According to the Dubai media office, the DA42 aircraft crashed three miles south of the international airport, killing three Britons and a South African.
According to reports, the crash was caused by a technical malfunction. An investigation is underway.
The aircraft is owned by the US tech giant Honeywell. A statement released after the crash stated that the aircraft was on a mission to calibrate terrestrial navigation systems at the airport.
A spokesman said: “All operations at the Dubai airport are running smoothly after a slight delay and diversion of some flights as a precautionary measure to ensure security.”
Air traffic at the airport has since returned to normal.