Bur Dubai Area Guide (2026): Rent, Bed Space, Souks and Metro

About Bur Dubai

Bur Dubai is the old part of Dubai on the south-west bank of Dubai Creek, opposite Deira. It runs from Al Shindagha, at the mouth of the creek, past Al Fahidi and BurJuman to Oud Metha and Umm Hurair. Most homes are flats in older low-rise blocks, many with shops on the ground floor. For other parts of the city, see all our Dubai area guides.

Bur Dubai is not one community but several. This guide covers six of them: Al Souk Al Kabeer (with Al Fahidi, Meena Bazaar and Al Ghubaiba), Al Mankhool, Al Raffa, Al Hamriya, Oud Metha and Umm Hurair (First and Second, with Al Seef). It also takes in Al Shindagha, the tip at the mouth of the creek, which is mostly museums and heritage houses with few homes. Al Karama is also part of Bur Dubai, but it has its own guide: see Al Karama.

So, is Bur Dubai the same as Meena Bazaar or BurJuman? No. Meena Bazaar is a market district inside Bur Dubai, and BurJuman is a mall and Metro station in Al Mankhool. And yes, Bur Dubai is "old Dubai", together with Deira across the creek.

Whether you want to rent a flat, a room or a bed space in Bur Dubai, or simply understand what it is like to live here, this Bur Dubai area guide covers it: what flats really rent for in each neighbourhood, bed spaces, the old souks and Al Fahidi, Meena Bazaar, BurJuman, the food, the Metro and parking.

*This guide was last updated on 3 November 2026, using Dubai Land Department records up to 1 November 2026. Dollar ($) and pound (£) amounts use AED 3.6725 to the US dollar and AED 4.9249 to the British pound (XE mid-market rate); your bank's rate will differ.

Bur Dubai Location and Map

Bur Dubai sits on the creek, in the north of the city, between the sea at Port Rashid and the Al Garhoud Bridge. These are the edges of the part this guide covers:

• North and east: Dubai Creek, with Deira on the other bank. Al Shindagha is at the mouth of the creek, and Al Seef and Creek Park run along the water.
• South: Al Karama and Sheikh Rashid Road, with Zabeel Park beyond.
• West: Al Hudaiba, Al Jafiliya and Port Rashid, with Dubai Maritime City on the peninsula beyond it.

Three roads cross Bur Dubai and carry most of the traffic:

• Khalid Bin Al Waleed Road (often called Bank Street) runs from Al Ghubaiba past Sharaf DG station to BurJuman.
• Al Mankhool Road runs north to south through Al Mankhool and Al Raffa.
• Oud Metha Road runs south-east past Oud Metha and Umm Hurair towards Al Jaddaf.

To reach Deira, you cross the creek by the Al Shindagha Tunnel, the Al Maktoum Bridge or the Al Garhoud Bridge, or by abra. By road, BurJuman is about:

• 5.8 km from DIFC.
• 7.5 km from Dubai International Airport (Terminal 3).
• 8.3 km from The Dubai Mall.

The first map shows where Bur Dubai is in Dubai.

The second shows Bur Dubai close up, from Al Shindagha to Oud Metha, with the Metro stations, Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood, Al Seef, BurJuman, Wafi Mall and Creek Park.

Bur Dubai Highlights

Here is Bur Dubai in short, from the rents to the souks, the creek and the Metro.

Rent in Bur Dubai

Almost every home for rent in Bur Dubai is a flat, and most have one or two bedrooms. A studio rents for about AED 38,100 a year ($10,400 · £7,700) and a one-bedroom flat for about AED 61,700 ($16,800 · £12,500). A two-bedroom flat costs about AED 87,700. You can also rent a room, a partition or a bed space (see the next section).

*This guide was last updated on 3 November 2026, using Dubai Land Department records up to 1 November 2026. Dollar ($) and pound (£) amounts use AED 3.6725 to the US dollar and AED 4.9249 to the British pound (XE mid-market rate, 2 November 2026); your bank's rate will differ.

Apartments for rent in Bur Dubai

The neighbourhood you choose decides most of what you pay. A one-bedroom flat in Al Souk Al Kabeer, by the souks, costs about AED 26,000 a year less than one in Umm Hurair. These are the six neighbourhoods, with what new tenants paid in the last 12 months*:

Our pick for value is Al Raffa or Al Hamriya. A one-bedroom flat in either rented for about AED 58,500, about AED 3,000 below the Bur Dubai average, and each had more than 2,000 contracts, so the figure is reliable. Both are a short walk from a Metro station. Al Souk Al Kabeer is cheaper still, but the streets are the busiest and the buildings the oldest.

About 1,380 flats in these six neighbourhoods were advertised on Property Finder when this guide was last updated*, almost half of them in Al Mankhool. Many flats are let straight by the building's owner, so ask at the building's watchman's office as well.

Furnished flats are few. Most flats here come unfurnished on a yearly lease, paid in several cheques. If you only need a few months, look at the hotel apartments around BurJuman, but expect to pay much more.

See homes for rent:

• Property Finder: apartments for rent in Bur Dubai, furnished apartments

Studios for rent in Bur Dubai

A studio in Bur Dubai costs about AED 3,200 a month on a yearly lease. The cheapest are in Al Souk Al Kabeer, around Meena Bazaar and Al Fahidi, at about AED 32,600 a year. In Al Mankhool and Umm Hurair a studio costs about AED 15,000 more. About 160 studios were advertised when this guide was last updated*.

A studio in Bur Dubai costs about AED 6,000 a year less than in Al Karama next door, where our guide puts it at AED 44,000.

See homes for rent:

• Property Finder: studios for rent in Bur Dubai

One- and two-bedroom flats for rent in Bur Dubai

One- and two-bedroom flats make up seven in ten of all homes rented here. People searching for a "1 BHK" (one bedroom, hall and kitchen) will find the most choice in Al Mankhool and Al Raffa.

If you already live here, renewing is cheaper than moving. A tenant renewing a one-bedroom flat paid about AED 56,200 on average, about AED 5,400 less than a new tenant.

See homes for rent:

• Property Finder: one-bedroom flats, two-bedroom flats

Villas and townhouses for rent in Bur Dubai

Bur Dubai has almost no villas: a few older houses in Al Mankhool make up nearly all of them. For a house, look at Jumeirah Park or Mudon, further out.

*This guide was last updated on 3 November 2026, using Dubai Land Department records up to 1 November 2026, and the homes advertised on Property Finder that day.

Bed Space and Rooms in Bur Dubai

Bur Dubai has more room adverts than any other area of Dubai on Dubizzle, more than 450 when this guide was last updated*. Most are bed spaces and partitions near Burjuman and Sharaf DG stations, in Al Mankhool, Al Raffa and Al Hamriya.

What the words mean:

• Bed space: a bed in a room you share with others. The cheapest adverts start at about AED 350 a month.
• Partition: a part of a room closed off with a light wall, so you have your own small space.
• Private room: a room of your own in a shared flat.

Most adverts are for men or for women only, and about one in five asks for women. Many say a nationality or "executive". Ask what the rent includes: many adverts say DEWA, internet and cleaning are in the price.

Sharing a home is now regulated. Dubai's shared housing law, Law No. 4 of 2026, came into force in late summer 2026, and Dubai Municipality has named the areas where shared housing is allowed:

Before you pay for a bed space, a partition or a room:

• Ask whether the flat has a shared housing permit from Dubai Municipality.
• Visit at the time you would come home, to see how many people live there.
• See the room before you pay anything.
• Get a written agreement and a receipt for the deposit.

See rooms for rent:

• Dubizzle: rooms, partitions and bed spaces in Bur Dubai

*This guide was last updated on 3 November 2026, using the room adverts on Dubizzle that day. Dollar ($) and pound (£) amounts use AED 3.6725 to the US dollar and AED 4.9249 to the British pound (XE mid-market rate, 2 November 2026).

Property for Sale in Bur Dubai

Bur Dubai is mostly not a freehold area, so foreigners cannot buy a home in the old centre. Only UAE and GCC nationals, and companies they own, can buy here. In the last 12 months* the Dubai Land Department recorded no flat sales at all in Al Souk Al Kabeer, Al Mankhool, Al Raffa, Oud Metha or Umm Hurair, and only 13 homes were advertised for sale in the six neighbourhoods.

If you want to buy close to old Dubai, look at the freehold areas along the creek, such as Al Jaddaf and Dubai Creek Harbour. Our list of freehold areas in Dubai shows the rest.

*This guide was last updated on 3 November 2026, using Dubai Land Department records up to 1 November 2026.

Al Fahidi, Al Seef and Al Shindagha

Old Dubai lies along the creek in Bur Dubai, and you can walk it in an afternoon: Al Fahidi, Al Seef and Al Shindagha. These are the places where the town began.

Is the Dubai Museum open? No. The Dubai Museum was in Al Fahidi Fort, and the fort has been closed for restoration since 2021. It is being turned into a new museum, but no reopening date had been announced when this guide was last updated. Check Dubai Culture's website before you go.

Good to know:

• Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood (once called Al Bastakiya) is a quarter of old houses with wind towers. You can walk the lanes and visit the galleries. The Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding, in House 26, runs cultural meals and tours.
• The Grand Mosque stands between Al Fahidi and the textile souk.
• Al Shindagha Museum tells the story of Dubai and its people in old houses at the mouth of the creek. Check opening hours and tickets on Dubai Culture's website.
• The abras leave from the Bur Dubai abra station, Al Fahidi and Al Seef (see "Getting Around").

Meena Bazaar

Meena Bazaar is the market district in Al Souk Al Kabeer, between Al Fahidi and Khalid Bin Al Waleed Road, known for fabrics, gold, saris and Indian food. It is a few streets of small shops, not a single market building, so most people simply walk around it.

Is the Bur Dubai temple open? The Krishna temple in the old souk is open. The Shiva temple and the Sikh gurdwara in the same complex closed on 3 January 2024, and worshippers now go to the Hindu Temple and Guru Nanak Darbar in Jebel Ali. The Krishna temple's hours change on festival days, so check before a special visit.

Tips for shopping here:

• The textile souk: the covered souk near the Bur Dubai abra station sells fabrics, scarves and souvenirs.
• Bargain: in the small shops, the first price is rarely the last one.
• Gold: buy only with a printed receipt that shows the weight and the carat.
• Getting there: Sharaf DG station (Green Line) is on the edge. Street parking is hard, so take the Metro if you can.

BurJuman and Other Malls

BurJuman is Bur Dubai's main mall, with a Carrefour, a food court and a Metro station that links the Red and Green Lines. Wafi, at the south end of Oud Metha, is the other big mall.

Is BurJuman the same as Bur Dubai? No. BurJuman is the mall in Al Mankhool, and the Metro station next to it is called Burjuman. Many people call it "Bur Dubai station", because it is the main station here.

Restaurants in Bur Dubai

Bur Dubai is one of the best places in Dubai for Indian food, from thalis in Meena Bazaar to Punjabi grills, plus Emirati cafés in old Al Fahidi houses. Most places are simple and cheap. The bars are in the hotels.

Good to know:

• Vegetarian: Bhavna, Veg World, Veganesha and Kailash Parbat serve only vegetarian food.
• Late at night: Al Ustad Special Kebab is open until 1 am, and the Cross Cultural Café at the Arabian Courtyard Hotel, opposite Al Fahidi Fort, is open 24 hours.
• A drink with dinner: most restaurants here do not serve alcohol. The licensed places are in hotels, such as the Arabian Courtyard Hotel, the Mövenpick Hotel Bur Dubai and Wafi.
• Places change often: check that a restaurant is still open before you go.

Supermarkets, Clinics, Mosques and Gyms in Bur Dubai

Daily needs are on the ground floors of the blocks, so most people walk to the shop, the pharmacy and the mosque.

Supermarkets in Bur Dubai

Spinneys in Al Mankhool is open 24 hours, and Carrefour is in BurJuman. Your options:

• Spinneys: Al Mankhool, next to the M Squared Building. Open 24 hours.
• Carrefour: BurJuman, on the ground floor by the Metro link.
• Small groceries: on the ground floor of almost every block.

Clinics in Bur Dubai

Bur Dubai has three hospitals with emergency departments. Your options:

• Aster Hospital Mankhool: Kuwait Street, near Sharaf DG station. Emergency care 24 hours.
• American Hospital Dubai: 19th Street, Oud Metha. Has an emergency department.
• Rashid Hospital: Oud Metha Road, Umm Hurair 2. A government hospital with Dubai's major trauma centre.
• Pharmacies: Life Pharmacy and Aster Pharmacy have many branches here, and some stay open past midnight.

For the medical test you need for a residence visa, Dubai Health runs medical fitness centres. The nearest is in Al Karama (see our Al Karama guide).

Mosques, temples and churches in Bur Dubai

Bur Dubai has mosques within a short walk of most blocks, and its churches are in Oud Metha. Places of worship:

• The Grand Mosque: Ali Bin Abi Taleb Street, Al Souk Al Kabeer, next to Al Fahidi.
• Smaller mosques: across every neighbourhood; use a prayer-times app to find the nearest one.
• Krishna temple: in the old souk, Al Souk Al Kabeer.
• Churches: Holy Trinity Church, St Mary's Catholic Church and St Thomas Orthodox Cathedral, all in Oud Metha. Dozens of congregations share the Holy Trinity compound.

Gyms in Bur Dubai

GymNation Bur Dubai is the big 24-hour gym. Your options:

• GymNation Bur Dubai: M Squared Building, next to Spinneys, Al Mankhool. Open 24 hours.
• Pharaohs' Club: at Wafi, with a gym, squash and tennis.
• Small gyms: in some blocks and hotels. Visit before you sign up, and ask about the monthly fee.

Schools in Bur Dubai

Oud Metha is one of the best places in Dubai for highly rated schools, and most of Bur Dubai's schools are there. The old centre, Al Souk Al Kabeer and Al Hamriya, has none.

KHDA is the Dubai government office that inspects private schools. Its ratings, from the top, are Outstanding, Very good, Good and Acceptable. The ratings below are from KHDA's latest inspections, mostly in 2023-24.

Every school's fees are on the KHDA school directory. To compare family areas, read our guide to the best areas to live in Dubai for families.

Nurseries in Bur Dubai

Bur Dubai has many small nurseries licensed by KHDA, most in Al Mankhool and Oud Metha. Some of them:

• Al Mankhool: Cambridgeshire Nursery, Little Lambs Nursery, Little Kingdom Early Childhood Center.
• Oud Metha: Aga Khan Early Learning Centre, Beautiful Horizons Early Learning Center.
• Al Raffa: Little Wonders Early Childhood Center.
• Umm Hurair 1: Kinderville Early Learning Center.

Ask the nursery which ages it takes this year, and visit before you pay the registration fee.

Getting Around Bur Dubai

Bur Dubai is one of the easiest places in Dubai to live without a car: five Green Line stations, a Red Line link, a bus station and the abras. If you drive, expect slow traffic around BurJuman and the bridges at rush hour.

These are distances, not times. The roads into Deira are very busy at rush hour, so allow extra time.

Metro stations in Bur Dubai

The station people call "Bur Dubai Metro station" is Burjuman, where the Red and Green Lines meet. The Green Line has five stations here:

What is the new name of the Bur Dubai stations? Sharaf DG was once called Al Fahidi, and Burjuman was once called Khalid Bin Al Waleed. No station here was renamed in 2026. The RTA map spells the first station "Al Gubaiba".

A third line is coming. The Dubai Metro Gold Line will start at Al Ghubaiba and run to Jumeirah Golf Estates. It is due to open on 9 September 2032.

Al Ghubaiba bus station and the abras

Al Ghubaiba bus station, next to Al Ghubaiba Metro station, is the main bus station in Bur Dubai. City buses and some intercity buses leave from here. Routes and times change, so check them in the RTA's S'hail app before you travel.

The creek is part of the transport here:

• Abra to Deira: from the Bur Dubai abra station to Deira Old Souq, AED 1, cash only.
• Abras from Al Fahidi and Al Seef: AED 2, paid in cash, by Nol card or by bank card.
• Dubai Ferry: from the Al Ghubaiba marine station to the Dubai Canal and to Sharjah. Check times in S'hail.

Parking in Bur Dubai

Street parking in Bur Dubai is paid from 8 am to 10 pm, Monday to Saturday, and it is free on Sundays and public holidays. Parkin, Dubai's parking company, runs it.

How it works:

• The zone code: pay with the code on the sign next to the space, in the Parkin app, by SMS or with a Nol card. Coins are no longer taken.
• Peak hours: many bays here are premium bays, which cost AED 6 an hour from 8 am to 10 am and from 4 pm to 8 pm. Their zone code ends in P.
• Car parks: Parkin's multi-storey car parks at Al Ghubaiba and Oud Metha are open 24 hours and cost AED 5 an hour or AED 40 a day, plus VAT.
• At home: older blocks have few spaces, and there is no free parking permit for expat tenants. Ask whether a space comes with the flat before you sign.

Is Bur Dubai a Good Place to Live?

Yes, if you want a cheap flat or a bed space in the middle of old Dubai, close to the Metro, with food and shops on your doorstep. It is not the right place if you want to buy, live in a new tower with a pool, or park easily.

A one-bedroom flat in Bur Dubai costs about AED 2,600 a year less than in Al Karama next door, where our guide puts it at AED 64,300. It costs about AED 24,400 less than in JLT, where our guide puts it at AED 86,100. Across the creek, Deira is the other old district, with similar flats and souks.

Is Bur Dubai safe? Dubai does not publish crime figures by neighbourhood. Bur Dubai's streets are busy until late, with families, shoppers and workers, and it feels like any busy city district. As anywhere crowded, keep an eye on your phone and wallet in the souks.

Bur Dubai or Deira: which is better? For most renters, Bur Dubai, if you want to be near the schools in Oud Metha, BurJuman and the Red Line link. Deira suits you better if you work near the airport or Deira's souks.

Three bills to ask about before you sign:

• Cooling: ask whether the air conditioning is part of the DEWA bill or billed apart, and how much last summer's bills were.
• DEWA: you pay DEWA, the water and electricity bill, yourself unless the contract says otherwise. Bed-space and room rents often include it: ask.
• Parking: ask whether a parking space is in the rent, or whether you will pay for Parkin.