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Dr Louise Lambert, a researcher in positive psychology who has been in the UAE for 20 years, has lived in her one-bedroom Business Bay apartment since 2020, which has resulted in her rent being among the lowest in the building.
The property in Churchill Tower costs her Dh65,000 annually, having risen from about Dh40,000 over the past few years.
For as long as it stays that low, she has no intention of leaving – not when it’s such a nice place to live.
The National takes a look around.
How long have you lived here?
I moved here during the pandemic. I got super lucky, as it was the price of a song.
Why did you choose this place?
I didn't take it because it was cheap. I just took it because I like the layout. I saw others that were about the same price, and I felt like a little bird in a cage.
It's in Business Bay, so I cycle every morning. I literally take my bike, go straight down and I'm right on the canal, so I love that about it. On one side, I can see the [Godolphin Racing] stables, so I see the horses every morning. I see them training and the jockeys going around. And then on the other side, I see the boats going by on the canal.
I have a little balcony, and I grow random things like little tomatoes and, at the moment, dying sunflower seeds. It’s just nice.
What do you pay for it?
I got it for Dh40,000 to Dh44,000 and now I pay Dh65,000. I have one of the lowest rents in the city, I’m sure. It does go up every year, but it can’t go up more than 5 per cent, so if you’re starting from Dh40,000 it’s not much. The new rent will be Dh68,000.
How have you made it your own?
I've got this lovely artwork. I have paintings all around and lots of plants. Greenery just adds life, and it has paid off, because every year I get a little family of birds. They're beautiful songbirds, and they come in and build a little nest in my bougainvillaea.
I get a little dose of nature and it's really bright.
What amenities do you have?
There is a gym downstairs. There’s a pool. There’s a daycare, which I don’t use, but there’s a few things for families. Then, when there are holidays, like Diwali, they do little celebrations outside and fireworks.
The municipality has done loads of really nice things on the canal. They put outdoor gym equipment, they’ve lined it with tresses. It’s really nice.
The other thing that’s really great is New Year’s Eve. I literally walk downstairs and Burj Khalifa is right across the water, so we can see the fireworks right there. It’s close to the downtown, I can see downtown, I just don’t need to live in it.
During winter I also walk across the bridge to the Zaha Hadid building, the Opus, that’s full of restaurants now. Everything’s close by. It’s perfect.
What would you change about it?
Traffic has been a big issue. It’s one of the things I hate about it. Nobody was living here before, but now it’s really bad. At 10.45am, there’s gridlock. It’s becoming really disastrous.
On this street, there’s now a new hotel, a new grocery store, new apartment buildings. It’s great, but I realised the secret’s out and now everybody’s coming in and the traffic is showing. I get stuck in my car park sometimes for 45 minutes.
Have you thought about buying?
I've thought about it. I have a few friends who did. If I were still working at the Canadian University Dubai, I might, just because I had a regular income. But, working for myself, it's high and then low and then high. It's just too unpredictable. I don't want to take the chance.
In hindsight, I've been here 20 years, so if I had bought back then my mortgage would have been paid off by now.
How long do you plan to stay in this apartment?
Even if the rent goes up, I'm staying because I'm seeing other people's rent and they're in the Dh100,000-plus for smaller or the same. So, as long as it is less than anywhere else, I'll stay. But the way Dubai is going now, where would I go that doesn't have traffic?
I will stay as long as I can. I've been here 20-some years. I've got my golden visa. All my friends are here. This is home, so I don't want to leave.
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
- Saturday 15 January: UAE beat Canada by 49 runs
- Thursday 20 January: v England
- Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad:
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles
Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly,
Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya
Shetty, Kai Smith
Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
Cricket World Cup League Two
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Fixtures
Wednesday January 8 –Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 – Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 – UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
The biog
DOB: March 13, 1987
Place of birth: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia but lived in Virginia in the US and raised in Lebanon
School: ACS in Lebanon
University: BSA in Graphic Design at the American University of Beirut
MSA in Design Entrepreneurship at the School of Visual Arts in New York City
Nationality: Lebanese
Status: Single
Favourite thing to do: I really enjoy cycling, I was a participant in Cycling for Gaza for the second time this year
Countries offering golden visas
UK
Innovator Founder Visa is aimed at those who can demonstrate relevant experience in business and sufficient investment funds to set up and scale up a new business in the UK. It offers permanent residence after three years.
Germany
Investing or establishing a business in Germany offers you a residence permit, which eventually leads to citizenship. The investment must meet an economic need and you have to have lived in Germany for five years to become a citizen.
Italy
The scheme is designed for foreign investors committed to making a significant contribution to the economy. Requires a minimum investment of €250,000 which can rise to €2 million.
Switzerland
Residence Programme offers residence to applicants and their families through economic contributions. The applicant must agree to pay an annual lump sum in tax.
Canada
Start-Up Visa Programme allows foreign entrepreneurs the opportunity to create a business in Canada and apply for permanent residence.
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Fixtures (6pm UAE unless stated)
Saturday Bournemouth v Leicester City, Chelsea v Manchester City (8.30pm), Huddersfield v Tottenham Hotspur (3.30pm), Manchester United v Crystal Palace, Stoke City v Southampton, West Bromwich Albion v Watford, West Ham United v Swansea City
Sunday Arsenal v Brighton (3pm), Everton v Burnley (5.15pm), Newcastle United v Liverpool (6.30pm)
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
Company%20Profile
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Results
United States beat UAE by three wickets
United States beat Scotland by 35 runs
UAE v Scotland – no result
United States beat UAE by 98 runs
Scotland beat United States by four wickets
Fixtures
Sunday, 10am, ICC Academy, Dubai - UAE v Scotland
Admission is free
Quick%20facts
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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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The%20pillars%20of%20the%20Dubai%20Metaverse%20Strategy
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The specs: 2018 Audi R8 V10 RWS
Price: base / as tested: From Dh632,225
Engine: 5.2-litre V10
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 540hp @ 8,250rpm
Torque: 540Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.4L / 100km
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
The specs: 2018 Infiniti QX80
Price: base / as tested: Dh335,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.1L / 100km
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Company: Instabug
Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
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What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
