Dubai has started work on Dubai Creek Lights, an AED 80m project that will add more than 5,000 lighting units across eight kilometres of the historic Creek by the first quarter of 2027.
The project, launched under the directives of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, covers six locations along the waterway: Creek Quay, the promenade at the Gold Souq, the Creek entrance at Infinity Bridge, the Al Shindagha Historic District, Bur Dubai Souq and Al Seef Marina.
Dubai Creek Lights: the six locations
- Creek Quay
- The Creek Promenade at the Gold Souq
- The Creek entrance at Infinity Bridge
- Al Shindagha Historic District
- Bur Dubai Souq
- Al Seef Marina
The Municipality says the scheme will be visible from more than 1,500 feet above ground, and it is designed with the Creek’s residents in mind: the lighting is sustainable, chosen to minimise the impact on marine life in the waterway.
Light has guided traffic on the Creek before. For decades, dhows and trading vessels used the lights along its banks to navigate as they moved goods through Dubai’s commercial heart. This is the same idea, minus the cargo.
Dubai Creek has served throughout the emirate’s history as a vital artery for trade and commerce and as the starting point of Dubai’s urban and economic development. Through the Dubai Creek Lights project, we are bringing part of that journey back to life along its banks.
— Marwan Ahmed bin Ghalita, director general of Dubai Municipality
Why the Creek is getting the treatment
The project follows Dubai being named the World’s Most Beautiful City at Night for 2026, a global study that weighed safety, the quality of evening attractions and the visual appeal of the urban environment. The award appears to have come with follow-up work.
The Municipality frames the scheme as part of the 2040 Urban Master Plan and the Quality of Life Strategy 2033, and it ties into a stretch of the Creek that is already building an evening audience: Waterfront Market on the Deira side has hosted a seafood festival and a 6m spice rangoli over the past year.
What changes for visitors
The practical effect is simple: the Creek’s most walked stretches — the souq promenades, the Al Seef waterfront and the historic district — become evening destinations rather than daytime ones. All six areas are public streets, promenades and waterfronts, so the admission price is the same as it has always been: nothing.
Work is under way now, with completion scheduled for the first quarter of 2027.
What is Dubai Creek Lights?
An AED 80m project by Dubai Municipality to install more than 5,000 lighting units across eight kilometres of Dubai Creek, turning the waterway’s landmarks and historic districts into a night-time destination.
Is Dubai Creek Lights free to visit?
Yes. The six locations are public promenades, souq areas and waterfronts, with no ticketing or entry fee.
Will the lights affect wildlife in the Creek?
Dubai Municipality says the project uses sustainable lighting designed to minimise environmental impact on marine life.
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