Dubai is surrounded by the Arabian Desert, which is hot and dry. Like most other deserts, there is less than 50cm/yr of rain. There is very little vegetation found in deserts and not many mammals can survive there either. The city of Dubai is an oasis compared to the desert. People use much water to make the city attractive to tourists, seen in the many golf courses, lawns, etc. Air conditioning rates are very high in the city to relieve people from the heat.