Zabeel Palace, Royal residence in Zabeel district, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Zabeel Palace is the official home and administrative headquarters of the ruling Al Maktoum family in the Zabeel district of Dubai. The large rectangular complex links several older small buildings and sits within wide gardens marked by lawns, flower beds, fountains, and roaming peacocks.

A first palace of three small buildings stood on this site by the late 1950s. In 1963 Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum commissioned a larger residence, completed in 1965, and he lived there until his death in 1990.

The Arabic word Zabeel translates roughly to “thank you,” giving the district a name tied to gratitude. Today the palace is a working place of governance where the ruler holds majlis gatherings and receives guests during Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

The palace itself is not open to visitors, but the surrounding gardens can be admired from outside during the day. It is best to keep a respectful distance due to strict security and to combine a stop here with other nearby landmarks in central Dubai.

Peacocks wander freely through the palace gardens, an unexpected sight for a royal compound in the middle of the city. The property covers close to 65 hectares, yet most visitors only ever see the white facade and a sliver of greenery from the road.