Dubai
4,114 km²
Nairobi
696 km²
UAE
Kenya
Area Comparison
Dubai is 5.9x larger than Nairobi
Population Comparison
Dubai has 1.4x fewer people than Nairobi
In terms of area, Dubai is 5.9x the size of Nairobi. Dubai spans 4,114 km² (1,588 mi²) while Nairobi covers 696 km² (269 mi²) — a difference of 3,418 km². You could fit Nairobi inside Dubai approximately 5 times.
To put Dubai's size in perspective, its area of 4,114 km² is roughly the same size as Rhode Island. Meanwhile, Nairobi at 696 km² is about 1.1x smaller than New York City.
Picture Dubai another way: its area is large enough to fit about 576,000 American football fields, 70 times the area of Manhattan, or 39 times the area of Paris. For Nairobi, that's about 97,000 American football fields, 12 times the area of Manhattan, or 7 times the area of Paris.
Dubai is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai. It is on a creek on the southeastern coast of the Persian Gulf. As of 2025, its population stands at 4 million, 92% of whom are expatriates. The wider urban area includes Sharjah and has a population of 5 million people as of 2023, while the Dubai–Sharjah–Ajman metropolitan area has a population of 6 million people.
Known as "City of Gold", Dubai covers 4,114 km² with a population of 3.3 million. The city was established in 1833. Dubai is known for Burj Khalifa, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Mall, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Dubai Metro.
Dubai's population reached 4 million in 2025, with 92% of residents being expatriates rather than UAE nationals.
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya, located in the south-central part of the country. As of 2024, it has a population of 4.8 million and a metropolitan population of 5.7 million, making it the 11th most populous city in Africa. Nicknamed the "Green City under the Sun", Nairobi is uniquely notable for being the only capital city in the world that hosts a national park within its boundaries. Its name originates from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, meaning "place of cool waters".
Nicknamed "Green City under the Sun", Nairobi has an area of 696 km² and is home to 4.7 million people. Its history stretches back to 1899. Visitors come for Nairobi National Park, Giraffe Centre, Karen Blixen Museum, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Nairobi Commuter Rail.
Nairobi is the only capital city in the world that hosts a national park within its boundaries.
Dubai has a population density of 809 people per km² — a relatively spread-out city. Nairobi, with 6,796 people per km², is a densely populated city. Nairobi is dramatically more crowded, with 8.4x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — Dubai in Asia versus Nairobi in Africa. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Dubai has a hot desert climate while Nairobi experiences subtropical highland conditions. Summers are notably different: Dubai averages 36°C compared to 20°C in Nairobi.
Size Ratio
Nairobi fits inside Dubai ~5 times
Density Gap
Nairobi is 8.4x more densely populated
Dubai covers 4,114 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Karachi (3,527 km²), Hanoi (3,359 km²), Istanbul (5,461 km²), Cairo (3,085 km²), or Lima (2,672 km²).
Nairobi covers 696 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Tehran (730 km²), Jakarta (662 km²), Singapore (733 km²), Bangalore (741 km²), or Hyderabad (650 km²).
The straight-line distance from Dubai to Nairobi is 3,553 km (2,208 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~4h 41m.
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