Winter in Dubai: Weather by Month and What's On This Season

The short answer: Dubai's winter runs November to March, with daytime highs of 24–31°C and nights down to 13–21°C, the only months comfortable for being outside all day. Rain is rare but not impossible, usually a handful of showery days in December, January and March. This is also the city's busiest season: Global Village's new run and Dubai Miracle Garden's Season 15 are both open, Sheikh Zayed Festival and Dubai Shopping Festival overlap with UAE National Day, the school winter break and New Year, and hotel rates climb as 31 December gets closer.

Dubai's weather from November to March

The figures above are 1991–2020 averages for Dubai International Airport, so a given week can run warmer or wetter. November is still summer-warm by day (around 31°C) but the humidity breaks and evenings turn pleasant. December and January are the two coolest months: daytime highs in the mid-20s, and a January night can drop to 13–15°C, cold enough for a jacket after dark, especially near the creek or the desert. February is usually the driest month of the five. By March, days are warming back up past 29°C, and by April the outdoor window is closing again.

Rain is brief when it comes: a storm rather than a drizzle, sometimes with flash flooding inland, so check the forecast before a desert or mountain trip (see our camping in the UAE guide for what that means for a tent). Wind picks up a little more often in winter too, usually a dusty breeze rather than anything stronger, which is why the clearest skies tend to follow a day or two after rain.

What to wear

Pack layers rather than a heavy coat. Shorts and sandals still work by day in most of the season, but keep a jumper or light jacket for the evening, since the temperature drop after sunset is sharper than visitors expect. Something warmer again for Hatta or Jebel Jais, both noticeably cooler than the coast, and for an early desert safari pickup, when the morning chill has not yet burned off. Indoors, malls and restaurants run air conditioning year-round, so a light layer indoors is still worth carrying even in January.

What's on this winter

Global Village and Dubai Miracle Garden

Global Village's new season is open through to May 2027, with tickets at AED 25 Monday to Thursday and AED 30 Friday to Sunday and on public holidays; see our Global Village guide for timings, family Tuesdays and getting there by bus. Dubai Miracle Garden's Season 15 runs from 8 October 2026 to 31 May 2027, AED 100 for adult tourists and AED 80 for children (AED 70 and AED 50 for UAE residents); our Miracle Garden guide covers free entry, bus 105 and parking. You can book the Global Village entry ticket and the Miracle Garden ticket through us.

Sheikh Zayed Festival and Dubai Shopping Festival

Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Festival runs from 30 October 2026, with AED 10 entry, country pavilions, nightly fountains, fireworks and drone shows, through most of the winter season; see our Sheikh Zayed Festival guide for the exact closing date, hours and the drive time from Dubai. Dubai Shopping Festival has been reported for 4 December 2026 to 17 January 2027, six weeks of mall discounts, raffles and DSF Nights concerts, though it had not been officially confirmed by Dubai's tourism authority when we checked; our Dubai Shopping Festival guide has the latest.

Christmas markets and New Year's Eve

Dubai's Christmas season runs through three markets this year, from the free Madinat Jumeirah Festive Market to the ticketed DXB Winter Festival at Dubai Festival City; our Christmas markets in Dubai guide has dates, hours and entry fees, and notes that 25 December is not an official UAE public holiday. For New Year's Eve, Burj Khalifa and Downtown Dubai usually carry the city's biggest fireworks, with further shows at Atlantis The Palm, JBR and the Dubai Frame, and seven separate midnight countdowns at Global Village; see our New Year's Eve in Dubai guide for where to stand and how to get home afterwards.

Dubai Marathon and the rest of January

The Dubai Marathon is set for Sunday 17 January 2027, closing roads through Downtown and along the coast for the morning. If you are planning a trip for colleagues or family once the holidays wind down, see our where to travel in January from the UAE guide for ideas beyond Dubai itself. The Dubai Airshow, which some visitors expect every winter, is not on this season: its next edition is November 2027.

Outdoor trips worth timing for winter

Several of the UAE's best days out only really work once the heat breaks. A desert safari with BBQ dinner is pleasant year-round after dark, but winter adds a proper evening chill and clearer night skies; a hot air balloon ride over the desert at dawn is far more comfortable without the summer heat haze. If you fancy a night under canvas yourself rather than booking an evening out, see our camping in the UAE guide for where it is actually legal to pitch a tent.

Hatta and Jebel Jais, both covered in our things to do in Hatta guide, are at their best from November to March, when the mountain air stops being an afterthought and starts being the point. Along the creek, an abra crossing or a dhow dinner cruise is more enjoyable without summer's humidity, and outdoor dining terraces across the city, closed off or air-conditioned in July, reopen properly once the evenings cool down.

Dubai's beaches work year-round, but winter is when a full day on the sand, rather than a quick dip before retreating indoors, is actually comfortable. The same goes for a weekend brunch on an open terrace, a round of golf, or simply walking along the Marina or Jumeirah Beach Walk at midday without needing shade every few minutes. If you only have one season to do these properly, this is it.

Before you go

This is Dubai's busiest tourist season, and it shows. The school winter break runs 14 December 2026 to 3 January 2027 (see our UAE winter break guide for exact dates by curriculum), and hotel rates and flight fares both climb as 31 December approaches, often their highest point of the whole year. Book attractions, restaurants and flights earlier than you would in summer, especially for the week around National Day (2 and 3 December 2026) and New Year.

If you are a UAE resident with family visiting for the season, they will usually need a UAE visit visa arranged before they travel, and processing can slow down around the holidays, so start earlier than you think you need to; see our UAE visa services for the options. And if winter has you thinking about your own trip out rather than staying put, our Dubai packages page is also where we list short breaks for visitors coming the other way.

Finally, remember this season is also when most residents are trying to use annual leave before the year resets, so popular restaurants, desert safari slots and even the Hatta road at weekends book out further ahead than usual. If your dates are flexible, a weekday trip is noticeably quieter than a Friday or Saturday for almost everything on this list.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best month to visit Dubai?

January and February are the coolest and driest, which makes them the most comfortable months for being outside all day, though also the busiest and most expensive around New Year.

Does it rain in Dubai in winter?

Occasionally. December, January and March each average around three rainy days, usually a short, heavy downpour rather than steady rain, and it can trigger flash flooding inland.

How cold does it get in Dubai at night in winter?

January nights average around 15°C and can drop into the low teens, cold enough for a jacket, especially away from the coast in the desert or the mountains.

Is Dubai too hot to visit in winter?

No. Winter (November to March) is Dubai's cool season, with daytime highs of 24–31°C, the opposite problem to summer.

What festivals are on in Dubai this winter?

Global Village and Dubai Miracle Garden are both open for the season, Dubai Shopping Festival has been reported for early December to mid-January, and Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Festival runs from late October into March.

Is the Dubai Airshow on this winter?

No. The Dubai Airshow runs every two years and its next edition is November 2027, not this winter season.

Plan your winter trip with Holidayys

If you are hosting family for the season or planning your own winter week in Dubai, we can put together the hotel, the desert evening and the attraction tickets above as one package, or arrange a UAE visit visa for visitors coming to join you. Message us on WhatsApp +971 4 589 0001 or use our contact page to talk through dates.

Related guides

• Global Village Dubai: tickets and timings
• Dubai Miracle Garden: tickets and timings
• Sheikh Zayed Festival: dates and tickets
• Dubai Shopping Festival: dates and sales
• Christmas markets in Dubai
• Camping in the UAE

Last checked 4 November 2026. Weather figures are 1991–2020 averages for Dubai International Airport (NOAA/WMO climate normals), so any given week can run warmer, cooler or wetter. Dubai Shopping Festival's dates were reported by Arabian Business but not yet confirmed on Visit Dubai's own pages when we checked, and Sheikh Zayed Festival's closing date is given in full on its own guide. Event dates, prices and hours change: confirm on each attraction's own page before you book.