Experience in Dubai, United Arab Emirates by Amr

What is it like to live in Dubai? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

I can explain Dubai life in one word which is luxury. To be able to live comfortably, independently and make some savings for your future, you must earn a monthly salary of 4, 000 euros and above. However, if you can make a little bit less than the amount mentioned above you will still be able to survive and make some savings. But all that depends on the lifestyle that you find suitable for yourself. The rent is very high taking into consideration the average income of 2, 500 euros. Owning a car is a must. I believe that in a city like Dubai where metro does not reach all places but covers the main streets/areas only, you cannot just walk everywhere. The humidity does not help either, especially between May and October. In addition, there are long distances between the main districts of the cities some of which are communicated by highways and it would be dangerous to think of walking from one to another. There are some cool beaches and resorts. You will find here the tallest tower in the world Burj Khalifa, the desert and the famous Palm beaches as well as the famous Atlantis hotel.

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In short, its an amazing experience for a couple of years if your salary allows you to experience some of the luxurious life and save a bit. I do not recommend it for raising kids as the school fees are too high (if not covered by your employer) nor making it your second home for a long time!

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What is the student lifestyle like in Dubai?

Spending time at the shopping malls for games and movies, coffee and lunch, some activities at campus such as football and tennis, safari trips and camping in desert and many Beach Sport activities like Jet Ski and water-park like the popular Wild Wadi next to the famous Hotel Burj Al arab.

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How much does it cost to live in Dubai?

It is costly as the rent does not include utilities in most of the properties offered. For instance, a single studio apartment between 20 to 30 square meters is about 800 to 1 000 euros. Other expenses like food, transportation sum up to around 1 000 euros - more or less depends on the student life style.

Keep in mind you will not be able to use bicycle here. It is either taxi, bus or your university bus which is the best.

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Is it difficult to find accommodation in Dubai? Is there any advice you can give?

It is not difficult at all to find an apartment in Dubai but dealing with the property agents would be stressful sometimes. As most of them are looking for fast selling or renting and they will ignore your requirements such as clean apartments, pest control, the equipment etc. I had a very bad experience once when I got an apartment with a broken heater and oven without being informed about it. I really struggled later a lot to get them to have it fixed. I had to leave my work and chase the agents and the maintenance companies to get the work done! Therefore, you must check multiple apartments yourself and the best advice is to never trust an agent's word. My second advice is to look for furnished apartment to avoid the stress of moving in with your furniture. My last advice is to buy leather sofa, in case you go for an unfurnished flat, and avoid the wooden stuff as much as you can as the exported wooden products here are a waste of money! And lastly if the university can help you out by finding you a place with suitable price, this will be the best option for you.

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What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

They have multinational cuisine. The Arabic for instance is quite popular and particularly the Levant food (similar to Lebanese and Syrian one), the Asian/Indian comes second as the majority of the population are Asian Indians and Filipino. There are also fast food restaurants like KFC, MacDonald’s, Subway, Pizza Hut and many more.

I have many favourite dishes, some of them are Hummus, Mutabbal, Baba Ganooj, grilled kebab meat, chicken with potato platters and many traditional Syrian dishes like eggplant platter, mix vegetables platter also grilled and fried Kebab.

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What places would you recommend visiting in Dubai?

The new downtown of Dubai where you get to see the fountains of the Burj Dubai and visit the tallest tower in the world, Safari trip and camping at Madinat Jumeirah where there are many bars and restaurants, marina walk by the beach surrounded by many famous restaurants and cafe's such as Real Madrid cafe or Jumeirah Palm in the Atlantis hotel, Dubai shopping mall which has an aquarium and Ice Rink. Furthermore, the famous indoor Ski at Emirates mall.

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Is it good to eat out in Dubai? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

It is an absolutely great experience, but not cheap! Depends on your favourite places and how often you eat out. My favourite one is Bab Sharqi, a restaurant in Al Barsha 1 behind the mall of the Emirates next to Centro Rotana hotel. It serves Syrian food is affordable and tasty.

Is the nightlife good in Dubai? Where is good to go?

It is good, but also expensive as drinks are not cheap here. The minimum price for a bottle of beer for instance is 10 to 13 euros. As far as places are concerned, you must go to 360 at Jumeirah Beach Hotel and Mahiki Club, the Palm like Atlantis has many clubs too. Going out for brunch with friends would be nice too (I recommend it). Barasti Beach Bar has amazing atmosphere during the weekend, Madinat Jumeirah has many Bars and clubs too where you can jump from one to another like Pacha club, Left Bank.

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What advice would you give future students heading to Dubai?

It would be a great chance to study and live in an international city like Dubai to get the chance to acknowledge the fast growth of the city and be a part of it for some time. Heading to Dubai to study and finding a job there later for couple of years is a great chance to develop your skills. Take the advantage of the opportunities and life experience that the city offers and and meet people from different cultures. But keep in mind saving some money, live nicely, bu in a smart way!

I have tried to be as true as I can in describing the things that I have learnt and lived while living here for the past ten years.

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