Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Addis Ababa to Dubai. Left side wins both ends of the flight. During the cruise over the Arabian Peninsula the left side also faces south toward the Hadhramaut plateau of Yemen and the Gulf of Aden coastline during the earlier portion of the flight, while the right side looks into the empty Rub al-Khali desert interior. Left provides more geographic variety throughout.

During takeoff from Bole International (ADD), sit on the Left side for the best views. Bole International typically departs northeast on runway 07R/07L. A left-side seat faces northwest toward the Entoto Hills and the dense urban sprawl of Addis Ababa itself, with the Entoto ridge clearly visible rising above the city. The Ethiopian highlands plateau stretches dramatically to the west and north. Notable sights include: Entoto Hills ridge north of Addis Ababa, Addis Ababa city center and Meskel Square area, Ethiopian highlands plateau escarpment, Lake Bishoftu (Debre Zeit) visible to the southeast on right side — left side gets the hills and city.

When landing at Dubai International (DXB), sit on the Left side for the best views. Dubai International's primary arrival runway 30L/30R brings aircraft in from the southeast over the Gulf, tracking northwest. A left-side seat faces south-southwest toward the Dubai Creek, Deira district, and the older city fabric, while the right side looks toward the desert. Left also catches the approach over the Gulf waters and the Palm Deira area. Notable sights include: Dubai Creek and Deira district, Dubai city skyline including Downtown Dubai visible to the southwest, Arabian Gulf coastline and shallow turquoise waters, Palm Jumeirah visible in the distance to the southwest.

The flight from Bole International (ADD) to Dubai International (DXB) takes Approximately 4 hours 15 minutes.

The flight tracks northeast from the Ethiopian highlands across the Gulf of Aden, then over the southern Arabian Peninsula crossing the Hadhramaut plateau and wadis of Yemen, before crossing the Empty Quarter (Rub al-Khali) sand sea and descending toward the UAE coast. The Gulf of Aden crossing offers deep blue open water, and the Hadhramaut's deeply incised canyon system is visible from altitude on the left side. The Rub al-Khali presents vast linear and star dune fields in orange-red sand visible on both sides during the final approach to the UAE.