What to Wear in Dubai in January

Pack for early starts and wind. NOAA's figures for Dubai International Airport give January 24.3°C by day and 15.5°C at night across 1991–2020, with about 12mm of rain over one or two days, and Visit Dubai calls it the coldest month, at about 24°C by day and 14°C at night. The National Center of Meteorology describes "cool days and cold nights" and says the north-westerly Shamal winds "often stir blowing sand and dust in inland areas". The city answers by going outside early. The Dubai Marathon runs on Sunday 17 January, with the mass start at 6:30am, about half an hour before sunrise, and the Hero Dubai Desert Classic returns to Emirates Golf Club later in the month. Pack a jacket for the start line, a scarf for the sand, and shoes for a golf course.

The capsule

1. 
   01

   Beige oversized coach jacket

   Marathon morning starts early: the mass start is at 6:30am on 17 January, about half an hour before sunrise, when the airport averages 15.5°C. An oversized coach jacket goes over running kit or a cardigan at the start line on Umm Suqeim Road and comes off once the sun is up. Beige hides the dust of a Shamal day.

2. 
   02

   Grey V-neck cotton cardigan

   Visit Dubai puts January nights at about 14°C and says a light sweater is enough. A cotton V-neck cardigan goes over the sage tee for an evening at Global Village, which stays open until midnight or later, and under the jacket at dawn.

3. 
   03

   Blue, cream and yellow striped cotton scarf

   January's Shamal winds, the National Center of Meteorology says, "often stir blowing sand and dust in inland areas" and bring rough seas. A long cotton scarf goes over your nose and mouth on a windy desert drive, and around your neck on a foggy inland morning.

4. 
   04

   Navy cotton chinos

   The Desert Classic asks hospitality guests for "smart casual/golf attire" and bans denim, flip-flops and spiked shoes there. General admission has no dress code, but visitors are asked to consider local norms. Navy chinos pass both, and full length covers your legs at a 15°C dusk.

5. 
   05

   Taupe canvas low-top sneakers

   The tournament's own advice is to "wear suitable footwear and be alert at all times to uneven surfaces found on a golf course". A flat canvas sneaker walks the rough and the paths all day, and taupe hides sand where white shows it.

6. 
   06

   Sage cotton-linen tee

   By early afternoon the airport averages 24.3°C, and a cotton-linen tee is enough in the sun. It sits under the cardigan once the light goes, at about 5:50pm mid-month, and sage keeps to the capsule's muted palette.

7. 
   07

   Straw hat, tall crown, brown band

   A golf day is hours in the open, and the Desert Classic tells spectators to avoid long exposure to the sun, wearing suncream and "seeking shade where possible". A straw brim is shade you carry, and it breathes in the afternoon sun.

8. 
   08

   Olive leather flap crossbody

   There is no public parking at the 2027 Desert Classic, and the Metro stops at the gate, so the day runs from a train platform to a fairway. A flap crossbody holds a phone, a card and suncream, and olive leather goes with the navy and the sage.

A suggested look — sage tee, grey v-neck cardigan, navy chinos, taupe canvas sneakers, beige oversized jacket.

What to avoid

• Denim, flip-flops or spiked shoes in Desert Classic hospitality
• Driving to the Desert Classic — no public parking in 2027
• Plastic water bottles at the golf — bring a refillable one
• A thin top alone at the marathon start — it is before sunrise
• Assuming a dry month — January to March see the most rain