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Dubai and its people remain firmly conscious to their culture and understand that no matter how quickly the country evolves the people remember where they came from. Everyone in the UAE is proud of their past and look to the future with open eyes. They are a very hospitable country and take pride in traditions and many religious ceremonies throughout the year.

Dubai has a diverse and multicultural society. The city's cultural imprint as a small, ethnically homogenous pearling community was changed with the arrival of other ethnic groups and nationals - first by the Iranians in the early 1900s, and later by Indians and Pakistanis in the 1960s.

Dubai has been criticized for perpetuating a class-based society, where migrant workers are in the lower classes. Despite the diversity of the population, only minor and infrequent episodes of ethnic tensions, primarily between expatriates, have been reported in the city.

Major holidays in Dubai include Eid al Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, and National Day (2 December), which marks the formation of the United Arab Emirates. Annual entertainment events such as the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) and Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) attract over 4 million visitors from across the region and generate revenues in excess of US$ one billion. Large shopping malls in the city, such as Deira City Centre, Mercato, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai Mall and Ibn Battuta Mall as well as the Gold Souk attract shoppers from the region.

The diversity of cuisine in Dubai is a reflection of the cosmopolitan nature of the society. Arab food is very popular and is available everywhere in the city, from the small shawarma diners in Deira and Al Karama to the upscale restaurants in Dubai's many hotels. Fast food, South Asian, Chinese cuisines are also very popular and are widely available. The sale and consumption of pork, though not illegal, is regulated and is sold only to non-Muslims, in designated areas. Similarly, the sale of alcoholic beverages is regulated. A liquor permit is required to purchase alcohol; however, alcohol is available in bars and restaurants within four or five star hotels.

Dubai has an active music scene, with musicians Amr Diab, Diana Haddad, Tarkan, Aerosmith, Santana, Mark Knopfler, Elton John, Pink, Shakira, Celine Dion, Coldplay, and Phil Collins having performed in the city. Kylie Minogue was paid 4.4 million dollars to perform at the opening of the Atlantis Hotel on November 20, 2008. The Dubai Desert Rock Festival is also another major festival consisting of Heavy metal and rock artists.

Football and cricket are the most popular sports in Dubai. Five teams - Al Wasl, Al-Shabab, Al-Ahli, Al Nasr and Hatta - represent Dubai in UAE League football. Current champions Al-Wasl have the second-most number of championships in the UAE League, after Al Ain. Cricket is followed by Dubai's large South Asian community and in 2005, the International Cricket Council (ICC) moved its headquarters from London to Dubai. The city has hosted several India-Pakistan matches and two new grass grounds are being developed in Dubai Sports City. Dubai also hosts both the annual Dubai Tennis Championships and The Legends Rock Dubai tennis tournaments, as well as the Dubai Desert Classic golf tournament, all of which attract sports stars from around the world.

The Dubai World Cup, a thoroughbred horse race, is held yearly at the Nad Al Sheba Racecourse.

Dubai is known for its nightlife. Clubs and bars are found mostly in hotels due to the liquor laws. Culture is frequently subject to censorship in Dubai. Homosexuality, drugs, and the theory of evolution are generally considered taboo. Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species is banned, while in 2009 the International Festival of Literature in Dubai retracted an invitation it had sent to author Geraldine Bedell to present her book The Gulf Between Us due to the presence of a gay sheikh as a minor character.