A boasty, ultra-modern city fed on a diet of unmitigated excess and mega wealth, Dubai’s unabashed love of luxury has borne a playground for the world’s elite and a super-prime hub for business, tourism, finance and real estate.
In the space of fifty years, a glittering, cosmopolitan metropolis has risen from the sand dunes, sprawling outward into the desert from the city’s ancient coastal fishing village beginnings.
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Dubai means big business and it’s unapologetic in its endeavours; it’s a glossy showcase for the apex of luxury catalogue living and a gleaming case study in man’s ability to build, innovate and push boundaries when it comes to delivering best-in-class. Dubai was made for the wealthy and here they come in droves to dine, play, buy and do business.
Latest research from citizenship and residency advisers Henley & Partners reveals that Dubai – which ranked 21st on the global list of the world’s wealthiest cities – is now home to 72,500 millionaires and 15 billionaires.
So, where will you find the uber rich satisfying appetites for the world’s best of? From desert hideaways to private members’ clubs, seven-star hotels, knee-buckling penthouse suites and triple Michelin-starred restaurants, we roundup where to rub shoulders with Dubai’s super rich.
Bvlgari Resort Dubai
A three-pronged, one, two, three punch of unbridled luxury at the Bvlgari Resort Dubai raises the benchmark of Dubai living to dizzying heights. Design-wise, it’s relatively pared back for UAE standards – the resort occupies just four floors in a low-slung structure hugged by a man-made cove in the Arabian Sea.
One of the most expensive in the world, the branded hotel experience delivered by the glamorous Italian jeweler is an extension of a best-in-class product, allowing the world’s ultra-wealthy to eat, sleep and breathe the brand around the clock.
Ramped-up luxury flirts with Italian-inspired minimalism on a seahorse-shaped island in Jumeirah Bay with money-can-buy, stellar views of a thrilling skyline serving as a glittering cityscape soundtrack to ultra-extravagance. Here you’ll find real gold mosaic tiles lining a spa and vitality pool, just because.
Selling points in the Mediterranean-village-inspired resort sating the fussiest of luxury-loving appetites include a private marina, yacht and beach club and two Michelin-starred restaurants.
The world’s elite valuing the highest heights of privacy will likely be staying in one of the 20 hotel villas set back from the beach, with private pools, roomy outdoor terraces and personal butler service.
Bvlgari Yacht Club & Marina
Continuing the ‘Mediterranean village’ theme, is the resort’s private, 50-berth destination marina and yacht club catering for boats up to 40 metres, – a superyacht anchorage spot is just off the island – here you’ll find Dubai’s 1% socialising and relaxing in a nautical paradise.
Vintage Italian riviera themes run through the yacht club; walls are dotted with black and white photos of celebrities on the beach or on yachts. The restaurant and bar serve Italian snacks and seafood, including oysters and caviar plates served by guests in striped, naval inspired uniforms. A club library, pool and late-night dance area complete the spectacular Bvlgari Yacht Club experience.
The restaurant - Il Ristorante-Niko Romito
The two-Michelin-starred, fine dining restaurant Il Ristorante-Niko Romito overlooks the marina and crowns the fifth floor of the hotel. High –rolling guests can watch boats and their glamorous owners over dinner and drinks.
One of six of the resort’s restaurants and the starriest (perhaps in all of Dubai), top-quality produce is flown over from Italy furnishing an Italian-inspired menu brimming with regional specialties reimagined and rewritten by Chef Niko. For the full experience, go for the ‘Degustazione’ menu.
Dubai World Cup
Held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Dubai World Cup is one of the highest-ranked polo tournaments across the Middle East attracting the best polo teams in the world competing for the coveted trophy.
One of the highlights of Dubai’s glitzy social calendar, the great and the good of the emirate rub shoulders. Here you’ll find royalty, high-society, socialites and Dubai’s wealthiest hobnobbing to the backdrop of the iconic Al Habtoor Polo Resort and Club and the beats of the world’s best DJ’s.
The Arts Club Dubai
The Middle East iteration of Charles Dickens’s storied London members’ club founded in 1863, a coterie of Dubai’s creative minds gathers to brush up on what’s what in the world of art, science and literature in a Foster + Partners design-led venue.
Although selection criteria are loosely based on adherence to the arts and science, here you’ll find Dubai’s richest entrepreneurs and top financiers exchanging ideas and business cards with art collectors and monied free-thinkers across five, Italian-interior-designed floors in the Emirate’s finance centre.
The sharpest players on Dubai’s scene – from artists to film makers and scientists – are brought together to enjoy a meticulously curated, rich calendar of events that include podcasts, book club, wine dinners, breakfast talks, panel discussions, children’s events and exciting, up-and-coming artists showcased in the dedicated gallery space.
Come sundown, to spectacular views of the iconic Burj Khalifa, erudite party people gather on the rooftop to sip cocktails in the lounge or dance the night away in the Vega nightclub with buzzy night soundtracked to the beats of the world’s best DJ’s performing nightly.
Members have access to an impressive lineup of spaces; three world-class restaurants serving European, Japanese, Peruvian and Italian cuisine, in-house pâtisserie, seven cocktail bars served by award-winning mixologists and sommeliers, four meeting spaces, private dining rooms, five lounges, a library, a rooftop terrace, a cigar lounge with private cigar cabanas, and a private event space.
Existing members of The Arts Club in London can add the international tier to their membership to include The Arts Club Dubai.
The Royal Mansion at Atlantis the Royal, Dubai
Headlined by pop royalty Beyoncé after a five year hiatus, a chichi crowd of 1,500 of the world’s movers and shakers celebrated the 2023 opening of Atlantis the Royal Dubai, representing the world’s impossibly rich and famous.
Atlantis the Royal self-proclaims to be ‘the most ultra-luxury experiential resort in the world’.
Profligate, unbridled luxury caters to the appetites of those that demand the giddiest echelons of service and style. The hotel features 795 rooms and suites, 17 restaurants and bars, 17 high-end boutiques, a wellness space spanning 32,300 square feet, and multiple swimming pools.
It’s also home to one of the most staggering hotel penthouses in the world servicing the needs of ultra-high-net-worth guests including royalty, heads-of-state, celebrities and billionaires (Beyoncé and Jay Z stayed here after the hotel’s grand opening performance).
Accessed via a private entrance, priced at a knee-buckling USD $100,0000 per night and crowning the Atlantis the Royal experience is the Royal Mansion.
Straddling the 18th and 19th floors and spanning 12,100-sq-ft, the four-bedroom penthouse features hand-crafted décor and bespoke Hermès in-room amenities, a foyer with 100-year-old olive trees, 24-hour bartender, 3-square-foot terrace that overlooks views of the Arabian Sea, steam rooms, infinity pool and interiors flecked with suitably Dubai-esque gold accents and accessories.
Yes, here you’ll find bespoke gold toothbrushes, combs and brushes delivering the highest echelons of personal hygiene.
The penthouse is a money-can-buy private viewing gallery offering jaw-dropping views of the Dubai skyline and ringside seats directly onto iconic Dubai landmarks – the Burj Khalifa, the Dubai Ferris Wheel and infinite turquoise expanses of the Arabian Gulf.
For cloud-skimming celebrations, the formal dining room seats up to 12 guests, and chefs from any of the resort’s kitchens can be hired to cook for a private dining experience.
Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa
Dubai’s elite drive 50 minutes inland to escape the city of excess and crowded skyscraper studded skyline to sleep like royalty in the sand at Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa.
Kissing the desert sandscape, the pared-back resort comes with a five-star price tag to rival a big city branded hotel – but with a conscience. Keeping environmental impact to a minimum, the resort heats its water with solar energy and then recycled and used for irrigation purposes.
It’s also the only green certified hotel on the 87-square mile Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve which has reintroduced rare, native species while creating an environment for animals to thrive. A stay at Al Maha almost guarantees a sighting of gazelles and oryx wandering free within the grounds.
The emirates 1% thrive here too. This is eco-tourism, UAE style – shrouded in hushed sophistication delivered via a concentrated shot of luxury in a re-imagined Bedouin-style camp.
In a nod to the Emirate’s heritage, 42 Arabian-style tented suites cater for city slickers and are equipped with modern comforts.
Interiors are decorated with antique timber furniture, traditional carpets and heritage artifacts. Suites comes with a private, temperature-controlled pool overlooking the golden folds of the desert landscape.
Guests also have access to top-shelf amenities including gymnasium, sauna, steam room, jacuzzi, and cold plunge pool all with panoramic views of the desert or private gardens.
While there’s a restaurant and terrace bar to rival those of the city’s stellar hotels, the star attractions are the one-of-a-kind desert experiences, such as a floating breakfast in the infinity pool, a romantic evening dinner beneath the inky night sky, set on a Persian carpet among infinite views of golden dunes and constellations, ambiently framed by flame torches and lanterns.
You can also go on nature walks to spot wildlife, enjoy 4X4 dune drives, camel treks, guided nature walks and horse rides in the desert. Horseback riding, archery and falconry are among the sporting options.
Prices start at about 6,000 AED ($1,600) per room per night.
Falconry
The ancient Falconry practice across the Arabian Peninsula tradition dates back over 4,000 years with beginnings in Bedouin tribes where birds were captured, domesticated and trained to hunt live prey. The sport of falconry is known locally as ‘kanas’ (hunting) and it’s big business across the UAE and the Middle East.
Celebrated in national and cultural festivals and featured on domestic banknotes, the UAE’s rich falconry heritage remains a cherished part of Emirati tradition, with UNESCO designating falconry as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2016.
Today, hunting is illegal across many of the Gulf States, but the birds remain prized possessions with the Emirate’s wealthiest parting with inordinate amounts for the finest feathered assets.
Avian investments are serious business with prices reaching upwards of $500,000 for the best birds, considered the ultimate status symbol alongside superyachts, cars and penthouses.
In the United Arab Emirates, falcons are required to have their own passports to combat the rise in bird smuggling.
So revered are these birds that, recently, a Saudi Prince bought individual seats in business and first class for his prized falcons; every bird had to show its passport.
Armani hotel at the Burj Khalifa
In a city that’s addicted to revved up luxury, the Armani Hotel by fashion stalwart Giorgio Armano in the world’s tallest building, the 163-storey Burj Khalifa, touches all the sides.
Accessed through a grand entrance and occupying eleven floors of the iconic structure in big-spending Downtown Dubai, the design-led, branded hotel throws everything and the kitchen sink at high-ballin’ opulence. Here you’ll find 24-carat iPads in each suite to guests being flown in by private jets, bespoke floral arrangements and 24-hour butler service.
Each guest is allocated a personal Lifestyle Manager facilitating a ‘local experience’, handling everything from childcare to snagging bookings of the most in-demand Dubai restaurants and events.
Guests are in for a visual treat with front row, cinematic views of the city skyline and aquatic, spectacular fountain show from all 160 rooms and suites. Interiors are crisply dressed in curated Armani signature, fashion boutique sexiness.
Seven distinct dining concepts include the Michelin-starred Armani Ristorante, a Mediterranean restaurant, an Italian fine dining option, an Indian restaurant, a deli, a Japanese restaurant, lounge, and a VIP club.
The supreme stylish, connected and wealthy throw the slickest shapes on the dance floor of the sultry Armani/Privé nightclub and cocktail lounge which pulls in big name nightly DJs and artists.
Head out on the wraparound terrace for premium views of The Dubai Fountain show that springs to life with choreographed music shows twice during lunch hours and every 30 minutes from 6pm to 11pm.
Camel racing at Al Marmoon
A traditional sport of the region dating back the 7th Century, the best place to experience the high-stakes, high-octane traditional sport of camel racing is at the heritage destination Al Marmoon at the Dubai Camel Racing Club.
Camels are an integral part of Dubai’s heritage and cultural symbol of the traditional way of life. For the Emiratis, camel racing holds as much gravitas as the equestrian counterpart, with bids for the fastest camels soaring upward of £2,000,000.
Dubai’s movers and shakers gather for a ‘day at the races’ to watch elite, pure-bred Arab camels race around the track with robot jockeys tied to their humps – their trainers owners following along beside them in 4x4s.
One of the highlights of the Dubai social calendar is the Dubai Crown Prince Camel Festival – a thrilling and colourful display of camel racing with top prizes topping £350,000 for first place on the highest prized race.
Breeding, owning and racing a prime, trophy camel be a high-yield investment. Also popular are camel ‘beauty pageants’ where prize money for aesthetically pleasing, single-humped assets run into the tens of millions of dollars.
A camel’s price starts from about US $55,000 (£40,000), but thoroughbreds can go for a lot, lot more. A weighty price tag for a prize-winning camel is the norm, but bids can soar with elite, super-camels fetching up to an eyewatering US $30m – on par with some of megayachts moored in the Bvlgari Resort Marina.
Burj Al Arab
Sitting on its own private island, the seven-star playground for Dubai’s ultra-wealthy takes the accolade of the tallest hotel in the world. Spanning 60 floors, Burj Al Arab offers tip-to-toe, unrestrained luxury to the backdrop endless views of the azure-blue waters of the Arabian Gulf.
Dubai’s supremely wealthy can swoop in by helicopter and extreme fine dine in the clouds at Michelin-starred Al Muntaha restaurants perched on the twenty-seventh floor.
Emirates Hills & Jumeirah Bay Island
Where do you live in Dubai if you’re worth nine figures? You’ll find most of Dubai’s billionaires and super-rich clustered in the ultra-luxury Emirates Hills and on Jumeirah Bay Island, known as ‘Billionaire Island’.
Emirates Hills, often referred to as the ‘Beverly Hills of Dubai’, is the super prime community and urban playground for the monied and famous sitting in the heart of the city where approximately 600 ultra-luxe villas drip in architectural grandeur and elegance.
The world’s jet-setters have access to top-end amenities, including the famous Montgomerie Golf Course and elite schools.
Jostling for the title of Dubai’s most expensive neighbourhood, trophy homes on the seahorse shaped Billionaire Island offer unbridled levels of luxury living.
In a tussle of one-upmanship, here it’s the norm to find ultra-bespoke, built-to-order villas and super-mansions fitted with cinemas, spas, bowling alleys and private elevators.
If you have the cash the splash, nothing is off the table – amenities are as expansive as imaginations.
The most expensive real estate transaction ever made in the Emirate was a record-breaking, custom-built villa on Dubai’s Jumeirah Bay Island which sold for AED US $89.85 million.
The Emirate’s red hot property values are set to rise by 5% during 2025, according to global property consultancy, Knight Frank Dubai – one of only a handful of global property markets poised for growth. ( INTERNAL LINK TO PROPERTY MARKET/CITIES PREDICTIONS FOR 2025)
Billionaire Island is also home to the 27-storey Bulgari Lighthouse, an ultra-luxury development of four and five-bedroom penthouses curated by the luxury jewellery brand.
The seven-bedroom Sky Villa crowns the top three levels of Bulgari Lighthouse, and is surrounded by expansive private rooftop gardens and outdoor living spaces.
The Lana & High Society at The Lana
Opened in 2024 in Downtown Dubai to much fanfare, The Lana is the Dorchester Collection’s five-star, jigsaw-shaped centrepiece, casting one of the most opulent, jigshaw-shaped shadows on Dubai’s glittering city and seascape.
In a step away from the traditional old-world glamour that The Dorchester is synonymous with, The Lana shakes a Tetris-shaped, manicured fist at convention, cementing the brand as a forward-thinking hotelier heavyweight that’s defies boundaries of luxury and reads the room.
New money, glamour-loving Dubai laps up The Lana. Opulence is elevated to dizzying heights; the Emirate’s wealthiest have access to 225 rooms and suites offering floor-to-ceiling views of the Burj Khalifa, eight dining experiences, a rooftop pool and bar, as well as Dior’s first spa concept in the UAE – all boasting direct views of the Burj Khalifa.
Those with plenty of cash to splash and that need total privacy can indulge in the highest rungs of Lana experience. Five signature suites offer unique duplex layouts for longer stays and outdoor terraces on both levels.
The Marina Royal Suite, a magnificent presidential suite, is where you’ll find Dubai’s billionaires enjoying the sweeping views of the world’s tallest building from the balcony which traces along the full-length of the hotel.
The Emirate’s movers and shakers gather at the Inca-inspired High Society rooftop lounge to unwind.
A cloud-skimming lofty oasis during the day, Dubai’s impossibly beautiful, rich and famous relax on sunbeds and cabanas fringing the infinity pool.
The ultra-cool space transforms into the Emirate’s hippest late-night dining destination come sunset, animated by the backdrop of 180° views across Downtown Dubai.
