Dubai on the cheap
 

A friend of mine has free flights to Dubai but hasn't very much money and is looking for somewhere low cost to stay. There are 3 teenage boys and a mum. They haven't been abroad together before so anything that is clean and will help them remember the holiday will be great.
Thanks in advance.

Can't they get tickets to somewhere else?
Dubai would not be top of my list for a holiday ...
Have they talked to a travel agent?

What time of year? In summer, it's very hot and you kinda want to be inside (i.e. in a mall, which isn't going to be cheap) or by a chilled pool in a hotel (which also isn't going to be cheap). In the winter you could spend the whole week camping, swimming and hiking and spend virtually nothing.

It's relatively cheap now, as the weather is getting oppressive and it's nearly Ramadan. I'd wait a few months (Oct/Nov onwards) but it does start to get more expensive and they may be limited to school holidays.

DXB has an over-supply of hotels (over 400 on tripadvisor) and it's a very competitive market. Check out the Premier Inn ... I'm told it's actually quite good :) ... or nearer the time on sites like lastminute, etc.

I usually benchmark DXB about the same as London but taxis are definitely cheaper. You can easily check the prices of attractions (e.g. aquarium, Burj, etc) online.

I was pricing hotels in Dubai for early August and it seemed to me prices were very low. The weather is hot, of course. There are 3-4 star hotels at under $50 a night. I can't help if you want a specific recommendation from experience, but there seem to be lots of options at reasonable rates. Check the major hotel booking sites.

Ramadan period is the cheapest because the demand on hotels will decrease, and check out Ramada Dubai Jumeirah