Museum

Dubai Frame

#3of 10 places to visit in DubaiDubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Quick answer

Opening hours: 08:00–21:00, last entry 20:30. Entry: AED 50. Allow 1 hr. Best time: Late afternoon.

Updated 18 September 2026 · Compiled by Traveliac, AI-assisted · 4 min read

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Photo: Member of the Expedition 22 crew. / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Opening hours: 08:00–21:00
Entry fee: AED 50; Ticket from
Time needed: 1 hr
Best time of day: Late afternoon
Best months: Nov – Mar
Address: Zabeel Park, Gate 4, Sheikh Rashid Rd, Dubai

About Dubai Frame

Dubai Frame stands 150.24 metres tall inside Zabeel Park, a rectangular gold-clad structure that functions literally as a giant picture frame positioned to view old Dubai to the north and the new, high-rise city to the south in a single sightline. The two vertical towers, connected by a 93-metre glass-floored sky bridge at the top, are clad in gold-coloured aluminium and steel cladding designed by Mexican-Canadian architect Fernando Donis, whose winning competition entry was selected from over 900 submissions in an international design contest run by Dubai Municipality. Guinness World Records recognised it as the largest picture frame in the world upon completion. Visitors ride glass-walled lift cars to the top-floor sky deck, cross the transparent glass-bottomed bridge, and descend through 'The Vision' - a multimedia exhibition depicting a speculative future Dubai - before exiting through ground-floor exhibits on the emirate's development from a pearl-diving and fishing settlement into its current skyline.

Best time of day: Late afternoon. 16:00-17:30 to see both the older Deira/Bur Dubai skyline on one side and the glass towers of new Dubai on the other in clear daylight before the golden-hour glass glare sets in.

Dubai Frame timings

Dubai Frame opens at 08:00 and closes at 21:00. Those hours hold on Saturday and Sunday too.

Opening hours: 08:00–21:00; Mon–Sun 08:00–21:00
Closed on: Open every day

Mon–Sun	08:00–21:00

Good to know: Hours may be adjusted during Ramadan and on public holidays.

Opening hours compiled from dubaiframe.ae and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

Dubai Frame ticket price

Entry fees for Dubai Frame
Ticket	Price
Standard ticket	AED 50
Concession (student / senior)	AED 20
Children	AED 20

Adult ticket AED 50, child (3-12 years) AED 20, under-3s free; some booking platforms list slightly lower promotional tiers around AED 42. People of determination and up to two companions enter free. As of 2026, verify current pricing at dubaiframe.ae.

Prices compiled from dubaiframe.ae and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

Best time to visit Dubai Frame

Quiet
Moderate
Busy

08:00 - 10:30
Morning OpeningBest time to go
Quietest window of the day; shortest queue for the glass bridge and clearest early light for photography of both skylines.
Quiet
10:30 - 15:00
Midday
Steady tour-group and independent-visitor traffic; heat in the park outside is significant in summer months.
Moderate
15:00 - 18:00
Late Afternoon Peak
Weekend afternoons draw the heaviest domestic and tourist footfall, with waits building at the shoe-cover changeover before the glass bridge.
Busy
18:00 - 21:00
Evening
Crowd thins after sunset, though the illuminated Frame remains a popular evening photo stop from outside the structure.
Moderate

History of Dubai Frame

Dubai Municipality launched the international design competition for the structure in 2009, and Fernando Donis's frame concept was announced as the winning entry, though a later dispute arose over design-credit recognition that drew public attention during the building's construction. Construction proceeded through the mid-2010s, and Dubai Frame officially opened to the public on 1 January 2018, timed to coincide with new year celebrations across the city.

The structure was deliberately sited within Zabeel Park on the boundary between Dubai's historic, lower-rise districts such as Deira and Bur Dubai and the newer high-rise corridor along Sheikh Zayed Road, making the 'frame' concept a literal viewing instrument between the emirate's past and its more recent skyline.

Rules & etiquette at Dubai Frame

Shoe covers are provided and required before stepping onto the glass-floored sky bridge, both for hygiene and to protect the glass surface from scuffing; visitors should expect a short queue at this changeover point during busy afternoon hours. Security screening with bag checks operates at the ground-floor entrance, standard for major Dubai attractions.

Photography is permitted throughout, including on the glass bridge, though tripod use is restricted in the narrower bridge section during peak visitor flow. There is no specific religious dress code since the Frame is a secular municipal attraction, though modest clothing is generally the norm across Dubai's public attractions.

Tips for visiting Dubai Frame

1
Book timed-entry tickets online in advance during winter (November-March), when Zabeel Park's outdoor areas and the Frame's queue both see the heaviest footfall; walk-up tickets at the gate can mean a 30-45 minute wait on weekend afternoons in high season.
2
Combine the visit with a walk through Zabeel Park itself, which surrounds the Frame and offers shaded green space and skyline views without an additional charge - useful for cooling off after the exhibition floors. The Al Jafiliya Metro Station approach through the park takes roughly 12-15 minutes on foot and avoids the parking congestion that builds around the Frame's dedicated car park on weekend afternoons.

How to reach Dubai Frame

The red star is Dubai Frame; the numbered pins are the 4 nearest places in our guides, each showing its rank in its city. Tap a pin for details.

Zabeel Park, Gate 4, Sheikh Rashid Rd, DubaiDirections in Google Maps

From Dubai International Airport (DXB)
8 km · 15-20 min
AED 25-35 by taxi; AED 8.50 by Metro Red Line to Al Jafiliya station (Nol Card)
From Al Jafiliya Metro Station
1 km · 12-15 min walk
AED 3-8.50 (Nol Card, zone-dependent)
From Burj Khalifa/Downtown Dubai
5 km · 10-15 min
AED 20-30 by taxi

Nearest airport

From Dubai International Airport (DXB)

approximately 8 km, 15-20 minutes by road.

Nearest station

From Al Jafiliya Metro Station (Red Line)

approximately 1 km, 12-15 minutes on foot through Zabeel Park.

Dubai Frame FAQs

How much does it cost to visit Dubai Frame?

Adult tickets cost AED 50 and children aged 3-12 pay AED 20, with under-3s free, as of 2026. People of determination and up to two companions are admitted free. Verify current pricing at dubaiframe.ae before visiting.

Is the glass floor on Dubai Frame's sky bridge safe to walk on?

Yes, the 93-metre glass-floored bridge connecting the two towers is engineered and regularly tested for visitor safety, and shoe covers are provided and required to protect the surface. It is a standard, well-established part of the visitor route.

How long does a Dubai Frame visit take?

A typical visit takes about 60 minutes, covering the lift ride up, the glass sky bridge crossing, the 'Vision' multimedia exhibit, and the ground-floor exhibition on Dubai's development. Adding time in the surrounding Zabeel Park extends the visit further.

What is the closest metro station to Dubai Frame?

Al Jafiliya Metro Station on the Red Line is closest, about 1 kilometre away, reached by a 12-15 minute walk through Zabeel Park. This avoids the parking congestion around the Frame's dedicated car park during weekend afternoon peaks.

Compiled with AI assistance from official sources and public records, and published only after the checks in How we write these guides. Nobody from Traveliac has visited this place. Last updated 18 September 2026. How we rank and check places