Dubai is the most populous city of the United Arab Emirates and the second largest emirate by area, after Abu Dhabi. It is located along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and is sometimes called Dubai City to distinguish it from the emirate.

Written accounts document the existence of the city for at least 150 years prior to the formation of the UAE. Dubai shares legal, political, military and economic functions with the other emirates within a federal framework, although each emirate has jurisdiction over some functions such as civic law enforcement and provision and upkeep of local facilities.

The emirate's main revenues are from tourism, real estate and financial services. Although Dubai's economy was originally built on the back of the oil industry, revenues from petroleum and natural gas contributed less than 6% of the emirate's US$ 37 billion economy (2005). Real estate and construction, on the other hand, contributed 22.6% to the economy in 2005, before the current large-scale construction boom. Dubai has attracted attention through its real estate projects and sports events. This increased attention, coinciding with its emergence as a global city and business hub, has highlighted labour and human rights issues concerning its largely South Asian workforce.

Large-scale construction has turned Dubai into one of the fastest growing cities in the world. There are an increasing number of villas and apartments in areas which allow property ownership to expatriates such as the Palm Islands, The Greens, Dubai Marina, and International City. Ownership or lease of a completed residence allows the owner to apply for (but not guarantee) a residency visa on a three-year renewable basis. The Federal Government does not state whether foreigners may or may not own property and has left individual emirates to formulate their own property laws.

Tourism plays an important part of the Dubai government's strategy to maintain the flow of foreign cash into the emirate. Dubai's lure for tourists is based mainly on shopping, but also on its possession of other ancient and modern attractions.

Dubai has a hot arid climate. The highest recorded temperature in Dubai is 47.3 °C (117.1°F), and the lowest recorded temperature is 7°C (45°F). Rainfall is generally light, with a mean of about 150 millimeters (6 in) per year; precipitation is usually highest during January, February and March. However, heavy rain is not uncommon in Dubai as the month of February 1988 saw a record of 150.2 mm of rain falling in just 24 hours. The mean humidity in Dubai is approximately 60% and is higher during the cooler winter months.

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