This is one of the most searched and most inconsistently answered UAE visa questions online. The honest answer has a qualifier attached to it that gets dropped in a lot of quick summaries: it depends on what other travel documents you hold, not simply on holding an Indian passport.
The conditional route that actually exists
Indian passport holders who separately hold a valid US visa or US green card, a valid UK visa, or a valid EU/Schengen residence visa have historically qualified for a UAE visa-on-arrival under this specific condition — commonly cited as a 14-day stay, extendable once for a further 14 days, with a fee historically around AED 100 for the initial permit and roughly AED 250 plus a smaller service charge for the extension. This is a long-standing provision, separate from and older than the June 2026 Group 2 expansion covered elsewhere in this series.
Why some sources say "no" flatly
A plain Indian passport without one of those qualifying foreign visas does not receive visa-on-arrival — this is likely why some sources answer the general question with a flat no, since it is true for the majority of Indian travellers who do not hold a US, UK or Schengen visa. The nuance is specifically for those who do.
What to do before booking
If you hold a qualifying US, UK or Schengen visa, confirm the current fee, duration and process directly with the UAE authorities or your airline before travelling, since these specific figures can change and deserve verification rather than relying on any single online source, including this one.