Dubai · United Arab Emirates
May
Heat begins in earnest — significant discounts open up, but outdoor Dubai is shutting down until October.
Strong option
#8 of 12 months
There are better months for Dubai — see the full ranking below.
See when to go instead →Climate
High
38°C
Low
25°C
Rain
3mm
Sun
10.5hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How May scores in Dubai
Weather
Below average
Value
Outstanding
Crowds
Excellent
Events
Below average
Atmosphere
Above average
What you gain in May
- ↑Hotel rates fall sharply — some 4-star properties at 40–50% below peak-season prices
- ↑Tourist crowds have thinned; popular attractions are genuinely uncrowded
- ↑The mall culture makes sense now: Dubai's vast, fully air-conditioned indoor world becomes the actual city
What you sacrifice
- ↓38°C afternoons make any outdoor activity between 10am and 6pm inadvisable — the desert city adapts by moving entirely indoors
- ↓The outdoor dining, beach, and terrace scene that defines Dubai's social life has effectively ended for the season
- ↓The expat community begins leaving for summer holidays, reducing the city's social energy
How May compares to January (best month)
| Factor | May | January ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 3 | 9 |
| Value | 9 | 5 |
| Crowds | 8 | 5 |
May in other destinations
Lisbon (20.7°C)Barcelona (20.8°C)Tokyo (23.8°C)Bali (31.2°C)Santorini (19.8°C)Paris (18.1°C)New York (20.4°C)Marrakech (26.4°C)Amsterdam (16.4°C)Maldives (31.5°C)Rome (21.7°C)Bangkok (32.6°C)Istanbul (20.7°C)Vienna (19.7°C)Seoul (21.4°C)Dubrovnik (20.9°C)Rio de Janeiro (26.2°C)Kyoto (25.2°C)Phuket (32.6°C)Cape Town (18.9°C)Prague (21°C)Amalfi Coast (23°C)Mexico City (27°C)Medellín (27°C)Fiji (28°C)London (18°C)Sydney (19°C)Iceland (10°C)Tulum (32°C)Singapore (33°C)Hoi An (33°C)
Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within Dubai, not across destinations. Methodology →