Al Karama الكرامة Karama | |
|---|---|
Community | |
 A street in Al Karama | |
 Interactive map of Al Karama | |
| Coordinates:25°14′31″N55°18′04″E / 25.24182°N 55.30106°E /25.24182; 55.30106 | |
| Country | United Arab Emirates |
| Emirate | Dubai |
| City | Dubai |
| Area | |
• Total | 1.509 km2 (0.583 sq mi) |
| Population (2024) | |
• Total | 75,560 (2.22%) |
| • Density | 50,070/km2 (129,700/sq mi) |
| Community number | 318 |
Al Karama, or simplyKarama (الكرامة, literally meaningdignity), is a residential district ofDubai located on the western banks of theDubai Creek and one of the older communities of the city. It is outwardly distinctive due to the regularity of its low-rise residential buildings. The area, which was planned on a tight grid system, is home to thousands of people even though it is only two square kilometers in size. Al Karama is the most populous residential area in Dubai and the most central part of Dubai. Al Karama is also one of the most accessible parts in Dubai, that makes it very easy for residents to travel to any other parts of the city from Karama with ease due to the wide range of transport available in the town.[1]
It stretches for 2 km between the creekside diplomatic area of Umm Hurair 1 to the north, containing numerous consulates, andZabeel Park to the south, a $50-million technology-themed public park opened in December 2005. Zabeel Park divides Karama from the landmarkDubai World Trade Centre, as well asSheikh Zayed Road and its famous skyscrapers. The district's western boundary is Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Street (Trade Centre Road), where the popularBurJuman shopping mall is located.
The majority of Karama's population has traditionally been working classSouth Asian andFilipinosexpatriates, although Dubai's cosmopolitan nature is also well represented, with the presence of many other nationalities such as people fromIran andLebanon and many European nations. Virtually all residents are non-UAE nationals, meaning that they are obliged to rent their apartments. The typical annual rent for a one-bedroom flat was about 42,000dirhams (US$11,500) in June 2006, having risen sharply to around 60,000dirhams (US$16,335) during 2017.
One notable national community is theOmani contingent, who originally settled in Karama in the early 1980s with the help of Dubai's first modern ruler,Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the late father of the current rulers. About 8,000 Omanis who were among the tens of thousands displaced fromZanzibar in the 1960s later found themselves stateless and homeless until Sheikh Rashid offered them sanctuary with the construction of Hamdan Colony, a collection of apartment blocks which still stand in Karama.
Expat residents from different parts of Dubai find themselves in Al Karama for various things such as tailoring, laundry, dining or, even shopping.
Al Karama is well connected with the rest of Dubai by bus operated by theRoads and Transport Authority (Dubai) (RTA):10, 33, 44, 83, X25, 21, 27, 28, 29, 61, 61D, 66, 67, 88, 91, 91A, C3, C5, C7, X23, X25, X28, X94, C10, C14, C18, C26, E304.
Al Karama Bus Station, as sub bus station serving Dubai is also located in the community offering buses toDubai Silicon Oasis, Abu Hail andSharjah.
Al Karama is also served by two metro stations on the Red Line -
Mostly because this is a heavily populated area, parking in Al Karama may pose an issue. It can be challenging to find parking with the increase of each property ownership in the area. Some buildings offer basement parking but the older buildings do not offer this. Residents will then have to find street parking which can be difficult at times, especially since visitors will be using those same spaces.