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 ask what they like and don't like
Syrian Mohamad Hussein has lived in a two-bedroom apartment in Town Square on Al Qudra Road for the past year.
He moved there because he wanted his own space and a room for his mother, without paying an over-the-top price.
Two-bedroom apartments in the city vary significantly but are typically found in the Dh60,000 to Dh100,000 range - making Mohamed's place something of a bargain.
The 28-year-old, who works as a project manager for an irrigation firm, invited The National into his home to show why it is so special to him.
Where do you live and how much does it cost?
I live in a two-bedroom apartment in Town Square that costs me Dh38,000 [$10,345] a year.
The landlord was looking for Dh40,000 but I got it reduced by Dh2,000 because I was able to pay it in one cheque.
Before that, I shared a studio apartment with a friend in JBR and that was costing me around Dh2,600 a month.
What makes it so special to you?
I really like the vibe of the community here and it is a little more laid-back than a lot of places in Dubai.
You are away from the crowds of the city and I find it much more relaxing.
It is close to my office and my sister lives over the way in the nearby Mira community, so I am close to family here, too.
She is only a five-minute drive away, plus it only takes me half an hour to drive to work.
The facilities are great here. There is a cycle track that goes the whole way around the community.
I rollerblade around it a lot to exercise and I try to swim in the community pool every day.
It is a great place if you want to go for a walk but do not necessarily want to have to drive anywhere to do so.
My mother also comes over from Syria and stays six months with me.
That is why it is important that I have that extra room.
What have you done to make it your own?
I have bought all the furniture and amenities but, to be honest, I don’t spend an awful lot of time here apart from when I’m working from home.
It’s really just a base for when I am not hanging out with friends and family.
When I am here, I spend a lot of time gaming on the PC.
What is the downside to living there?
My friends who live in other parts of Dubai don’t want to have to travel this far out.
That means if I want to hang out with them, I have to spend a lot of time driving.
It’s about half an hour at least into town, maybe more depending on where they want to go.
They would only really come out this far if they wanted to go cycling.
The long drive to the Marina or Downtown can be annoying, so you have to be prepared to deal with that.
I do drive, so thankfully I don’t have to spend a fortune on taxis every day.
A lot of restaurants don’t deliver here either, so that’s another thing you have to learn to deal with living in Town Square.
There aren’t a lot of restaurants here that aren’t fast food, so you have to be careful not to fall into the habit of just ordering from them all the time.
On the plus side, though, it does encourage you to cook a lot more for yourself.
Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
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
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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Ahmed Raza
UAE cricket captain
Age: 31
Born: Sharjah
Role: Left-arm spinner
One-day internationals: 31 matches, 35 wickets, average 31.4, economy rate 3.95
T20 internationals: 41 matches, 29 wickets, average 30.3, economy rate 6.28
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
