Al Karama

What Al Karama is like

Al Karama, or simply Karama, is a residential district on the western side of Dubai Creek and one of the city’s older modern neighbourhoods. The name means "dignity". Its streets follow a tight grid of similar low-rise apartment buildings, which makes it look quite different from the tower districts further south.

The area stretches for about 2 km between Umm Hurair 1, with its consulates, to the north and Zabeel Park to the south. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Street, where the BurJuman mall stands, forms its western edge. Zabeel Park separates Karama from the Dubai World Trade Centre and Sheikh Zayed Road.

Karama has long been home to South Asian and Filipino communities, alongside many other nationalities. In the early 1980s the ruler Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum housed about 8,000 Omanis displaced from Zanzibar, who had become stateless, in Hamdan Colony, a group of apartment blocks that still stand here. Residents from across Dubai come to Karama for tailoring, laundry, food and shopping.

A few civic landmarks are here too. The Dubai Central Post Office was built in 1975 and was one of the country's biggest buildings at the time. The Dubai Central Laboratory, run by Dubai Municipality since 1997, occupies a complex of nine buildings. Archies Library, a large private lending library, stands across from BurJuman.

What to see and do

• Neighbourhood dining: people from other parts of Dubai come to Karama to eat, as well as to shop and run errands.
• Tailors and local shops: the district is known for tailoring, laundry services and local shopping.
• Karama Park: also called Lulu Park, a local green space used by children and adults of all ages.
• Zabeel Park: one of Dubai’s largest parks, linked to Karama by a pedestrian bridge. Visit Dubai compares its size to 45 football fields. It has a jogging track, mini-golf, cricket, skating and a BMX track, playgrounds, boat rides, barbecue areas and seasonal markets, and hosts Dubai Garden Glow in the cooler months.
• Dubai Frame: the huge picture-frame landmark stands in Zabeel Park, with views over old and new Dubai. See our attractions for tickets.

Getting there and around

Karama is served by the Red Line. ADCB station is on Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Street in the middle of the district, and BurJuman is an underground interchange with the Green Line. Oud Metha station on the Green Line is a short walk from the southern and eastern edges. Many RTA bus routes pass through, and Al Karama Bus Station runs services to Dubai Silicon Oasis, Abu Hail and Sharjah.

It is one of the closest districts to the airport: Rome2Rio estimates about 9 minutes by taxi from Dubai International Airport with no traffic. Bur Dubai and Al Fahidi are a short ride north. For Zabeel Park, Visit Dubai suggests bus C03 or C05 from BurJuman metro to the Karama 2-2 stop, or Max station on the Red Line followed by a 15-minute walk.

Where to eat

Dining is one of the things that draws people to Karama from across the city, and the neighbourhood's restaurants reflect the many communities who live here. We have not yet reviewed individual restaurants, so check recent listings before you go. The BurJuman mall on the western edge has more places to eat.

Practical tips

• Parking is hard to find because the area is dense and older buildings have no basement car parks. Use the metro or a taxi.
• Combine Karama with the Dubai Frame and Zabeel Park for an easy half day.
• This is a residential neighbourhood, so modest clothing is the sensible choice.