Dubai, also spelled Dubayy, is the capital of the emirate of Dubai, one of the wealthiest of the seven emirates that constitute the federation of the United Arab Emirates, which was created in 1971 following independence from Great Britain. Over nine-tenths of the emirate's population lives in the capital and nearby built-up sections.
There are several theories about the origin of the name. Some associate it with the daba, a type of locust that infests the area, while others hold that it refers to a market that existed near the city.