Deira

What Deira is like

Deira lies on the northern side of Dubai Creek, the salt-water inlet that separates it from Bur Dubai. Settlement here goes back to the mid-1700s, and the district grew around sea trade on the creek. Traditional wooden dhows still load and unload cargo along its banks. Deira is dense, busy and commercial, with narrow lanes, wholesale shops and markets rather than glass towers.

It is one of the older parts of the city and a good contrast to Downtown or the Marina. Expect crowds, traffic and a lot of small shops, especially in the Al Ras area near the creek.

Deira is also one of the most populated parts of the city. About 400,000 people live here, around a tenth of Dubai's population, and the district holds about 30% of the city's trading locations. The creek beside it remains a working waterway: it handles more than 13,000 vessels a year.

What to see and do

• Gold Souk: a covered market in Al Ras with more than 380 retailers, most of them jewellers. It is also home to what Guinness World Records lists as the largest ring in the world, weighing 64 kg.
• Spice Souk: lanes of shops near the Deira Old Souq abra station selling spices, herbs, frankincense and other fragrances.
• Dhow wharves: the traditional cargo boats moored along Baniyas Road, which still trade across the Gulf and Indian Ocean.
• Heritage House and Al Ahmadiya School: a pearl merchant's courtyard house from around 1890, next to Dubai's first school, founded in 1912 and now a museum.
• Waterfront Market: a market on the Deira Corniche, opened in 2017, selling fish, vegetables and meat.
• Deira Clocktower: one of the district's best-known landmarks.

For evening cruises on the creek, see our dhow cruise guide.

Getting there and around

Deira has good metro coverage. On the Green Line, Al Ras station, which lies underground beneath Baniyas Road, is the closest to the Gold Souk and Spice Souk. Gold Souq station (called Palm Deira until May 2020) and Baniyas Square station also serve the area. Union station is where the Green and Red Lines meet. On the Red Line, City Centre Deira station (renamed from Deira City Centre in 2022) sits by the mall of the same name.

The most enjoyable way to cross to Bur Dubai is by abra. The RTA runs traditional motorised abras from Deira Old Souq station to Bur Dubai station, and from Deira Old Souq to Al Sabkha, for AED 1 per person per trip, paid in cash. Petrol heritage abras also run from Al Fahidi on the Bur Dubai side to Deira Old Souq and Al Sabkha for AED 2.

Deira is close to Dubai International Airport. Rome2Rio estimates about 7 km and 6 minutes by taxi with no traffic.

Where to eat

Deira is known for inexpensive, informal eating. Small, informal restaurants and cafés are spread through the streets around the souks and Baniyas Square. The Waterfront Market is the place to see fresh seafood. For a meal with a view, look at restaurants along the Deira Corniche and the creek side.

Practical tips

• Carry small cash for the abra; there is no card payment on the AED 1 crossings.
• Gold is sold by weight, and a separate making charge for the workmanship is usually added. Ask for both before you agree a price.
• Dress modestly and be prepared for crowds in the souk lanes.
• Combine Deira with Bur Dubai and Al Fahidi in one day by crossing the creek. See our Bur Dubai guide.
• Browse hotels in Deira for short airport transfers and lower prices.