# Burj Al Arab, Dubai > Dubai's sail-shaped hotel stands 321 m tall on its own island off Jumeirah Beach. Since April 2026 it has been **closed for restoration** for about 18 months, so there is no way inside — no tour, no afternoon tea. Looking at it is free any day, from Umm Suqeim (Sunset) Beach or Souk Madinat Jumeirah. Allow 30 minutes. Web page: https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/burj-al-arab - City: [Dubai](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai), United Arab Emirates - YesGo score: 59/100 (Yes, go) - Time on site: 30 min - Entry: Free to view; closed inside - Opening hours: Hotel closed for restoration since April 2026; the outside view is free every day - With kids: Fine with kids - Status: Closed for restoration since April 2026; restaurants and the Inside Burj Al Arab tour are suspended - Reopening: Expected October 2027, not a fixed date - Free views: Umm Suqeim (Sunset) Beach, Souk Madinat Jumeirah - Address: Jumeirah Street, Umm Suqeim, Dubai - Nearest metro: Mall of the Emirates (Red Line), then a 10–15 min taxi - Time needed: ≈ 30 min for photos, an hour with sunset - Paying for transport: Nol card for metro and bus (no cash on buses); taxis take bank cards, Nol or cash - Coordinates: 25.14139, 55.18528 - Facts checked: 03.11.2026 ## Key facts - **321 m** — tall — the world's tallest hotel when it opened (source: The National; English and Russian Wikipedia) - **April 2026** — closed for its first major restoration, about 18 months (source: Jumeirah statement via The National and Khaleej Times; Gulf News) - **280 m** — offshore, on an artificial island reached by a private bridge (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **1 December 1999** — opening day; construction began in 1994 (source: The National; English and Russian Wikipedia) - **Tom Wright** — the British architect (Atkins) who shaped it like a dhow's sail (source: The National; English and Russian Wikipedia) - **180 m** — atrium, one of the tallest in the world (source: Jumeirah official website; Russian Wikipedia) - **210 m** — up — the helipad, cantilevered over the sea (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; The National) - **2005** — Federer and Agassi played tennis on the helipad (source: Guinness World Records; The National) - **56 floors** — including three below ground (source: English Wikipedia; Khaleej Times) - **≈ 200** — duplex suites and no standard rooms (198 or 202, depending on the source) (source: Gulf News, The National; Khaleej Times, Russian Wikipedia) - **70–80%** — of the interiors to be kept, says restoration architect Tristan Auer (source: The National; Wego) > **Is Burj Al Arab closed? Yes — until around late 2027** Jumeirah closed the hotel in April 2026. Suites, restaurants, the spa and the Inside Burj Al Arab tour are all shut, and the bridge to the island is off-limits. If someone sells you an “inside tour” before the official reopening, check exactly what you're buying. ## Can you go inside Burj Al Arab without staying? Not right now. Before the closure, non-guests got in on the paid **Inside Burj Al Arab** guided tour or with a restaurant or afternoon-tea booking. All of that is suspended during the restoration, and there is no official tour price to quote until Jumeirah reopens. What you can do is free: walk onto Umm Suqeim (Sunset) Beach or the waterfront of Souk Madinat Jumeirah and see the whole sail. You only pay for transport. ## When will Burj Al Arab reopen? Jumeirah announced on 15 April 2026 that the hotel would close for about 18 months — its first full closure since 1999. Air-conditioning, lifts, electrics, fire safety and the façade are being renewed, while French designer **Tristan Auer** refreshes the interiors, keeping 70–80% of the décor, the entrance aquarium and the lobby. Dubai's official tourism site points to October 2027; Auer himself says it “will open when it is ready”. Treat any date as provisional. Hoardings may surround the base during the works, but the sail itself still dominates the coastline. ## How to get to Burj Al Arab from Downtown 1. At **Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall** station, take the Red Line heading south-west, towards Mall of the Emirates and the Marina. 2. Get off at **Mall of the Emirates** — about 15 minutes. 3. Take a taxi from the rank outside to Umm Suqeim (Sunset) Beach or Souk Madinat Jumeirah — 10–15 minutes. 4. Cheaper but slower: a bus along Jumeirah Beach Road from Mall of the Emirates — check the route number and stop in the RTA S'hail app. 5. Taxi all the way from Downtown takes 20–25 minutes without traffic; for the return, Souk Madinat Jumeirah has an easy taxi pick-up. > **Paying for the trip** The metro and buses take only the **Nol card** — buses don't accept cash. A red paper Nol ticket from a station machine is enough for a short stay. Taxis accept bank cards and Nol as well as cash. ## Best places to see Burj Al Arab for free - **Umm Suqeim (Sunset) Beach** — the classic shot: the whole hotel rising from the sea, sand in the foreground. - **Souk Madinat Jumeirah** — the sail above canals and wind-tower rooftops. Entry is free; head for the Promenade-level waterfront. - **Sunset** — the hotel turns into a dark silhouette against the sky. Arrive 30–40 minutes early; the beach fills up just before. - **The helipad and the cantilevered restaurant** — look at the building side-on from the beach to spot the disc at 210 m where Federer and Agassi played. - **The neighbour** — Jumeirah Beach Hotel on the shore next to it makes a natural pair in the frame. ## Is Burj Al Arab worth visiting right now? Yes, if it's your first time in Dubai and you want the city's most famous coastal silhouette: a sunset at Umm Suqeim is one of the easiest free things to do here, and half an hour is enough for the photo. No, if you came for the gold-leaf interiors and the aquarium restaurant — they're off-limits until reopening. Spend the evening at [Madinat Jumeirah](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/madinat-jumeirah) instead, or go up [Burj Khalifa](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/burj-khalifa) for a view from above. ## Why is it shaped like a sail? Architect **Tom Wright** of Atkins was asked for a building that would become a symbol of Dubai. He drew the billowing sail of an Arab dhow and set it on a man-made island 280 m out to sea, linked to the shore by a curving private bridge. It opened on 1 December 1999. Inside there are no ordinary rooms — only around 200 duplex suites around a 180 m atrium. The disc sticking out near the top is the helipad; on the other side, the Al Muntaha restaurant hangs over the Gulf on a cantilever. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] I know it's closed inside and I'm going for the view - [ ] Nol card topped up for the metro and bus - [ ] Timed to reach the sea 40 minutes before sunset - [ ] Water and a hat — the sun by the sea is strong - [ ] Swimwear, if I want a dip at Umm Suqeim - [ ] Dinner or a stroll at Madinat Jumeirah afterwards ## Beach or Madinat: where to watch from | | Umm Suqeim Beach | Souk Madinat Jumeirah | | --- | --- | --- | | Entry | Free | Free | | View | The full hotel over the sea | Above canals and souk rooftops | | Food and shops | — | Restaurants and shops | | Swimming | Yes | No | | Best time | Sunset | Evening | One stop only? The beach has the better shot. Want dinner and a wander too? Go to Madinat Jumeirah. ## More great views in Dubai Every Dubai viewpoint rated by YesGo. - [Burj Khalifa](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/burj-khalifa) — YesGo score 79/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · from AED 189 - [Burj Al Arab](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/burj-al-arab) — YesGo score 59/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free to view; closed inside - [Palm Jumeirah](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/palm-jumeirah) — YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h · Island free, The View from AED 80 - [The Dubai Fountain](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/dubai-fountain) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free; Boardwalk and abra ride paid - [Dubai Creek and the abra crossing](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/dubai-creek) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Abra AED 1–2, waterfronts free - [Dubai Water Canal](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/dubai-canal) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free; abra rides from AED 2 - [Dubai Frame](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/dubai-frame) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · AED 50, children 3–12 AED 20 - [Dubai Marina](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/dubai-marina) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free; boats and cruises extra - [Madinat Jumeirah and Souk Madinat](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/madinat-jumeirah) — YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free entry; abra ride AED 100 - [Atlantis, The Palm](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/atlantis-the-palm) — YesGo score 27/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Aquarium ≈ AED 125, waterpark ≈ AED 300 ## The Jumeirah coast in an evening Jumeirah Mosque in the afternoon, the sail at sunset, dinner at Madinat Jumeirah and the lights of the Marina. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Jumeirah Mosque](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/jumeirah-mosque) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · AED 45 · guided tour only 2. [Burj Al Arab](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/burj-al-arab) — YesGo score 59/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free to view; closed inside 3. [Madinat Jumeirah and Souk Madinat](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/madinat-jumeirah) — YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free entry; abra ride AED 100 4. [Dubai Marina](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/dubai-marina) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free; boats and cruises extra ## Good to know Don't mix it up with Burj Khalifa — that's the skyscraper with an observation deck in Downtown, well away from the sea. And the “seven-star hotel” label is a nickname: there is no official hotel rating above five stars. ## Tips - Reach Umm Suqeim Beach 40 minutes before sunset — the light goes fast after that. - For the sail framed by canals, walk the waterfront at Madinat Jumeirah, then stay for dinner. - Don't pay for an “inside tour” until Jumeirah officially announces the reopening. - In summer the beach is scorching at midday — come early morning or in the evening. - Pair it with [Jumeirah Mosque](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/jumeirah-mosque) and [Dubai Marina](https://yesgo.io/united-arab-emirates/dubai/dubai-marina) — same side of the city, one easy evening. ## Questions ### Is Burj Al Arab closed? Yes. Jumeirah closed it in April 2026 for a restoration of about 18 months. Rooms, restaurants, the spa and the Inside Burj Al Arab tour are all suspended. ### When will Burj Al Arab reopen? Dubai's official tourism site expects October 2027, but there's no fixed date — the restoration architect says it will open when it's ready. ### Can you visit Burj Al Arab without staying there? Not during the restoration. Before it, non-guests could book the Inside Burj Al Arab tour or a restaurant table. For now, see it free from Umm Suqeim Beach or Souk Madinat Jumeirah. ### How much is the Inside Burj Al Arab tour? There's no official price while the tour is suspended. Wait for Jumeirah to announce the reopening before booking anything sold as an inside tour. ### Where is the best free view of Burj Al Arab? Umm Suqeim (Sunset) Beach for the full hotel over the sea; Souk Madinat Jumeirah for the sail above the canals. Both are free. ### How do I get to Burj Al Arab by metro? Red Line to Mall of the Emirates, then a 10–15 minute taxi to Umm Suqeim Beach or Souk Madinat Jumeirah. It's too far to walk from the station. ### How tall is Burj Al Arab? 321 m, with 56 floors including three underground. The helipad is at about 210 m and the atrium is 180 m high. ### Is Burj Al Arab a seven-star hotel? That's a marketing nickname. There is no official hotel category above five stars. ### Who designed Burj Al Arab? British architect Tom Wright of Atkins. It opened on 1 December 1999. ## How we checked The closure and its length are checked against Jumeirah's announcement as reported by three UAE outlets (The National, Khaleej Times, Gulf News). The October 2027 reopening (Visit Dubai via Gulf News, and English Wikipedia) is marked “verifying” because the architect gives no firm date. Suite counts differ — 198 in Gulf News and The National, 202 in Khaleej Times and Wikipedia — so we say about 200. Guinness gives the helipad as 211 m, others 210 m. The 280 m offshore distance is confirmed only by English and Russian Wikipedia. We give no bus number because sources disagree; check the RTA app. We quote no tour or room prices: none are on sale during the restoration. The EN query core comes from English search results and “People also ask”. ## Sources - Jumeirah: official Jumeirah Burj Al Arab website — address, atrium, restoration, 03.11.2026 - The National: “Jumeirah Burj Al Arab closing to undergo 18-month restoration”, 15.04.2026 - Khaleej Times: on the 18-month Burj Al Arab restoration, 2026 - Gulf News: “When will Burj Al Arab reopen?” — citing Visit Dubai, 2026 - Wego: Burj Al Arab restoration closure, updated 13.05.2026 - English and Russian Wikipedia: Burj Al Arab; Wikidata Q62939 - Guinness World Records: highest tennis court - Dubai RTA: about the Nol card; Khaleej Times — paying taxi fares by card and Nol --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.