Open to the public since early 2018, the Dubai Frame is a huge monument in the shape of a golden photo frame.
If you're planning to visit Dubai, you're bound to notice this amazing monument as soon as you approach the city center. Like many other architectural projects in the United Arab Emirates, the Dubai Frame is an absolutely oversized construction. From its 150-meter-high peak, you can enjoy a unique view of the entire city, including the Burj Khalifa and the historic districts.
At the heart of the building, you will also be able to learn more about the past and future of the golden city.
THE DUBAI FRAME, A GATEWAY TO THE FUTURE
This unique frame-shaped monument was created by architect Fernando Donis. The project received the 2009 ThyssenKrupp Elevator International Award and was selected from a list of nearly 1,000 architectural projects to become one of Dubai's new landmarks. Its symbolic purpose is to provide a link between historical Dubai and modern, forward-looking Dubai. The location of the structure was chosen so that it could frame on one side all the most modern landmarks of the city, and on the other side the elements of Dubai's historical heritage
The construction of the Dubai Frame required the use of 2,000 tons of steel and nearly 3,000 square meters of laminated glass. The Dubai Frame has even been listed in the Guinness Book of Records since April 2019. All 15,000 square meters of the facades are covered with gold-plated stainless steel. The decoration of these facades is largely inspired by the logo of the World Expo Dubai 2020.
PRICES AND OPENING HOURS
The Dubai Frame is open every day, including public holidays, from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm. During the Ramadan period, as is the case for most of the city's tourist sites, the Dubai Frame remains open to the public, but the opening hours may vary and the fountain show is not scheduled.
The visit isn’t free, and the site is very touristy, so it's safer to book your ticket if you don't want to spend a long time in a queue, and risk not being able to climb to the top of the frame. When you book, you will be able to access the schedule and choose a date and time for your visit to the Dubai Frame.
The adult ticket is priced at around $16, and children between the ages of 3 and 12 can get a ticket at half price. Children under 3 years of age can go up and see the two exhibitions for free.
For me, the Dubai Frame is really an out of the ordinary place since it gives you a unique view of the city. When I was there, I felt like I was in a living, life-size museum! If you have the opportunity to include it in your program, I highly recommend you to go there. You will have a memorable experience of this atypical place 🙂
For more information, you can visit the official website: https://www.dubaiframe.ae/en
HOW TO GET TO THE DUBAI FRAME
It's hard to pass by this huge building without noticing it. The Dubai Frame is located between Downtown and Old Dubai, right inside Zabeel Park, which is close to Gate 4. To get there by public transport, you can take the Al Jafiliya subway number 21 on the red line then walk for a few minutes, or take the F9 bus to arrive directly in front of the right park entrance.
THE ZABEEL PARK AND THE FOUNTAIN SHOW OF THE DUBAI FRAME
Before even entering the monument, you can take a walk in Zabeel Park, one of the largest and most pleasant green spaces in the city. It's a great place to have a picnic on the grass, and there are many activities you can do there, such as boat rides and mini-golf.
At the foot of the Dubai Frame, you can also enjoy a fountain show. Following a perfectly orchestrated choreography, the water jets are projected to the rhythm of traditional songs and more contemporary music. If you enjoy the show, an even more impressive water ballet awaits you in front of the Burj Khalifa tower.
THE DUBAI EXHIBITION PAST GALLERY
The Dubai Frame is not just a magnificent monument that can be admired from the outside and offers a panoramic view from the top. The building also houses the Dubai Frame Exhibition Past Gallery. This museum, located on the first floor, traces the evolution of the city over the centuries, with the help of numerous objects and reconstructed scenes. It is a real small village of the time that you can discover in this gallery.
Here too, modernity blends with tradition, and reconstructions, interactive videos and holographic effects bring even more life to the reproductions of these scenes from the past. Sound effects and even scent diffusers also bring even more authenticity to the visit, by truly recreating the atmosphere of Dubai at that time.
THE ASCENT TO THE SUMMIT AND THE SKY DECK
After admiring this first exhibition, the visit continues and you will take a very modern elevator that will take you in just 75 seconds to the top of the monument. This elevator has a glass floor, and during all your ascent you will be able to look at the landscape under your feet.
At the top, a platform more than 100 meters long will allow you to contemplate Dubai like nowhere else, with a 360 degree view. If you have already enjoyed the panorama offered by the Burj Khalifa tower, you will see that these two visits are truly complementary and allow you to fully admire all the beauties of the city.
From the top of the Dubai Frame, you can see the old Dubai to the north with the modestly sized buildings of the historic districts such as Deira and Bur Dubai, as well as the creek and the souks. If you simply turn around to the south and take a few steps, you'll feel like you're changing worlds: you'll be able to see the full scale of the Dubai skyline and all the modern infrastructure of the city.
Same as in the elevator, on the floor of the Sky Deck you will quickly notice the presence of a glass walkway located in the middle of the platform. You'll have to take your courage in both hands and walk on these glass slabs to enjoy a breathtaking view of all that is 150 m below.
A GLIMPSE INTO THE FUTURE OF DUBAI
Once you have fully enjoyed the view, it is time to go back downstairs, but the tour is not over yet. Once back on the first floor, one last experience awaits you. Upon entering the Dubai Frame, you were able to discover the city's past. From the top, you could admire the contrast between tradition and modernism in Dubai today. It is therefore only natural to end the visit with a glimpse of what Dubai will be like in the future.
A virtual experience will make you travel for a few minutes 50 years in the future, with a lot of visual and sound special effects. In this large multimedia room, you will discover all the technological advances that are planned for the next decades, especially in terms of robotics, renewable energy and medicine.
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