Is the air in Dubai safe today?

For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Dubai is 72, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.

When is the best time to be outside in Dubai?

Sat 09:00–12:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 73. The worst hour is around Sat 15:00, at 97.

What is the main pollutant in Dubai?

Fine particles (PM2.5). It drives the index right now, at 20 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.

How does Dubai's air compare with the WHO guideline?

1.5 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 22 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. O3 is also forecast above its guideline level.

How many cigarettes is a day of Dubai's air?

About 1.0 cigarette. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 22 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.

Will air quality in Dubai improve this week?

Today looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 80, against 117 on Monday, the worst day in the forecast.

Dubai air quality

United Arab Emirates · Live AQI and hourly forecast for the next 5 days · valid Fri 21:00 local time

Moderate

US AQI, mostly PM_2.5

Model estimate. Nearby measurements are shown separately.

Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.

Next 24 hours: 70–97US AQI, highest around Sat 15:00
Best time outside: Sat 09:00–12:00US AQI about 73
PM_2.5 vs WHO guideline: 1.5×22 µg/m³ over 24 h, guideline 15
Cigarette equivalent: ≈ 1.0 a dayBerkeley Earth rule of thumb

Loading the live globe…

The live globe, centred on Dubai. Switch pollutants, drag through the next 5 days or press play. Full map →

Pollutants in Dubai right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	20 µg/m³	Moderate	1.5×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	34 µg/m³	Good	0.7×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	17 µg/m³	Good	0.7×
Ozone O₃	111 µg/m³	Moderate	1.3×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	6.5 µg/m³	Good	0.2×
Carbon monoxide CO	189 µg/m³	Good	0.1×
Aerosol optical depth	0.13	Whole atmosphere · dimensionless
Desert dust	17 µg/m³	Modelled surface dust
UV index	0	Low

“Next 24 h vs WHO” compares the forecast with the World Health Organization’s 2021 guideline levels: 24-hour means of 15 µg/m³ for PM_2.5, 45 for PM₁₀, 25 for NO₂, 40 for SO₂ and 4 mg/m³ for CO, and 100 µg/m³ over 8 hours for ozone. Above 1× is above the guideline. Levels follow the US AQI, which is far less strict than the WHO, so air rated Good can still be above a guideline.

Next 48 hours

Hourly US AQI. Highest 102 around Sun 09:00, lowest 70 around Sat 10:00.

50100

Good 0–50Moderate 51–100Sensitive 101–150Unhealthy 151–200Very unhealthy 201–300Hazardous 301+

5-day air quality forecast for Dubai

Daily range of the hourly US AQI, from lowest to highest, on a scale of 0 to 150.

Day	US AQI	At worst	Worst hour	PM_2.5 avg	UV max
Fri 13 Nov	55–80	Moderate	14:00	15	7 High
Sat 14 Nov	70–97	Moderate	15:00	23	6 High
Sun 15 Nov	78–102	Sensitive	9:00	28	6 High
Mon 16 Nov	68–117	Sensitive	8:00	27	6 High
Tue 17 Nov	74–97	Moderate	9:00	25	6 High

Common questions about the air in Dubai

Is the air in Dubai safe today?
For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Dubai is 72, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.
When is the best time to be outside in Dubai?
Sat 09:00–12:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 73. The worst hour is around Sat 15:00, at 97.
What is the main pollutant in Dubai?
Fine particles (PM_2.5). It drives the index right now, at 20 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.
How does Dubai's air compare with the WHO guideline?
1.5 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 22 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. O₃ is also forecast above its guideline level.
How many cigarettes is a day of Dubai's air?
About 1.0 cigarette. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 22 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.
Will air quality in Dubai improve this week?
Today looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 80, against 117 on Monday, the worst day in the forecast.

Measured near Dubai

Station and measurements	Distance	US AQI	Level
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 22 µg/m³ · Fri 21:00	3.3 km	76	Moderate
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 27 µg/m³ · Fri 21:00	13 km	85	Moderate
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 22 µg/m³ · Fri 21:00	14 km	75	Moderate

Air quality near Dubai

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: Doha (69); worst: Riyadh (1555). The tick on each bar is Dubai, at 72.

Abu Dhabi 123 km SW 70 Moderate
Doha 376 km W 69 Moderate
Kuwait City 857 km NW 793 Hazardous
Riyadh 868 km W 1555 Hazardous
Karachi 1,182 km E 88 Moderate
Tehran 1,223 km N 169 Unhealthy

All 162 cities →

About this forecast

Forecast from CAMS global via Open-Meteo: the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) model at about 40 km resolution (about 10 km inside Europe). Global runs update every 12 hours and European runs every 24 hours. Models smooth out street-level peaks, so busy roads and industrial sites can be worse than shown. Nearby station measurements are independent observations, not adjustments to the forecast. The point forecast uses Open-Meteo’s CAMS products, including a separate carbon monoxide product; it can differ from the globe’s global grid. The AQI rates each hour on the US EPA scale, the same way the map colors it; official daily figures average over 24 hours (8 for ozone), so they can read lower after a short peak. Readings for 25.20°N, 55.27°E, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.