For Dubai residents, movers and business owners asked for a “Makani number” on a form, by a courier or by a property agent: what the number is, how to read it, how to find yours, and where it is actually used.
A Makani number is the 10-digit code Dubai Municipality gives to each main entrance of a building in Dubai, written as two groups of five digits, such as 30032 95320. You find it in the Makani app or website by pointing at your building on the map, or by scanning the QR code on the Makani plate at the entrance. It tells a courier, driver or emergency crew exactly which door to come to.
This guide explains how the number works, why one building can have several, how it differs from your land number and other property references, and which official services use it. It is based on Dubai Municipality’s Makani app and open-data pages, its Makani web service manual, and the Dubai Land Department’s Dubai REST guide.
What Is a Makani Number?
Makani is Dubai’s geographic addressing system, run by Dubai Municipality’s Geographic Information Systems Center. Dubai Municipality calls Dubai “the first city in the world” to use numbers to locate building entrances (Dubai Municipality, Open Data for Makani).
Each Makani number is generated to uniquely identify one main entrance of an existing building (Dubai Municipality, Makani Public Web Service manual). Because it is only digits, it works the same whatever language you speak, which is the point Dubai Municipality makes about a city of many nationalities.
Is a Makani Number the Same as a Postal Code?
No. The UAE has no postal codes, and a Makani number does not identify a delivery area. It identifies one doorway, so two entrances of the same tower have different numbers. Our guide to UAE postal codes and PO Boxes covers what to enter when a form asks for a postcode.
How to Read a Makani Number
A Makani number is always 10 digits, shown as two blocks of five. Dubai Municipality’s own example is its head office in Al Rigga, Makani 30032 95320 (Makani web service manual).
| What the Makani system returns for a number | Example (Dubai Municipality head office) |
|---|---|
| Makani number (one per main entrance) | 30032 95320 |
| Other entrances of the same building | 29969 95333 |
| Building name | Dubai Municipality Main Office |
| Community | Al Rigga (community 119) |
| Emirate | Dubai |
| Coordinates of the entrance | 25.26464, 55.31217 |
The second row is the practical lesson. The same office has two Makani numbers, about 60 meters apart, because it has two main entrances.
Why Does My Building Have More Than One Makani Number?
Because Makani numbers belong to entrances, not buildings. If a building has several main entrances, the Makani system returns a number for each one (Makani web service manual).
Give the number of the entrance nearest your lift lobby or villa gate, not just the first one the app shows. A courier sent to a car-park entrance on the far side of a large tower may struggle to find the right door.
Always Add the Emirate
The Makani web service is built to handle a number that exists in more than one emirate: in that case it lists each emirate and community that uses it (Makani web service manual). Write “Dubai” next to the number so it cannot be confused with an address elsewhere.
How to Find Your Makani Number
There are three ways to find it:
- The Makani plate: look at the plate at your building’s main entrance. Dubai Municipality’s Makani app can read the QR code on Makani plates and show the related information (Dubai Municipality, Makani App).
- The Makani app or website: tap your building on the map. The building outline and its main entrance markers are highlighted with their Makani numbers.
- Search by other references: the app’s advanced search finds a location by land number or by the traditional address, then gives its Makani number.
The app also lets you save places, link a Makani number to a phone contact, share a location and get turn-by-turn directions to a Makani number. Dubai Municipality says most features work offline after the first use (Makani App).
What Actually Happens When You Look It Up
Pointing at a building shows its outline with one marker per main entrance, each labeled with a Makani number. Tapping a marker shows the building name, community and a street-level image, which is how you check you have the right door.
If no marker appears, the building may be new or not yet mapped, or you may have tapped open land. Try the land number search, or check the plate at the entrance.
Makani Number vs Land Number and Other Property References
Dubai property carries several identifiers, and forms often ask for one specifically. The Dubai Land Department’s Property Status Inquiry in the Dubai REST app lets you search a property by any of three: land number, Makani number or municipality number (Dubai Land Department, Property Status Inquiry guide).
| Reference | What it identifies | Where you usually see it |
|---|---|---|
| Makani number | A main entrance of a building | Plate at the entrance, Makani app |
| Land (plot) number | The registered plot of land | Title deed, DLD records |
| Municipality number | The property in Dubai Municipality’s records | Property documents, DLD search |
| PO Box | A mailbox or mail subscription, not a location | Emirates Post |
None of these can stand in for another on a form. If a lease, title deed or utility form asks for a land number, give the land number, and keep the Makani number for directions and deliveries. For checking a property’s records before you buy, see our guide to title deed verification in Dubai.
Where the Makani Number Is Used
The official uses we could confirm are these:
- Property searches: the DLD’s Property Status Inquiry in the Dubai REST app accepts a Makani number as a search key.
- Navigation and deliveries: the Makani app gives turn-by-turn directions to any Makani number, and businesses can build Makani lookups into delivery and location apps using Dubai Municipality’s free open data.
- Government services: Dubai Municipality describes its newer unit-level Makani codes as intended for all government services, including emergency services, statistics and deliveries (Dubai Municipality, Makani unit addressing launch).
Many guides say a Makani number is mandatory for Ejari registration, a DEWA connection or a trade license. We could not find a published Dubai rule or service requirement that makes it mandatory for any of these. Fill it in where a form has a Makani field, and if a service insists on it, the app shows the number for your entrance.
Decision Point: Which Number to Give a Courier or Taxi
Give the Makani number of your own entrance plus your building name and flat number. The number gets the driver to the right door, and the name and flat number get the parcel to you.
For an ambulance or police call, say your Makani number if you know it, but do not delay the call to look it up. Your building name, community and nearest landmark are enough to start with.
Makani Codes for Units Inside Buildings
In October 2020 Dubai Municipality launched an extension of Makani for units inside buildings, such as apartments, shops and offices (Dubai Municipality, Makani unit addressing launch). Each unit code is six letters and numbers on a plate, in the form DMHQ01.
The first unit boards were installed at Dubai Festival City. Dubai Municipality has not published how far the unit codes have spread since, so most residents will only ever need the 10-digit entrance number.
Using Makani Data in a Business
Dubai Municipality publishes Makani data as free open data (Dubai Municipality, Open Data for Makani). The terms are short:
- Use: you may use Makani as an addressing system in apps, systems, websites and services without restriction.
- Profit: commercial apps are allowed if they serve the public interest of Dubai or the UAE.
- Resale: you may not sell Makani data to anyone.
- Liability: Dubai Municipality accepts no liability for losses from using the data, including being unable to complete a procedure based on it.
Developers connect through the Makani public web service, which can turn coordinates into building and entrance details, validate a Makani number, and return the details for a number (Makani web service manual).
FAQ
What is a Makani number in Dubai?
It is a 10-digit number that Dubai Municipality assigns to each main entrance of a building, written as two groups of five digits such as 30032 95320. It pinpoints the entrance on a map, so couriers, drivers and emergency crews can find the right door.
How do I find my Makani number?
Open the Makani app or website and tap your building on the map, or scan the QR code on the Makani plate at the entrance. You can also search by land number or traditional address in the app’s advanced search.
How many digits is a Makani number?
Ten, in two blocks of five. If you have a number with a different length, it is probably a land number, a municipality number or a unit code rather than a Makani entrance number.
Why does my building show two Makani numbers?
Each main entrance gets its own number, so a building with two entrances has two. Use the one for the entrance you want visitors and couriers to come to.
Is the Makani number required for Ejari?
We found no published Dubai rule making it mandatory for Ejari, DEWA or a trade license, even though many guides say it is. If a form has a Makani field, enter it; the app shows it for your entrance.
Is a Makani number the same as a postal code or PO Box?
No. The UAE has no postal codes, and a PO Box is a mailbox, not a location. A Makani number identifies one building entrance in Dubai.
Can I search for a property using its Makani number?
Yes. The Dubai Land Department’s Property Status Inquiry in the Dubai REST app lets you search by land number, Makani number or municipality number.
Does Makani work outside Dubai?
The Makani web service is designed to handle numbers that exist in more than one emirate, listing each emirate and community that uses the number. Always write the emirate next to a Makani number to avoid confusion.
Official Sources
- Dubai Municipality: Open Data for Makani (system description and data terms)
- Dubai Municipality GIS Center: Makani Public Web Service Access manual (number format, entrances, emirates)
- Dubai Municipality: Makani App page, archived 2019 (plates, QR codes, search and navigation features)
- Dubai Municipality: Makani unit addressing launch, October 2020
- Dubai Land Department: Property Status Inquiry guide (Dubai REST app)
Information current as of October 2026. The Makani portal (makani.ae) did not respond while this guide was prepared, so the app description and the 2020 unit-addressing release were read from Dubai Municipality’s archived pages. Check the Makani app for the latest features.
This guide is for informational purposes only. UAE regulations and fees are subject to change. Always verify current requirements with the relevant official authority before proceeding with any application or transaction.
