DXB-Spot1
Dubai International Airport – Spotting Guide
- last modified on October 16, 2026
Dubai International Airport (IATA: DXB, ICAO: OMDB) – One of the world’s largest and fastest growing airport never comes to a rest. A mega hub which already now connects the entire globe with the UAE’s largest city! It is the busiest airport in the Middle East Area. The variety of airlines and their origin is very interesting in DXB and you get a lot of very unique stuff there, especially from the Iranian carriers or Syria. But, officially it is forbidden to take pictures of aircraft! So please read our guides carefully, mainly our security instructions to avoid any trouble with the police.
More than 95 Mio passengers travelled through DXB in 2025 and the active growth of its home carrier Emirates will let these numbers raise even more. As the airport is surrounded by the city of Dubai, the expansion is limited and with the opening of the Dubai World Central, more and more airlines move over to this new airport, situated almost 50 kilometres off from Dubai.
Dubai International Airport handles the most traffic during the night hours and the numbers of movements are much higher than during the day. But there are still enough very interesting carriers that you can photograph with the help of the sunlight and with only two active runways. Mostly of the time they have to used one runway for arrivals and one for departures, runway 30L for arrivals and runway 30R for departures. Emirates and Flydubai are the top dogs having their rush hour between 11 am and 1 pm during the day. During this time, Dubai Airport is at its capacity, sometimes causing moderate until heavy delays and long waiting queues inside the terminal buildings as well as on the tarmac. With only one runway in use, the airport sometimes struggles when there is a minor delay in it enormously tight schedule. The rest of the day is a very mixed of passenger airlines.
Cargo operations have been gradually cut very recently and many operators already moved to the new DWC airport. For example, Emirates skycargo isn’t operating any more to DXB and only Fedex or UPS use DXB. UPS also tends to use SHJ instead of DXB.
Written by Daniel Beliso, Jan Seba, Jeremy Denton, Julian Mittnacht, Oscar Zhang and Patrick Büchler. Last Update: August 2026, Spot 11 added
| Rating | |
| Movements |  |
| Airline Variety | |
| Photo Locations |  |
| Weather | |
| Airport Information | |
| Runways | |
| 12L/30R | 4.000 m (13.123 ft) |
| 12R/30L | 4.447 m (14.590 ft) |
| Terminals | |
| Terminal 1 (west) | All other carriers. |
| Terminal 3 (west) | Emirates, selected FlyDubai as well as United and Air Canada. |
| Terminal 2 (east) | Persian carriers mainly including Emirates’ low cost airline flyDubai and Iranian, Iraqi and Indian carries except Mahan Air, Iran Air, Air India, SpiceJet, Jet Airways and several others. Check www.dubaiairports.ae for further information. |
| Spotting Information | |
| Ladder | Not needed and not allowed. |
| Car/Public Transport | Highly recommend for not being spotted by the police. |
| Restrooms | There are plenty restaurants (also fast food) and shopping malls nearby the spotting locations. |
| Drinks/Food | There are aplenty restaurants (also fast food) and shopping malls nearby the the spots. |
| Hotels | This guide also provides spots which are located on a hotel roof or in hotel rooms. The Nojoum Appartements seems to be closed as of JUN21 and the Permier Inn Hotel (Spot 8) are to be recommended. If you don’t want to get caught by the police and just looking for a relaxing place for spotting, take one of these and read the information you will find below. There are also aplenty of other hotels next to the airport belonging to the most diverse categories of stars. These may not offer a view onto the airport’s movements. Sharjah is only 20 km away from the airport and hotels are much cheaper there. But keep in mind the traffic volume between both cities is ridiculously high and it can take you at least 1 hour to connect both cities during the rush hours. |
| Season | We suggest October until April because it is too hot in the summer and the sun’s position is too high. Heat haze in December is almost not existing. |
| Security | Spotting in the UAE is neither supported nor understood nor tolerated. Especially taking pictures evincing airport buildings or facilities will may cause problems and punishments (which can range from a check by police to imprisonment in worst case) by the police or airport authorities. We will not be liable for any inconviniences with local authorities. Spotting at Dubai international airport DXB is at your own risk. Keep a low profile wherever you are as some spotters were even caught like 10km away form the airport in the approach path, so the police controls huge boundaries all around the airfield.
Information: Our team hasn’t yet experienced (except one occurrence: Team members were taken to the police station after being caught on a parking deck) any problems at Dubai which is attributable to extremely cautious behaviour and obeying of security tips. Please always adjust your behaviour when travelling into the Middle East states including the UAE to aviod inconveniences with the police. General tip for spotting in the Middle East area: If you have a car stow your camera underneath the seat or in the glovebox of the car. Have a map with you to fake a glitch or for an alleged planning of a route. +++ SPOTTING IS AT YOUR OWN RISK IN THE UAE +++ |
| Runway Usage | |
| General Info | Please note that sometimes during the week, one runway may close during off-peak times which usually begin between 14:00 until sunset. You can get further information about the runway usage in NOTAMs for Dubai Airport. |
| 12L/30R | When winds blow from the desert, 12L is in use for arrivals only. Runway 30R is mainly used for departures. During mid-day, it can occur that some departures take place on 30L due to shorter taxiing-times and relief for residents as well as for some minor runway works. |
| 12R/30L | When the wind blows from the desert to the city, 12R is used for the departures only. 95 percent of the traffic during the winter arrives on RWY30L with some very few arrivals on 30R (mainly airlines located at Terminal 2). |
Mirdif Sport Society - 30L/R Arrivals, 12R Departures
| WHERE | This is the most famous spot in Dubai and its pretty easy to find. If you are on the E311, just follow the street signs to Mirdif and later on to the Mirdif City Centre, which is a very huge shopping mall next to the spot. North of the mall there is the Dubai Tennis Academy. Pass the academy and follow the signs of the “Sport Society” then park on the other side towards the approach path.
When coming from the terminals, take D 89 to Al Khawaneej (east of the airport) and follow the street for about 2.5km. A large motorway intersection will appear shortly before you’ve passed underneath the runway 30L – always follow signs D 89 to Al Khawaneej and Al Awir! Exit shortly after this large junction in direction Mirdif and Mirdif City Center (keep right). Take this street for about 1.9km. Shortly before the huge Sport Society appears on your left, snap off to the left onto the sandy area and park your car along the wall. November 2024 – UPDATE – Constructions in front the spotting location are ongoing, at this time they were only digging. That location may soon be gone or will have to be adjusted. |
| WHAT | Perfect place for the 30L arrivals during the day. 30R arrivals can be very tricky as you need a very long lens (500mm at least for an 738) and the heat haze could be a problem. 12R departures can be captured as well from here. Lighter aircraft will likely be too high and at a poorer angle, however you can still catch plenty of departures nicely. |
| TIME | Best light conditions in the winter are between 11 am and 6 pm. Avoid summer months as it will be too hazy. |
| MISC. | We all used to go to the Mirdif City Center however once the Sport Society will open, restaurant and snacks will also be available therefore shorter distance.
Otherwise, as always go to the Mirdif City Centre to find all the amenities you need. You can also travel here by public transport: Take MRed-Tube at Dubai International Terminal 3 to Al Rashidiya Metro Station and exit the train at its final stop (Al Rashidiya). Walk to the bus platform and take bus number F10 towards Al Warqa’a J for 4 stop (18min journey). Dismount the bus at Mirdiff City Centre. From here you can easily walk back a few yards to the spotting location. All stations being mentioned in this description are marked on the map. Costs for this journey 5.00AED for each trip. |
| SECURITY | Park your car along the wall as shown on the picture below and stay in your car for the whole visit. Never park your car next to the road that leads to the Mirdif Mall as the police pass this way as well as next to the entrance to the Tennis Academy. The members will call the police too! Usually you will be surrounded by cars. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | B738 = 300mm / B748/B773 = 150mm |
30L arrivals
12R departures
Emirates HQ - Taxiway
| WHERE | As the name suggests, this spot is located in the visitor parking garage of the Emirates headquarter. If you are on the airport road, make a right/left turn into the Marrakech Street. After a couple of meters, make a right turn into the 35th street and pass the building until you will find a small sign that leads into the visitors parking garage.
The EK HQ carpark is now 10 minutes free only then 10AED/hr. So we recommend parking at Centerpoint carpark (it’s free if you use the metro) and use the metro to the HQ. Then exit the station and walk towards the EK HQ building. You will see a door on the right (if the barriers are down) go through then take a left, go down the hallway then just go around the staff barrier and onto the carpark bridge, take the elevator to the 10th floor (don’t go at the 11th). |
| WHAT | From this spot you can see the taxiway which is between the Concourses B & A. Traffic is limited here as only a couple of airlines use this taxiway to reach their gates. More action takes place on the runway. Aircraft leaving runway 30L or heading to runway 30R for their departure are within your sight as well. But usually there is too much heat distortion to get a reasonable picture, so we can´t recommend this place for any runway movements. |
| TIME | The time for aircraft using the taxiway is okay from 09am until 06 pm. |
| MISC. | Bring with you what you need before coming at this spot. |
| SECURITY | Once up, walk along the ledge and do not go to the middle of the carpark as there is a camera right at the end that looks at the center of the car park so just stick to the ledge and go all the way to the end, once there step 2 steps back and start spotting as you like, DO NOT lean or look over the ledge as you’ll easily be spotted by EK group security by cameras or by employees from inside the building
Also you shouldn’t spend a lot of time at the car park as you’re pretty exposed when you’re there taking pictures. I highly recommend taking permission from EK if you want to spot from there in a safer sense, just ask for the media team email at the little reception desk before the Car park bridge and do it legally better then getting caught without a permit. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 50mm for heavies on the taxiway, up to 400mm for aircraft on the runway |
Parking Zone - 12L arrivals
| WHERE | This is a new location for 12L arrivals as the former spot at 19A street is no longer available. The new spot is located at a paid parking zone (2 AED per hour) on 12b street behind the Mercedes-Benz garage. Best way to reach it is if you drive on 20th street, then turn onto 19b street, afterwards make a right turn onto 12b street. It should be to your right. The ideal spot is next to the curb and light pole opposite of the junction with 21a Street. |
| WHAT | 12L arrivals. You will see the traffic very late coming from the top of a tree across the road so be prepared. |
| TIME | Summer: 1pm-sunset. Winter: 10am-sunset. |
| MISC. | There is nothing around so take what you need with you. Since this is a paid parking zone, it is recommended you pay for it to avoid any issues with authorities or fines. Be careful with police as a patrol car may occasionally pass by on the road. |
| SECURITY | You should be pretty safe at this location as its not on a main road. But always have a look around for the police and stay in your car. Usually you shouldn’t have a problem with the local workers. Just be polite, greet them and everything will be fine. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | A388 = 70mm, A343 = 110mm, A320 = 160mm, GLEX = 190mm |
Centrepoint Metro Station - 12R departures
| WHERE | This is a good spot for take-off where is located in Counterpoint Metro Station on the latest floor. You need to be on the Airport Road direction (Mirdif & Sharjah), go strait follow the indication about Centrepoint Metro Station (the metro station is Gold with black glasses) will be on your right. The Station is just next to the Dubai Air Wings VIP aircraft building. You have also the possibilities to come with the metro. |
| WHAT | From this spot you can take picture of only take-off from RWY12R. It’s a good spot to catch every heavies aircraft and smaller like 738. Forget to have good shots of F50/F100/319. From the latest floor you will see the roof of the Dubai Air Wings VIP Aircraft so due to this, you will see the planes only in the latest moment so be ready but you can hear them. |
| TIME | You can spot from around 10:00 to 18:00. |
| MISC. | Bring with you what you need before coming at this spot. |
| SECURITY | Be really careful about security cameras. At every angles there is one. I never seen any security guys, but check around, put the camera on a bag and read a book. There is a place close next to 2 cameras who is fine. Located on the left corner of the parking. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 300-500mm |
Food Court - taxiway, ramp
| WHERE | You can find a Food Court inside Terminal 1 which enables spotting onto the taxiway along T1 and T3. When you enter Terminal 1 take the moving stairs or the stairs up to level 1 where you can buy food. We recommend that you buy something (e.g. at Subway or Bombay chicken) as a disguise. Take a seat in the dining area next to these shops preferably next to a plant which you can find approx. every 5 meters. You can choose a suitable seat for you along the long window front.
Update September 2026: because of the tense situation in the Middle East expect more security presence within the terminal. |
| WHAT | Taxiing aircraft coming from runway 30 after landing and proceeding to the southern pier of T1 (Usually MEA, Azerbaijan Airlines, almost all Indian carriers, Saudia, Kuwait, Pakistan International Airlines, Transavia and so on…), aircraft from T1s southern pier, aiming to depart from any 30 runway, and Emirates aircraft parking at the very western parking stands of T3. |
| TIME | From noon until sundown. |
| MISC. | Food and restrooms available as mentioned above. This position is equipped with CCTV cameras which mainly function as a dummy and precaution.You can also go there by public tranportation – Station to disembark: Airport Terminal 1 Metro Station 1/2 |
| SECURITY | You should be pretty safe at this location as the police does not check out this area regularly but you should better behave despite, and always look out for security staff! When a policeman or a security guy appears leave your camera in your bag and do not photograph. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 25-150mm |
20th street - Arrivals rwy12L
| WHERE | This is also a tricky spot as it is located in an industrial area with many roads and buildings. It is along the 20th street, just by the roadside on the parking spots. The road is next to a big parking lot, which was the former spotting location, but now it is private property and cannot be entered anymore. |
| WHAT | Morning arrivals rwy12L . You’ll see them coming from the top of the blue building on the right side of the tree. |
| TIME | From sunrise until sundown. |
| MISC. | It is a paid parking zone which costs 2 AED per hour. |
| SECURITY | Other cars may be parked so it can be good cover if you park between them. You can sit in your car’s passenger seat and take pictures from there as the angle doesn’t allow easy shooting from your driver’s seat |
| FOCAL LENGTH | B738 = 130mm / A332 = 90mm / B773 = 78mm |
Deira Private School - 12R Departures
| WHERE | This location is pretty easy to locate. Just find the huge Deira Private School and then drive on 28a street. The spot is located under a tree in front of people house. Keep a low profile and always keep your camera hidden. The spot faces directly the airport so be careful. |
| WHAT | Only departures rwy12R. EK are very heavy and foreign airlines looks to be already a bit high. |
| TIME | During summer, from sunrise to 1030LT (Maximum) / During winter time from sunrise until 0830LT (Maximum) wouldn’t recommend to go during winter time as you don’t have much time with a good light. |
| MISC. | Nothing at that place, take what you need and keep a low profile as you are in a residential area. Do not get out of the car. |
| SECURITY | It’s stressful as you are very close from the airport fences and we have highlighted in red a camera. This camera moves (we believe it’s an intelligent camera which detect the cars driving inside the airport as it always moved once a car was driving in front). This camera is only focus on the inside airport road. We still saw a lot of police cars driving along the airport road. However if you stay in the car and keep a low profile, you shouldn’t have any issues. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | A338 = 210mm / B788 = 190mm / A380 = 160mm |
Premier Inn - 30L Departures
| WHERE | The roof top of the Premier Inn Hotel Dubai International Hotel which is situated at 26 52b St offers a good view onto the departing aircraft of RWY30L. When you enter the hotel, take the lift to the top floor. When having arrived at the top floor take the stairs up to the pool deck. |
| WHAT | Departing airplanes from 30L only. |
| TIME | From noon until sundown or all day long on cloudy days. |
| MISC. | The roof top offers sunshades and chairs for a comfortable spotting. There is a McDonalds nearby the hotel (11 Marakech St – 4min drive) |
| SECURITY | This might be one of Dubai’s safest spots as there is no police which checks out this place. The hotel staff also completely tolerates spotting from the roof top. Please behave and keep a low profile so that it remains tolerated!We can recommend this hotel, clean cheap hotel rooms, some of them offer a view onto Dubai Terminal 3 (Nightshot) |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70-400mm – Boeing 777-300: 250mm, Boeing 77F: 290mm |
Electricity Facility - Morning arrivals rwy30L
| WHERE | This location can be reached by only two ways:
First one, drive from the airport direction Al Awir / Al Khawaneej until you reached the sign Muhaisnah and Mirdif City Centre, the exit will be on the right side. Drive few meters until you reached the joint road. After that, take right towards that electricity facility and park your car along that path. Open your windows and check before making pictures. You are fully exposed, nothing hides you. Second way is to drive on the “Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Rd” speed limit maximum is 140KM direction Sharjah. Exit at Deira, Al Khawaneej. Then follow the sign Al Awir / Al Khawaneej and finally take right to Mirdif City Centre. In fact stay always on the right lane. Finally once you reached the joint road take right towards that electricity facility and park your car along that path. Open your windows and check before making pictures. You are fully exposed, nothing hides you. |
| WHAT | Morning arrivals runway 30L as well as 12R heavy departures. For latter, lighter aircraft may be too high and at a poor angle. |
| TIME | During summer, from sunrise to 1030LT (Maximum) / During winter time from sunrise until 0830LT (Maximum) wouldn’t recommend to go during winter time as you don’t have much time with a good light. Heat haze and dust is not as bad in the morning and some days are actually quite clear if you are lucky making departures suitable to catch. |
| MISC. | Nothing nearby, only the Miridif City Centre. |
| SECURITY | This is a high risk spot as you do not have any covers. No tries, no walls you are on sands area. Be careful and think twice. Personal experience, I have stayed 3 hours never seen any police cars or been questioned. Some residents may be playing cricket or other sports during the weekend. They won’t mind you so just keep out of each other’s way and park further away from them. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | A320 = 240mm / 788 = 140mm |
30L Arrivals
12R Departures
Al Khabaisi Park - 30L/R heavy departures
| WHERE | The spot is the Al Khabaisi Park. If you’re driving on airport road, follow D89 eastbound until you reach intersection with D74. Take right turn to join D74 then another right at the next intersection with 22A street onto the small street and park where you can. Parking fee is 4 AED for 1 hour. Then cross the street to the park. We recommend to stay by the monument for the best spot. |
| WHAT | 30L/R heavy departures. For 30L the angle is worser than for 30R. |
| TIME | Winter from 10am to sundown. Summer months will be very heat hazed. |
| MISC. | There are some shops in the area so you can buy food and drinks, but no amenities at the park itself. Light poles may get in the way of your images but they are not a big issue. |
| SECURITY | The park is very quiet with only a few gardeners at some times who will let you be, however we would still be very careful as you are on foot and very exposed. Police cars occasionally pass by on the street that loops next to the monument. Keep your camera in your bag until you have to take a picture. Abide by the park rules as well to avoid any issues. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | Aircraft will be quite far. 300mm at least for large widebodies (777, A380, 747, etc…). I would suggest 400mm+ for this location to catch narrowbodies and smaller widebodies. |
30R departures
30L departures
Terminal 2 Parking Lot - 30R departures
| WHERE | The spot is located inside the Terminal 2 Long-hour Parking area, on the northern side of Dubai International Airport. It can be reached easily by car by following the signs for Terminal 2 and then entering the Long-hour Parking area. Parking costs approximately AED 15 per hour. Once inside the parking area, choose a space with an unobstructed view towards Runway 30R so no ladder is required.
Access by car is strongly recommended, especially during summer because of the extreme heat. Public transport serves Terminal 2, but reaching the exact shooting position on foot may be uncomfortable and impractical, particularly during the hotter months and security reasons. |
| WHAT | Mainly for Runway 30R departures. Aircraft can be photographed shortly after rotation and during the initial climb.
Some heavily loaded aircraft, especially the A380 and B777, rotate relatively late and climb out at a lower angle. As a result, photos may be limited to an underside (“belly”) view from this location. |
| TIME | During summer, from sunrise to 1030LT (Maximum) / During winter time from sunrise until 0830LT (Maximum) wouldn’t recommend to go during winter time as you don’t have much time with a good light. |
| MISC. | The location close to Terminal 2, so food, drinks and restrooms are all at the terminal. |
| SECURITY | We did not experience any problems with police or security. However, spot from inside the car and keep a low profile. As always around DXB, avoid blocking traffic, disturbing others, or attracting unnecessary attention. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | Wide-body aircraft: approximately 190-200mm. Narrow-body aircraft (A320/B737 family): approximately 280–350 mm |
Hi, I have a spot here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/4e8Sep4pgiuCGaWGA?g_st=ic
It is near to mirdif sports society but better and has a hill you can go up
Alright so, it is NO LONGER allowed to spot at the food court as there are security roaming around EVERYWHERE, went there to try but security were constantly following me throughout the terminal, so i just sat down and watched the planes instead of photos or videos
I left a note in the guide. Thanks for your feedback.
-Julian
And is it available for me to go to spot 2 during late afternoon to shot 30L&R departures? Will it be very heat hazed?
I’m confused with whether I choose spot 2 or 10 if I go to shot take offs
Guys, is that spot 8 still accessable?
I hope so, hotel and rooftop still exist.
-Julian
July 2026
I spent 17 days in the UAE and spotting in DXB on seven different occasions. My visit took place shortly after the war
Everything went smoothly. I expected plane spotting to be much more difficult, but that wasn’t the case. Airport operations were as busy as ever, and I visited Spot 1 five times, Spot 9 twice, and Spot 3 once without ever being stopped or questioned.
I spent almost all of my time photographing from inside my car. as long as you stay discreet, avoid drawing unnecessary attention, and don’t disturb anyone, you’re unlikely to encounter any issues. During my visit, police patrols also appeared to be relatively infrequent.
Highlight was discovering a new summer morning location overlooking departures from RWY 30R at the Terminal 2 Long-Term Parking area. Parking costs AED 15 per hour, and a 200 mm lens is sufficient for photographing almost all wide-body departures. Since I haven’t tested this location during winter, I can only comment on summer conditions. So for July, the light is excellent from around 07:30 until approximately 10:30.
In summer, Heat haze develops rapidly after sunrise. Although some summer mornings have surprisingly blue skies, a noticeable layer of dust and haze usually remains close to the ground. Images captured early in the morning are generally easier to process before the ground heats up, although they still lack the crispness typically seen during winter.
By the afternoon, atmospheric conditions deteriorate significantly. Even on days that appear perfectly clear, high aerosol levels and airborne dust noticeably reduce image quality.
Although the official sunset in July is around 19:00, usable photographic light disappears much earlier. Haze and aerosols begin to soften the light from around 16:40, and by approximately 18:00, there is very little usable light remaining for photography.
For night spotting Spot 1 is better
It offers plenty of ambient lighting, making exposure settings relatively straightforward and the overall shooting experience much easier than at other locations. The biggest limitation isn’t the location itself, but Dubai’s summer atmosphere. High aerosol levels, air pollution and background light pollution all reduce image quality, so don’t expect perfectly crisp night shots during this season.
Although Spot 1 is more comfortable and safe than the other locations after dark during my visits, it’s still important to stay aware of your surroundings and avoid attracting unnecessary attention.
So right now plane spotting in DXB is neither as risky as some people suggest nor completely risk-free. Staying discreet, respecting the surroundings, and photographing from inside your car whenever possible is
Is kinda safe so pls dont too nervous lol
Hello! Are there any spotting locations available within the airport after security checks?
Hello. Is it possible to spot safely at spot 1 without a car?
It should be fine (after the conflicts between Iran and USA)
I just want to add that the parkings are free on Sunday and free between 6pm to 8pm during Ramadan
hello is it risky in the midriff city center parking roof top because me and my friends we are teens and we are trying plane spotting
Just read Security first
I can only say: Don’t expect you can spotting at UAE even the entire Middle East area
Spent almost 6 hours at Spot 1 on 1.1.06 (corner of Viva shopping mall and sports hall). No problems at all. Remained in car whole time and shot from drivers seat. Shopping mall provides all facilities you might need.