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The most walkable neighbourhoods in Dubai
By Oscar Higson-Spence. Updated
17 neighbourhoods of Dubai ranked by walkability, each scored across the area around its own centre. Al Karama leads with 97/100, then Downtown Dubai (95) and Al Rigga (94). 13 of the 17 score 70 or more, where most errands can be done on foot, and the lowest we rank is Arabian Ranches (30).
| # | Neighbourhood | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al Karama | 97 |
| 2 | Downtown Dubai | 95 |
| 3 | Al Rigga | 94 |
| 4 | Al Hudaiba | 91 |
| 5 | Bur Dubai | 90 |
| 6 | Al Wasl | 86 |
| 6 | Al Satwa | 86 |
| 8 | Abu Hail | 83 |
| 9 | Al Baraha | 82 |
| 10 | Al Twar | 74 |
| 11 | Al Qusais | 73 |
| 12 | Mirdif | 72 |
| 12 | Business Bay | 72 |
| 14 | Al Rashidiya | 60 |
| 15 | Za'abeel | 48 |
| 16 | Muhaisnah | 40 |
| 17 | Arabian Ranches | 30 |
"From the centre" is the distance from Dubai's busiest point to the neighbourhood's centre. "Area scoring 70+" is the share of points across the neighbourhood where most errands can be done on foot.
The top 5 up close
Al Karama
Al Karama scores 97/100, 1.6 km south of Dubai's busiest point. It has the most schools of the five: 13 within a 30 minute walk, the nearest Circle Time - Al Karama Branch, about 8 minutes away.
Downtown Dubai
Downtown Dubai lies the furthest out of these five, 8.1 km south-west of Dubai's busiest point, and scores 95/100. None of the others has as many cafés, with 178 in a 30 minute walk; Saha Cafe is the nearest, about a minute away. More on Downtown Dubai.
Al Rigga
Al Rigga is the most central of these five, 650 m north-east of Dubai's busiest point, and scores 94/100. Shops are where it leads the others, 827 of them within a 30 minute walk, starting with Lemberg Caviar Dubai, about a minute away.
Al Hudaiba
Al Hudaiba scores 91/100, 3.7 km south-west of Dubai's busiest point. 589 everyday places are mapped within a 30 minute walk of its middle, the nearest grocery about 6 minutes away. Its thinnest category against the others is shops, with 153.
Bur Dubai
Bur Dubai scores 90/100, 1.3 km west of Dubai's busiest point. None of the others has as many libraries and bookshops, with 15 in a 30 minute walk; Dubai Public Library Al Ras is the nearest, about 8 minutes away. It has the fewest schools of the five, 4. More on Bur Dubai.
Centre and outskirts
The 4 neighbourhoods within 3 km of Dubai's centre average 91, and the 13 further out average 70, so walkability falls away from the centre. The nearest to the centre, Al Rigga, 650 m away, scores 94, and the farthest, Arabian Ranches, 23.4 km out, scores 30.
Each dot is a ranked neighbourhood, numbered by rank and coloured by score, placed by its distance and direction from the centre of Dubai.
Dubai as a whole scores 72 out of 100 across the 5 km around its centre.
Questions about Dubai's neighbourhoods
What is the most walkable neighbourhood in Dubai?
Al Karama is the most walkable of the 17 neighbourhoods we rank in Dubai, with a walkability score of 97 out of 100 (Walker's Paradise). It is followed by Downtown Dubai (95) and Al Rigga (94).
Which neighbourhoods of Dubai are least walkable?
Of the 17 neighbourhoods we rank, the lowest scoring are Arabian Ranches (30), Muhaisnah (40) and Za'abeel (48). These are the best-known neighbourhoods with their own Wikipedia articles, so less walkable outer suburbs that are not ranked may score lower still.
How are Dubai's neighbourhoods ranked?
Each neighbourhood is scored at points 100 m to 500 m apart across a circle around its centre, sized to its area, and its score is the mean of those points. Each point's score counts the groceries, restaurants, shops, schools, parks and other everyday places within a 30 minute walk, as described in the methodology. Dubai scores 72 across the 5 km around its centre.
This page is generated from open map data with a published walkability method, explained in the methodology. Places from Overture Maps release 2026-09-23.1. Neighbourhoods and where they lie from Overture Maps and Wikidata.