Dubai
Global Economic Activity: Tourism

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12 GG 1
Charley Du

Biophysical

Location & Extent
Dubai (coordinates: 24°57′N 55°20′E) is a city and also an emirate in The United Arab Emirates; it is located on the north-eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Abu Dhabi on the south, Sharjah to the north-east, and the Sultanate of Oman to the south-east. The city and emirate of Dubai is 4,114 square kilometres in size and has a population of about 2,106,177 which makes Dubai the most populous city and emirate in The United Arab Emirates.

Climate
The city of Dubai during summer the average daytime temperature is above 40oC with high humidity. On the other-hand, the months between December and March are very pleasant having a temperature of 24oC during the daytime and the nights are much cooler throughout winter. The rainfall in Dubai is very irregular and it rains mostly during winter.
Dubai’s weather remains hot and humid with a high daily average of sunlight. Because of a complete blue sky with a little cloud, Dubai has been considered one of the world’s stunning tourist and astronomer’s destination. Like other countries in this part of the world, The United Arab Emirates experiences a sub-tropical arid climate; it remains warm in winter, with hot and humid conditions in the summer months. Thus, with a minor seasonal variation, summer and winter are the only seasons that dominate the climate of Dubai.
Summer usually starts in July and lasts till September in Dubai. The season brings extreme warmth and humidity for the city. During this season, the temperature of the city can climb to 48°C while the humidity levels fluctuate between 80 to 90%.
Sandstorms regularly hit the city from late May to early July. Since Dubai’s climate is worst during summer months and is not suitable for tourists traveling to and around Dubai. Some Dubai citizens even try to avoid the Dubai summer by taking long holidays abroad.
Tourists mainly experience the winter season when travelling to Dubai. The weather of the city remains comfortable and moderate for tourists during December and March as this is the preferable period of the year for tourism. The highest temperature may reach to 30°C while the minimum temperature remains around 15°C. During this season, the city witnesses the sun for more than eight hours.
Throughout November and December, Dubai experiences rainfall and the minimum temperature stand at 20 degree centigrade while the maximum average temperature stays at 30 degree centigrade. The average rainfall in the city is only 12 cm per year. Rains are occasional and appear for a few minutes. January and February is the months when rainfall often come to wet the streets. However, in December to April the city seem suitable to every kind of tourists.
Economic
Competitive Advantage
Dubai has an increasingly diverse tourism offer that includes a globally competitive entertainment, hotel and resort, leisure and retail offerings ranging from the high-end to budget sectors. The competitive advantage of a globally competitive tourism industry that Dubai has to offer has also driven the average length of visitor stay in Dubai from 4.6 nights in 2008 to 5.4 nights in 2012 for serviced apartments and the average length of stay for hotel guests in Dubai has also increased from 2.7 nights to 3.3 nights over the same time period.
Consumer Demand
Consumer demand is high for Dubai as the city attracted 7.8 million hotel guests and 2.1 million serviced apartment guests in 2012 thus representing a total of 9.9 million guests over the 12 month period which translate to demands for 26 million hotel guest nights and 11.4 million serviced apartment guest nights in Dubai in 2012. Total guest night demand in Dubai in 2012 was 37.4 million which is up 64% from 22.8 million in 2008.
The Global Destination Cities Index 2013 ranked Dubai as the world’s seventh most visited destination for international overnight