Satwa and Al Hudaiba: Union House to Ravi's: a walk in Dubai

From the 1979 Jumeirah Mosque and the Union House, where the UAE was founded, into Satwa: a 1960s Emirati suburb that became home to Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Filipino residents. Shawarma at Al Mallah, the shops of 2nd December Street, the blue-tiled Iranian mosque, biryani at Ravi and the nurseries of Plant Street. Stay on foot inside Satwa: the lanes are small and the traffic notorious.

Best time: Evening, when Satwa's street life starts (What's On calls the evening street life 'the heart of the Satwa experience'). October-April; in summer (May-September) only after sunset. Jumeirah Mosque tours (10:00 and 14:00, not Fridays) need a morning start instead.

The route, stop by stop

1
Jumeirah Mosque
Opened in 1979, a gift of Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum. The 75-minute Open Doors. Open Minds tour runs daily at 10:00 and 14:00 except Fridays, AED 35, with Emirati refreshments in the majlis first (What's On, Feb 2026). 15 min outside, 75 min with the tour.
A 1979 sandstone mosque in Fatimid and Mamluk style and one of the few in Dubai open to non-Muslims; the interior is painted in ascending bands of beige, yellow, salmon pink and…
2
Etihad Museum (Union House)
Union House is where the rulers signed the declaration that formed the UAE. In the public garden beside it stands 'Union of Artists' (2024): seven pillars for the seven emirates by five Emirati artists, inspired by the areesh, the palm-frond shelter. 20 min outside, 90 min in the museum.
Built around Union House, where the UAE constitution was signed and the first UAE flag raised on 2 December 1971; seven pavilions trace the federation's formation and display the…
3
Al Mallah (Satwa)
Satwa's shawarma counter since 1979: join the queue for a wrap and a fresh juice. 20 min.
Lebanese street-food counter on 2nd December Street since 1979; What's On calls it part of every Dubai kid's memory: drive-by shawarma pick-ups and roadside cheese bread, with…
4
2nd December Street
Satwa's shopping street with the feel of old Dubai: textiles, jalabiyas and abayas, spices, books, local perfumes and thrift finds. 30 min.
5
Iranian Mosque (Imam Hussein Mosque)
Founded by the Iranian community in 1979 on Al Wasl Road, its facade and dome covered in blue tiles; the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding runs tours for non-Muslims. Look from the street unless you are on a tour. 10 min.
6
Ravi Restaurant
Satwa's Pakistani canteen since 1978. Staff asked the 2025 street-revitalisation team for outdoor social seating, and Ravi's people water the new street plants themselves. 45 min for dinner.
Pakistani canteen opened in 1978 by Chaudary Abdul Hameed, a labourer from Pakistan, and run by his sons; What's On calls it a Dubai rite of passage for both newcomers and…
7
Plant Street (Al Hudaiba Street)
Dozens of plant and flower shops, with tailors, cloth merchants, Filipino bakeries and perfumeries in the blocks towards 2nd December Street. 20 min.
Satwa's street of dozens of plant and flower shops, with tailors, Filipino bakeries, shawarma and perfume shops in the blocks towards 2nd December Street.

Walking directions

Satwa and Al Hudaiba: Union House to Ravi's

The route, stop by stop

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