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Al Karama, or simply Karama ( ar, الكرامة, literally meaning ''dignity''), is a residential district of
Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
located on the western banks of the
Dubai Creek Dubai Creek ( ar, خور دبي, Khūr Dubay) has been described as a natural saltwater creek, tidal inlet, and watercourse or waterway in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). It extends about inwards and forms a natural port that has traditional ...
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.Existing Population and Future Holding Capalities in Dubai Area
. Dubai Healthcare City. 2000


Boundaries

It stretches for 2 km between the creekside diplomatic area of Umm Hurair 1 to the north, containing numerous consulates, and
Zabeel Park Zabeel Park ( ar, حديقة زعبيل) is an urban public park located in the Zabeel district of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is bounded by Sheikh Rashid Road to the north, the Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Road to the northwest, while the Sheik ...
to the south, a $50-million technology-themed public park opened in December 2005. Zabeel Park divides Karama from the landmark
Dubai World Trade Centre The Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) ( ar, مركز دبي التجاري العالمي), historically called Sheikh Rashid Tower, is a 38-storey and a height 184 m skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, which was erected in 1979. It is a purp ...
, as well as
Sheikh Zayed Road E 11 ( ar, شارع ﺇ ١١) is a highway in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The longest road in the Emirates, it stretches from Al-Silah in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and ends in Ras al-Khaimah emirate, running roughly parallel to UAE's coastl ...
and its famous skyscrapers. The district's western boundary is Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Street (Trade Centre Road), where the popular
BurJuman BurJuman ( ar, بر جمان) is one of the oldest shopping malls in Dubai, in the residential area of Bur Dubai, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is developed and owned by Al Ghurair Group. The distinctive landmark comprises over 2.8 million s ...
shopping mall is located.


Inhabitants

The majority of Karama's population has traditionally been middle class South Asian and Filipino
expatriate An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person who resides outside their native country. In common usage, the term often refers to educated professionals, skilled workers, or artists taking positions outside their home country, either ...
s, although Dubai's cosmopolitan nature is also well represented, with the presence of many other nationalities such as people from
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
and
Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
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 42,000
dirhams The dirham, dirhem or dirhm ( ar, درهم) is a silver unit of currency historically and currently used by several Arab and Arab influenced states. The term has also been used as a related unit of mass. Unit of mass The dirham was a un ...
(US$11,500) in June 2006, having risen sharply to around 60,000
dirhams The dirham, dirhem or dirhm ( ar, درهم) is a silver unit of currency historically and currently used by several Arab and Arab influenced states. The term has also been used as a related unit of mass. Unit of mass The dirham was a un ...
(US$16,335) during 2017. One notable national community is the Omani 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 Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum ( ar, ٱلـشَّـيْـخ رَاشِـد بِـن سَـعِـيْـد آل مَـكْـتُـوْم, Ash-Shaykh Rāshid bin Sa`īd Āl Maktūm; 11 June 1912 – 7 October 1990) was the vice president ...
, the late father of the current rulers. About 8,000 Omanis who were among the tens of thousands displaced from Zanzibar 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.


Transport


Bus

Al Karama is well connected with the rest of Dubai by bus operated by the
Roads and Transport Authority (Dubai) The Roads and Transport Authority ( ar, هيئة الطرق والمواصلات), commonly known as RTA, is the major independent government roads & transportation authority in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It was founded in 2005 and is responsi ...
(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 to
Dubai Silicon Oasis Dubai Silicon Oasis known as DSO ( ar, واحة دبي للسيليكون) is a free-trade zone established by the Dubai government in 2003, spanning an area of 7.2 square kilometers. History In 2003, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice- ...
, Abu Hail and
Sharjah Sharjah (; ar, ٱلشَّارقَة ', Gulf Arabic: ''aš-Šārja'') is the third-most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, after Dubai and Abu Dhabi, forming part of the Dubai-Sharjah-Ajman metropolitan area. Sharjah is the capital o ...
.


Metro

Al Karama is also served by two metro stations on the Red Line - * ADCB Metro Station - located in the middle of the Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Street, next to the City Mart Hypermarket and the Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB). * BurJuman Metro Station - An underground station which also serves the communities of Al Mankhool, Al Hamriya and Umm Hurair 1. * Oud Metha Metro Station - Al Karama can also be easily reached via a short walk from the Oud Metha Metro Station for those who live towards the outskirts of the neighbourhood.


Taxi

* The Dubai Taxi Corporation operates its taxis in and around this locality.


Parks

* Karama Park (Lulu Park) - Many children and adults of all ages come here for leisurely activities. *
Zabeel Park Zabeel Park ( ar, حديقة زعبيل) is an urban public park located in the Zabeel district of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is bounded by Sheikh Rashid Road to the north, the Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Road to the northwest, while the Sheik ...
- Karama residents closer to Za'abeel district also use the bigger Zabeel park near the newer Lulu Hypermarket for jogging and exercising. The park is well connected to Karama by a pedestrian bridge and the Sheikh Rashid Road intersection.


Institutions


Shopping Centres

* Karama Centre - The center of Karama which is a residential building and commercial centre located right near the Karama mosque. * Karama Shopping Complex * Al Khazna Centre * LuLu Supermarket * LuLu Hypermarket * Al Karama Market * Al Attar Shopping Centre * Ansar Gallery * Nesto Hypermarket (near ADCB metro station)


Library

* Archies Library - The biggest private library in Karama (merged with the older, Book World library) and it is located across from the Burjuman Mall.


Restaurants

Besides the busy shops and reasonably priced apartments which the area is famous for, there are many renowned restaurants in Karama which feature some of Dubai’s most famous dishes. Being an area dominated by Indian expats, many top South Indian and North Indian restaurants are found in Karama.


Laboratory

* Dubai Central Laboratory - Established in 1997. Functioning under the umbrella of Dubai Municipality, the DCL complex in Karama is a maze of nine massive buildings and seven sections whose long corridors open into a myriad laboratories, each with a distinct function that directly affects the daily life of the residents of UAE. DCL director Eng. Ameen Ahmad Mohammad Ameen, said, “DCL plays a crucial role in ensuring the well-being and safety of the people of Dubai by virtue of its diverse services which includes testing, calibration and certification of products which meet specified requirements and comply with Dubai Municipality regulations.”


Post Office

* Dubai Central Post Office - Built in 1975. At the time of its construction in the 1970s, it was one of the biggest buildings in the country. It included the headquarters of the postal service, the central Emirates post office Dubai and one building dedicated solely to sorting. Eventually, both the headquarters and sorting centres were moved to the Umm Ramool area, which is now the central hub for Emirates Post. Emirates Post started in 2001, which then became Emirates Post Group in 2007. Emirates Post is the sole provider of postal services in the country, and one of the cheapest courier companies in Dubai. And the central post office is one of the main facilities of the entity.


Fire Station

* Civil Defense Station


Hotels

* Park Regis Kris Kin - 5-star * President Hotel - 4-star * Regent Palace Hotel - 4-star * Ramee Royal Hotel - 4-star * Fortune Karama Hotel - 3-star


Schools

* Sadiyat School * Hemaya School * Za'abeel Secondary School for Girls * Khadeejah Kobra Iranian School for Girls * Towheed Iranian School Dubai - Girls


University

* Wasl University


Mosques

* Karama Masjid * Al Rahma Masjid * Karama Central Mosque * Abdullah Al Zahri Masjid * Ahmed Mosa Mosque * Easa Saleh Al Gurg Mosque


Growth

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. Besides the widespread sale of counterfeit goods, reported crime is relatively high in common with other parts of Dubai east of the creek.


References

{{Neighborhoods in Dubai Communities in Dubai