Dubai

Dubai is situated on the Persian Gulfcoast of the United Arab Emirates and is roughly at sea level (16 m or 52 ft above). The emirate of Dubai shares borders with Abu Dhabi in the south, Sharjahin the northeast, and the Sultanate of Omanin the southeast. Hatta, a minor exclaveof the emirate, is surrounded on three sides by Oman and by the emirates of Ajman(in the west) and Ras Al Khaimah(in the north). The Persian Gulf borders the western coast of the emirate. Dubai is positioned at 25°16′11″N 55°18′34″E / 25.2697°N 55.3095°Eand covers an area of 1,588 sq mi (4,110 km2), which represents a significant expansion beyond its initial 1,500 sq mi (3,900 km2) designation due to land reclamation from the sea.
Dubai lies directly within the Arabian Desert. However, the topography of Dubai is significantly different from that of the southern portion of the UAE in that much of Dubai's landscape is highlighted by sandy desert patterns, while gravel deserts dominate much of the southern region of the country. [ 35 ]The sand consists mostly of crushed shell and coral and is fine, clean and white. East of the city, the salt-crusted coastal plains, known assabkha, give way to a north-south running line of dunes. Farther east, the dunes grow larger and are tinged red with iron oxide. [ 30 ]
The flat sandy desert gives way to the Western Hajar Mountains, which run alongside Dubai's border with Oman at Hatta. The Western Hajar chain has an arid, jagged and shattered landscape, whose mountains rise to about 1,300 metres (4,265 feet) in some places. Dubai has no natural river bodies or oases; however, Dubai does have a natural inlet, Dubai Creek, which has been dredged to make it deep enough for large vessels to pass through. Dubai also has multiple gorges and waterholes which dot the base of the Western Al Hajar mountains. A vast sea of sand dunes covers much of southern Dubai, and eventually leads into the desert known as The Empty Quarter. Seismically, Dubai is in a very stable zone—the nearest seismic fault line, theZagros Fault, is 200 kilometres (124 miles) from the UAE and is unlikely to have any seismic impact on Dubai. [ 36 ]Experts also predict that the possibility of a tsunamiin the region is minimal because the Persian Gulf waters are not deep enough to trigger a tsunami. [ 36 ]
The sandy desert surrounding the city supports wild grasses and occasional date palms. Desert hyacinths grow in thesabkhaplains east of the city, while acacia and ghaftrees grow in the flat plains within the proximity of the Western Al Hajar mountains. Several indigenous trees such as the date palm and neemas well as imported trees like the eucalyptsgrow in Dubai's natural parks. The houbara bustard, striped hyena, caracal, desert fox, falcon and Arabian oryxare common in Dubai's desert. Dubai is on the migration path between Europe, Asia and Africa, and more than 320 migratory bird species pass through the emirate in spring and autumn. The waters of Dubai are home to more than 300 species of fish, including the hammour. The typical marine life off the Dubai coast includes tropical Fish, jellyfish, coral, dugong, dolphins, whales and sharks. Various types of turtles can also be found in the area including the Hawksbill turtleand Green Turtlewhich are listed as endangered species. [ 37 ] [ 38 ]
Dubai Creekruns northeast-southwest through the city. The eastern section of the city forms the locality of Deiraand is flanked by the emirate of Sharjahin the east and the town of Al Aweerin the south. The Dubai International Airportis located south of Deira, while the Palm Deirais located north of Deira in the Persian Gulf. Much of Dubai's real-estate boom is concentrated to the west of the Dubai Creek, on the Jumeirahcoastal belt. Port Rashid, Jebel Ali, Burj Al Arab, the Palm Jumeirahand theme-based free-zone clusters such as Business Bayare all located in this section.
Climate
Main article: Climate of Dubai
Dubai has a hot desert climate. Summers in Dubai are extremely hot, windy, and humid, with an average high around42 °C(108 °F)and overnight lows around29 °C(84 °F). Most days are sunny throughout the year. Winters are warm with an average high of23 °C(73 °F)and overnight lows of14 °C(57 °F). Precipitation, however, has been increasing in the last few decades with accumulated rain reaching 250 mm (9.84 in) per year. [ 39 ]Dubai summers are also known for the high humidity level, which can make it uncomfortable for many. [ 40 ]