Dubai has come a long way since it was just a fishermen's town back in the days when the mores and the British ruled; then, in 1971 it became part of the UAE (United Arab Emirates) and this has made all the difference. Dubai is now considered to be a "promised" land for the rich and the opulent; with descriptions to the rest of the world from travelers who say that the Dubai Airport has solid gold palm trees; it seems that there is just no limit to the wonders that Dubai has installed for the world.

But just like with any other particularly important and striving place on earth, with great success comes great dismay and the blooming of ailments and health hazards that are more frequent in highly developed countries. The quick rising of the Dubai financial and economical sphere has also caused that each day more and more people are falling ill to these "first world" illnesses.

The reasons for this are varied, and they change constantly according to the person who is interviewed at the time. For some it is the building boom that has swept across Dubai in past years, to other the reason is simple: while the few are making millions of dollars defying nature building man-made islands and outside-the-atmosphere skyscrapers, the working force is subjected to almost inhuman residential conditions.

The diseases that are taking such a big toll in Dubai are the same that are present in any other highly-developed countries. Regardless of the origin or underlying cause for it, the most common death-inducing illnesses in Dubai are:

1. Heart Disease
2. Stroke
3. Cancer (there are different forms of cancer that are generally considered individually, but this only inflates the statistics)
4. Pulmonary Infections
5. COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)

But these are not the only problems that can cause death in Dubai, especially in the bulk of the population. General and frequent causes are also:

6. HIV/AIDS
7. Tuberculosis
8. Malaria
9. Hepatitis
10. Heat Stroke

Nonetheless, it is also important to note and consider all diseases that are caused by accidents and run-ins with the local wildlife, such as scorpions, spiders and the like. In the case of tourists and expatriates, health services are expensive to say the least and, as a result, people who are traveling to Dubai or any of the United Arab Emirates should take on a thorough physical to make sure that their health is optimal.

As a result, it is important to add these factors to the list, leaving it with the following top 10 causes of death in the city of Dubai:

1. Heart Disease
2. Circulatory problems (stroke, atherosclerosis)
3. Cancer (cervical cancer is the top leading cause of death amongst women in Dubai, followed by breast cancer)
4. Pulmonary Infections (including, though not limited to, COPD)
5. Heat stroke
6. Liver diseases (all types of hepatitis)
7. Construction related accidents
8. Allergic reactions to venoms and other poisonous substances secreted by animals
9. HIV/AIDS
10. Malaria