Finding the Best Dubai Street Art

Dubai Street Art

Last Updated on 10/21/20 by Rose Palmer

Dubai is known for its cutting edge building designs. Lots of steel. Lots of glass. Lots of interesting angles. So you might be surprised to find buildings and walls decorated with murals. Dubai street art is alive and well.

I was fortunate to be able to spend a week in Dubai not long ago. Dubai has a reputation for having the biggest of everything and it is rightly deserved. But along with buildings that reach new heights, there is also a pronounced emphasis on design and the artistic element. I found one artsy side of Dubai on an art tour of the Al Quoz warehouse district.

Besides showcasing cutting edge art in galleries, jewelry stores and fashion boutiques, the city has also commissioned some of the leading international mural artists to decorate the outside of its buildings.

Throughout my explorations, I found two areas where murals are clearly used to complement the design and architecture around them. This is no haphazard collection of wall paintings on blank walls in fringe neighborhoods. These works have been thoughtfully curated to augment and enhance the surrounding space, turning it into a large scale outdoor art gallery.

Where to find the best Dubai street art

City Walk Area

Yes, Dubai has many shopping areas. But City Walk is unique in that it was designed to emulate European streets. There are a variety of stores (high end retailers of course) and restaurants with outdoor café seating. There are also entertainment venues with activities for all ages. It’s designed to be a destination for the whole family. Indeed, as the sun sets, the temperatures drop, and the breezes pick up, City Walk becomes alive with activity.

A little bit of London in the heart of Dubai’s City Walk

Adding to the architecture is a series of murals that blend in so effortlessly with their surroundings that, at times, it can be easy to miss them. Little gems hide around corners while large paintings look as if they are part of the building design. It’s colorful and humorous and some of it even a little bit irreverent.

 

To get to the City Walk from my hotel, I found it easiest to just take a taxi. Besides seeing the street art, this is also a great place to spend an afternoon or evening once the temperatures cool off.  The many international restaurant options will make it difficult to choose your meal, so you may want to come back to try more than one. There are also entertainment options for the littlest family members at Matel Play Town Dubai.

Al Fahidi Historic Neighborhood

This historic neighborhood was established in the early 1900’s by Persian pearl and textile merchants. The traditional buildings have been beautifully restored, and the area is now home to artists, galleries and cute eateries. Wandering the narrow lanes, you don’t know what colorful surprises await as you round the next corner.

I experienced a different form of art by staying in the Al Fahidi district at the XVA Art Hotel  which made it easy to explore the area before the crowds arrived. It also made it very easy to take a walk and discover the sights in Old Dubai.

Seeing the wall art in these two areas brought the city to a more human scale for me. After seeing so many big, cutting edge buildings, it was nice to see art that I could look in the face.

Read more of my stories about the great street art I discovered in the Bushwyck neighborhood of New York and also in Chicago.

Find other artistic areas in Dubai go to https://www.visitdubai.com/en/sc7/articles/dubai-urban-art-walking-tour

Thanks for visiting.

Rose

 

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Dubai Street Art