My Dubai Rent takes you inside a reader's home to have a look at what they pay each month, see who they live with and find out what they do and don’t like
Communications consultant Rebecca Rees has lived in her two-bedroom townhouse in Dubai’s Jumeirah Village Triangle since 2014.
The reason she chose her home is simple – she needed extra space for her dogs Ella and Sam.
Ms Rees, from Britain, said she has no plans to move because she loves her house, and the local neighbourhood, so much.
She was only too happy to invite The National inside to show readers why it remains so special to her.
How much do you pay in rent?
I am paying Dh105,000 a year right now. When I first moved here, in 2014, I paid a whopping Dh165,000, but that was the going rate at the time.
Two-bedroom end townhouses are always in demand and I wanted one, so I had to pay a lot for it.
Rents have fallen since then, though. From 2014 until last year, I had a reduction each year.
Last year I was paying Dh90,000, which is a massive drop from the original rent. This year it has crept back up to Dh105,000.
I still think that is reasonable for what I have, though.
Why did you choose to live here?
The most important thing is having some outside space – not just for me, but my two dogs as well.
It’s because of them that I moved here in the first place.
I used to live in an apartment in The Greens, which was lovely with a great view and fantastic amenities, and it was luxurious, but it didn’t have that space I needed. I gave all that up to come to JVT.
It really is the perfect location for me. There are supermarkets and shops within the community and there are great facilities for walking the dogs.
The landscaping is really nice too and there are basketball and tennis courts.
I am really only half an hour’s drive away from anywhere I want to go.
My partner lives in The Springs, which is the community next door, so that makes life easy too.
I really can’t see myself moving out any time soon.
Why did you need more space?
I have two dogs: Sam, a saluki-German shepherd mix, and Ella, who is a pure saluki.
My partner owns a saluki as well, called Namr, who often stays here with the other two.
I work from home a lot and have all three dogs with me quite a lot of the time.
There’s loads of space for them to roam about the house and they like to lounge about too.
Because they are salukis, they are quite lazy most of the time, but when they get outside they tend to have big bursts of energy.
The dogs have got their own sofas as well. They have their own end of the lounge and there are sofas for them upstairs too. They also have the garden.
They have the run of the house and I think that’s what dogs should have.
Do you think the rent you pay offers value for money?
People say you can get more for your money elsewhere, but that’s not the case for me.
It’s very much my home and I don’t like the hassle of moving. This is the first place in Dubai I have stayed in longer than a year.
You never really save when you move anyway because of everything you spend on new furniture, curtains and everything else that comes with it.
What’s the point of moving on if you’re happy somewhere?
What have you done to make the house your own?
Even though I only rent this place, I still live here and want it to be my own.
I’ve put decking down and fake grass to provide more greenery and I’ve had the kitchen wrapped. This basically means the cupboard doors get wrapped in different colours.
I did this because it was all dark wood and I wanted to make the house a little brighter, so I changed it to white.
The front door also needed replacing, so I bought one that was glazed, to let more natural light into the house.
I don’t mind spending money because I have to live here.
During the pandemic I started off working from the dining table and it just wasn’t comfortable, so I took myself to Ikea and bought a desk and office chair.
I bought some shelves as well and basically created a whole office upstairs.
Did you have any second thoughts about moving here?
I have no regrets at all. I have been in Dubai for 16 years and have lived in the Marina, Arabian Ranches and various other places.
I adored my two-bedroom apartment in The Greens, but it didn’t give me what I have now.
There are other little things that you don’t think about [when moving from an apartment to a townhouse].
When you go to the supermarket and come home with your shopping you can pull up and just walk straight through your front door.
You don’t need to lug bags in the lift or use a trolley to carry shopping up 20 floors.
Are the bills high?
You expect to pay more when you live in a villa or townhouse. That’s part and parcel of it.
It’s in the summer, when you are using the AC all the time, that your bills go up.
The most I have paid is Dh2,000 [for the month], but in the winter that goes down to about Dh700 or Dh800.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
WRESTLING HIGHLIGHTS
The specs: 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk
Price, base: Dh399,999
Engine: Supercharged 6.2-litre V8
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 707hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 875Nm @ 4,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 16.8L / 100km (estimate)
Petrarch: Everywhere a Wanderer
Christopher Celenza,
Reaktion Books
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing
Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
Pros%20and%20cons%20of%20BNPL
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The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
MATCH INFO
Jersey 147 (20 overs)
UAE 112 (19.2 overs)
Jersey win by 35 runs
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Kill%20
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Results
- Brock Lesnar retained the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns
- Braun Strowman and Nicolas won the Raw Tag Team titles against Sheamus and Cesaro
- AJ Styles retained the WWE World Heavyweight title against Shinsuke Nakamura
- Nia Jax won the Raw Women’s title against Alexa Bliss
- Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon beat Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
- The Undertaker beat John Cena
- The Bludgeon Brothers won the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos and New Day
- Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle beat Triple H and Stephanie McMahon
- Jinder Mahal won the United States title against Randy Orton, Rusev and Bobby Roode
- Charlotte retained the SmackDown Women’s title against Asuka
- Seth Rollins won the Intercontinental title against The Miz and Finn Balor
- Naomi won the first WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal
- Cedric Alexander won the vacant Cruiserweight title against Mustafa Ali
- Matt Hardy won the Andre the Giant Battle Royal
Company%20Profile
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Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
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ZIMBABWE V UAE, ODI SERIES
All matches at the Harare Sports Club:
1st ODI, Wednesday - Zimbabwe won by 7 wickets
2nd ODI, Friday, April 12
3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14
4th ODI, Tuesday, April 16
UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
IPL 2018 FINAL
Sunrisers Hyderabad 178-6 (20 ovs)
Chennai Super Kings 181-2 (18.3 ovs)
Chennai win by eight wickets
RESULTS
6.30pm UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) US$100,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner Final Song, Christophe Soumillon (jockey), Saeed bin Suroor (trainer).
7.05pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (Turf) 1,000m
Winner Almanaara, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.
7.40pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner Grand Argentier, Brett Doyle, Doug Watson.
8.15pm Meydan Challenge Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Major Partnership, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor.
8.50pm Dubai Stakes Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner Gladiator King, Mickael Barzalona, Satish Seemar.
9.25pm Dubai Racing Club Classic Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m
Winner Universal Order, Richard Mullen, David Simcock.
Winners
Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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