.

On 16 March 2023, Emirates revealed its new livery. The livery features a more dynamic, flowing design of the UAE flag on the tailfin with a 3D effect. The wingtips are now painted red, displaying the Emirates logo in white Arabic calligraphy. Passengers with window seats can see the UAE flag colors painted on the inside of the wingtips, facing the fuselage.^[146]

The airline's Airbus A350s will also include the updated UAE flag on the inner side of the winglets.

First class

The two types of first class seating are the fully enclosed suite with a floor-to-ceiling door and a private suite with doors that close but do not extend to the ceiling. Both suites come complete with closing doors to ensure privacy, a minibar, a coat rack, and storage. They also feature the ICE in-flight entertainment system on a 23-inch-wide (58 cm) LCD screen in the private suites and a 32-inch-wide (81 cm) on the fully enclosed suite. The seat converts into a 2-metre-long (79 in) fully flat bed. Private suites are available on three-class and four-class Airbus A380-800 and three-class Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.^[147] The fully enclosed suites are available only on newly delivered Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.^[148]

On its newly delivered Airbus A380-800, first class features private suites,^[149] two shower-equipped lavatories and a spa,^[150] and access to the first/business class bar area and lounge.^[151] Premium class seating is located on the entire upper deck of the aircraft.

Emirates introduced a new first-class cabin for its Boeing 777-300ER fleet on 12 November 2017^[152] and first flights to Brussels and Geneva on 1 December 2017. The new first-class cabin is configured with six suites on a 1-1-1 layout. Both of the middle suites are equipped with three virtual windows, which are high-definition LCD screens that relay real-time images using HD cameras on either side of the aircraft. Amenities include two minibars placed on either side of the entertainment screen, a 13-inch tablet with a front camera to communicate with the cabin crew and to order room service, and a panel to control the lighting and temperature inside the suite. Emirates has also introduced a new seat in collaboration with Mercedes-Benz, which features a new zero-gravity position.^[153][154] The suites are expected to resemble "a private bedroom on a luxury yacht".^[155]

Business class

Business class on Boeing 777-200LRs and Boeing 777-300ERs feature seats with a 1.5-metre-long (60 in) pitch that reclines to 2-metre-long (79 in), angled lie-flat beds.^[156] Amenities include a massage function, privacy partition, winged headrest with six-way movement, two individual reading lights, and an overhead light per seat; in-seat power supply, USB ports, and an RCA socket for laptop connection; and over 600 channels of entertainment on the ICE system, shown on a 23 in-wide (58 cm) HD TV screen.^[157]

On Airbus A380-800 aircraft,^[158] the seats recline to form a fully flat bed and are equipped with personal minibars. The unique staggered layout makes half of the business-class seats on Emirates A380^[159] 23 cm (9 in) shorter than the others, at only 1.8 m (70 in) long.^[160] Business class passengers also have access to an on-board bar at the rear of the aircraft.^[156][161]

Premium economy class

In December 2020, it was announced that Emirates' new Premium economy cabin would be equipped with Recaro PL3530 seats which were designed exclusively for the airline.^[162]

The seats offer a pitch of up to 40 in (101 cm), a recline of 8 in (20 cm) and measure 19.5 in (49 cm) wide. All seats are equipped with a 13.3 in (33 cm) entertainment screen using the Emirates ICE system.^[163]

Currently, 22 Airbus A380 aircraft in the Emirates fleet have the new premium economy class cabin. These seats are also set to be retrofitted on the airline's older Boeing 777-300ERs and Airbus A380s as part of a retrofit program of US$2 billion that began at the end of 2022; by the end of the program, 67 Airbus A380s and 53 Boeing 777s will be fitted with premium economy.^[164][165]

Economy class

Emirates economy class offers a 79–81-centimetre-long (31–32 in) seat pitch on Airbus aircraft and 86 cm (34 in) on Boeing aircraft, with standard seat width (except on the Boeing 777 fleet). Emirates has 10 seats per row on its Boeing 777 fleet. The seat features adjustable headrests, a 3000-channel ICE system, and in-seat laptop power outlets on newer aircraft and laptop recharging facilities in galleys in older aircraft. Additional recline is available on A380 economy-class seats.^{[166][167][168]}

Catering on Emirates flights from Dubai International is provided by Emirates Flight Catering, which operates one of the largest airline catering facilities in the world.^[169] Emirates also offers special meal options, in all classes, based on age, dietary restrictions and preference, and religious observance. Special meals must be ordered in advance at least 24 hours before the flight departure time. All meals are prepared according to Halal dietary guidelines.^[170] In June 2018, Emirates signed a $40 million joint venture with Oakland-based Crop One Holdings, to build and maintain the world's largest hydroponic growing facility. It would provide daily yields of roughly 3 tons of leafy greens per day to all flights, with a near 150,000-square-foot (14,000 m²) indoor, vertical farm.^[171]

Emirates became one of the first airlines in the world to introduce a personal entertainment system on commercial aircraft in 1992, with Virgin Atlantic introducing a similar system throughout all cabins of its aircraft.^[172] All three classes feature a personal IFE system in the Emirates aircraft. There are two types of entertainment systems in Emirates: ICE and ICE Digital Widescreen.

In 2012, Emirates introduced larger high-definition IFE screens in all classes. The new IFE is the first to be fully high definition, and in economy, the screens are the largest offered by any airline. The new IFE will only be installed on the Airbus A380 fleet and the newly delivered Boeing 777s.^[173]

ICE (information, communication, entertainment) is the in-flight entertainment system operated by Emirates.

Introduced in 2003, ICE is available on all new aircraft and now features 4,000 channels (on most flights) for all passengers.^[174] ICE is found on the airline's Airbus A350-900, Airbus A380-800, Boeing 777-200LR, and Boeing 777-300ER.^[175]

In July 2007, Emirates introduced ICE Digital Widescreen, an updated version of ICE. It offered over 1200 channels of selected entertainment to all passengers. ICE Digital Widescreen is available on all Emirates aircraft.^[176]

In 2015, Emirates upgraded ICE to the new eX3 version, which included new upgrades that improved the passenger experience, such as a handset with more controls, larger screens, new sockets, some 3,500 channels of movies, TV shows, music, and games on-demand and in multiple languages, new ICE features, such as a Voyager app, Bluetooth audio, and personal video playback. This is fitted on all B777 and A380 aircraft delivered after 2009.^[177][178] The redesigned version, based on Thales's AVANT Up, was introduced in 2025 with its first A350 delivery.^[179]

According to Emirates, ICE has received more awards than any other airline in the world for inflight entertainment.^[180]

Information

The system is based on the 3000i system from Panasonic Avionics Corporation. ICE provides passengers with a direct data link to BBC News. ICE is the first IFE system to be connected directly to automatic news updates. This is complemented by ICE's Airshow moving-map software from Rockwell Collins. Exterior cameras located on the aircraft can be viewed by any passenger through the IFE system during takeoff, cruise, and landing. Emirates was also one of the first airlines to introduce a high-speed, in-flight internet service along with Singapore Airlines, by installing the Inmarsat's satellite system and became the second airline in the world to offer live international television broadcasts using the same system.^[181]

Communication

ICE has a link to an in-flight email server, which allows passengers to access, send, or receive emails for US$1 per message.^[182] ICE also supports a seat-to-seat chat service. In November 2006, the airline signed a deal with mobile communications firm AeroMobile to allow in-flight use of mobile phones to call or text people on the ground. The service was first introduced in March 2008.^[183]

Entertainment

The ICE system includes movies, music, and video games. ICE offers over 600 on-demand movie titles, over 2000 video on demand and prerecorded television channels, over 1000 hours of music, and over 100 video game titles. ICE can be accessed in more than 40 languages, including English, French, German, Russian, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Urdu, Persian, Korean, Tamil, Thai, Dutch, Swedish, Italian, and Japanese.^[184] Since 2003, all entertainment options are available on demand to all classes with options to pause, forward, and rewind them.

Emirates began to offer docking capability for Apple Inc.'s iPod portable music and video player in mid 2007. This enabled the device's battery to be charged and integrated with ICE, which could then play music, television shows, or movies stored on the iPod and function as a control system. This feature was removed from Emirates aircraft starting in the late 2010s due to the iPod being discontinued.^[185]

Established network carriers in Europe and Australia, such as Air France-KLM, British Airways, Lufthansa, and Qantas, see Emirates' strategic decision to reposition itself as a global carrier as a major threat because it enables travelers to bypass traditional airline hubs such as London-Heathrow, Paris-CDG, and Frankfurt on their way between Europe/North America and Asia/Australia by changing flights in Dubai instead. These carriers also find it difficult to deal with the growing competitive threat Emirates poses to their business because of their much higher cost base.^[186][187] Some of these carriers, notably Air France and Qantas, have accused Emirates of receiving hidden state subsidies and maintaining too close of a relationship with Dubai's airport authority and its aviation authority, both of which are also wholly state-owned entities that share the same government owner with the airline. Qantas' chairman claimed that Emirates can reduce its borrowing costs below market rates by taking advantage of its government shareholders' sovereign borrower status.^[23] Emirates' president disagrees and has also referred to United States airlines bankruptcy protection as being a tangible form of state assistance. The airline makes regular profits.^[188] In 2016, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines made similar claims, as well as stating that Emirates violates Open Skies, but these conflicts were resolved in May 2018.^[189][190]

In May 2010, Emirates executives denied claims that the carrier does not pay taxes and receives substantial financial assistance from the Dubai government. They claimed that the airline received $80m in cash in the 25 years since the airline was established and this was substantially lower than what other national carriers had received. Maurice Flanagan also claimed that Emirates incurred social costs of around $600m in 2009, and this included municipal taxes to the city of Dubai. The airline also paid a dividend of AED 956m (US$260m) in 2010, compared to AED2.9bn ($793m) in 2009, and each year the Government has received at least $100m in dividends.^[191] Emirates also faces competition from other Middle Eastern airlines, mainly Qatar Airways and Abu Dhabi–based Etihad Airways.^[192]

In its efforts to reduce carbon emissions, the Emirates started exploring the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for its fleet since 2017. The airline has partnered with the world's leading biodiesel producers such as Neste, a Finnish producer of sustainable aviation fuel, as well as Shell Aviation. In January 2023, the airline conducted a successful demonstration flight of a Boeing 777-300ER using 100 percent SAF in one of its two engines. In November of the same year, Emirates conducted another demonstration flight of an Airbus A380 using 100 percent SAF in one of the airplane's four engines.^[193][194] Following successful tests, Emirates operated its first commercial flight using SAF blend on October 24, 2023, on Emirates flight EK 412 from Dubai to Sydney, Australia using an Airbus A380.^[195]

Currently, the airline has suppliers set up to supply its flights with SAF in several airports around the world including Paris, Lyon, Oslo, Amsterdam, London, Singapore and its home base in Dubai.^{[196][197][198][199][200][201][202][203][204]}

Emirates has experienced several aircraft incidents (none with passenger or crew fatalities).

• On 9 April 2004, Emirates Flight 764, an Airbus A340-300 operating from Johannesburg to Dubai, sustained serious damage during takeoff when it overran runway 03L, striking runway 21R approach lights, causing four tires to burst, which threw debris into various parts of the aircraft, ultimately damaging the flap drive mechanism. This rendered the flaps immovable in the takeoff position. The aircraft returned for an emergency landing during which the normal braking system failed as a result of the damage. The aircraft was brought to a stop only 250 m (820 ft) from the end of the 3,400-metre (11,200 ft) runway using reverse thrust and the alternative braking system.^[205][206] In their report, South African investigators found that the captain had used a wrong take-off technique, and criticized Emirates' training and rostering practices.^[207]
• On 20 March 2009, Emirates Flight 407, an Airbus A340-500 registered A6-ERG en route from Melbourne to Dubai, failed to take off properly at Melbourne Airport, hitting several structures at the end of the runway before eventually climbing enough to return to the airport for a safe landing. There were no injuries, but the incident was severe enough to be classified as an accident by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.^[208]
• On 3 August 2016, Emirates Flight 521, a Boeing 777-300 registered A6-EMW and arriving from Trivandrum International Airport crash-landed and caught fire at Dubai International Airport at 12:44 pm local time. All 282 passengers and 18 crew on board survived the impact with 32 injuries (4 seriously) reported. However, an airport firefighter died fighting the blaze. The aircraft was destroyed by the fire.^[209] Flight 521 was the first hull loss in the history of Emirates.
• On 14 April 2020, an Emirates Boeing 777-300ER registered A6-EBR was struck by a British Airways Airbus A350-1000 (G-XWBA) on the ground while the A350 was pushing back from the gate for departure. No casualties were reported, however, the horizontal stabilizers on both aircraft were damaged as a result of the collision.
• On 20 December 2021, Emirates Flight 231, a Boeing 777-300ER registered as A6-EQI, departing Dubai International Airport towards Washington Dulles, nearly overran the runway during takeoff, flying at only 75 ft (23 m) over houses located near the airport.^{[citation needed][210][211]} The aircraft was not damaged and there were no injuries.^[212] The incident remains under investigation.^[213][214]
• On 1 July 2022, Emirates Flight 430, an Airbus A380-842 registered as A6-EVK departed Dubai International Airport towards Brisbane Airport. During the cruise, one of the aircraft's 22 tires experienced a rupture, which caused damage to a portion of the aerodynamic fairing. The plane landed safely in Brisbane and there were no fatalities.^[215]
• On 27 March 2024, an Airbus A380 suffered serious damage after it was hit by an emergency vehicle on the tarmac of Moscow Domodedovo International Airport.^[216]
• On 28 March 2024, an Emirates Boeing 777 narrowly avoided a collision with an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX over Somaliland.^[217]
• On 20 May 2024, Emirates Flight 508, a Boeing 777-300ER, suffered a bird strike before landing at Mumbai.^[218] While there were no injuries among passengers and crew, the plane suffered substantial damage and at least 36 flamingos were killed in the strike while the plane was flying over the Ghatkopar suburban region of Mumbai. An alternative aircraft was arranged for the return flight, and the plane was later repaired and put back into service.^[219]
• On 15 June 2024, Emirates Flight 262, an Airbus A380-861 registered as A6-EUL aborted the takeoff from runway 09L at São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport, SP (GRU) after an engine on the left side surged while the flight crew applied takeoff thrust.^[220]
• On 25 September 2024, Emirates Flight 547, a Boeing 777-300ER operating from Chennai International Airport to Dubai International Airport, began to emanate smoke when the refueling process was underway. Fire trucks were quickly rushed to the aircraft to extinguish the smoke. All passengers who were boarding were made to disembark the aircraft. The Dubai-bound flight was eventually delayed to 12:15 AM the next day.^[221]
• On October 20, 2025, Emirates SkyCargo Flight 9788 operated by Air ACT suffered a runway excursion at Hong Kong International Airport, which then led to a collision with a ground vehicle. All 4 onboard the plane survived. 2 people on the ground were killed.

Emirates has received criticism for their treatment of staff, which Emirates has disputed and is declining year over year.^[222] On September 23, 2016, an Italian man sued the airline after being squashed by an obese man for 9 hours.^[223] In 2019, an Australian woman filed an unsuccessful lawsuit against Emirates for not providing her water, leading her to collapse during a long-haul flight.^[224]

In August 2022, Emirates suspended its flights to Nigeria^[225] after it got into a dispute with the government of Nigeria over the repatriation of an undisclosed amount of money from the country. The dispute has since been resolved and in June 2024, the airline resumed its regular flights to the West African nation.^[226] Emirates has been sued twice in 2023 for deceptive advertising, once by a New Zealand male passenger and again two months later by a British energy trader.^[227][228] The New Zealand case was awarded in favor of the passenger, and the British case is ongoing.^{[229][228][227]}

In August 2023, a Pakistani man sued Emirates for PKR 5,000,000 claiming that the airline's service was extremely poor and below international standards.^[230] On June 13, 2024, the United States government fined Emirates for $1.8 million for operating flights carrying JetBlue Airways' designator code below 32,000 feet (9,800 m) over prohibited airspace in Iraq.^[231] On November 25, 2024, a Ghanaian businessman, Djanie Kotey filed a lawsuit against Emirates, but was dismissed.^[232] On December 6, 2024, Emirates was sued by TAF Africas CEO Jake Epelle for NGN 150 million over human rights violations.^[233]

Emirates is one of the few foreign airlines still serving Russia after major carriers pulled out of the country amid sweeping sanctions over the Ukraine war, leading to criticism as a result.^[234][235]

• Etihad Airways
• Dubai International Airport
• Emirates Flight Training Academy
• List of airlines of the United Arab Emirates
• List of airports in the United Arab Emirates

• ^A Emirates moved its operations to its dedicated Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport on 14 October 2008.
• ^B The number of destinations does not include cargo-only destinations.
• ^C The Emirates Group does not publish figures separately for Emirates SkyCargo or Emirates, both companies' financial results are aggregated.

• The Economist, 2005/6. London, UK: The Economist Newspaper Ltd. (The Economist online)
• Financial Times, 29 October 2005. London, UK: UK Edition. (Financial Times online)
• Financial Times, 19 July 2006. London, UK: UK Edition. (Financial Times online)
• The Sunday Times, 23 July 2006. London, UK. (The Sunday Times online)
• Flight International, 25–31 July 2006. Sutton, UK: Reed Business Information Ltd. (Flight International online)

• "Emirates – 25 Years of Excellence: Building a global network". Airliner World. Stamford, UK: Key Publishing: 28–37. October 2010. ISSN 1465-6337. (Airliner World online)

• Official website