Indian businesses and services in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Most newcomers find their first taste of home in Bur Dubai, the old quarter on the western bank of the Creek. The lanes around Meena Bazaar are packed with textile, sari, jewellery and electronics shops, many of them run by Indian families who have traded here for generations, and an abra ride across the water takes you to the gold and spice souks of Deira. Deira itself, around Naif, is home to many South Asian residents. Inland, Karama is the everyday neighbourhood many families know best: compact flats, South and North Indian eateries, grocers and tailors. Further out, Al Qusais and Al Nahda have many Malayali households and Kerala restaurants.

For worship, the focus has largely moved to Jebel Ali. A purpose-built Hindu temple opened there in October 2022, next to Guru Nanak Darbar, the gurdwara that has served Sikh residents since January 2012, in an area set aside for several faiths. In January 2024 the old Shiva temple and gurdwara in the Bur Dubai souk closed and moved their services to Jebel Ali, while the Krishna temple, known as Shreenathji, still operates in the souk. Festival days are very busy at all of them, so allow extra time for traffic and parking.

Diwali is marked publicly, with lights, markets and fireworks displays, and Meena Bazaar becomes very crowded in the week before. Malayali associations hold Onam sadya lunches in hotels and community halls, and Eid is a public holiday for everyone. Since January 2022 government offices have worked Monday to Friday, finishing at midday on Friday, and many private employers followed; Friday evenings and weekends are the busiest times in Karama and Bur Dubai.