Umm Suqeim

Umm Suqeim is the residential beach district that runs beneath Burj Al Arab, and it holds the two stretches of public sand most residents actually use. Kite Beach is the busy one: a long run of free sand with a running track, volleyball nets, kitesurfing at the far end and a row of food trucks and cabins behind it. Sunset Beach, closer to the hotel, is quieter and gives the classic straight-on view of Burj Al Arab — it is where nearly every photograph of the building from ground level is taken. Madinat Jumeirah, just inland, is the resort complex with the souk, the waterways and the restaurant terraces facing the same building. There is no Metro here; the nearest stations are Mall of the Emirates and Noor Bank, both a bus or taxi ride from the sand.