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.
Rey Delante, 51, moved to the UAE from his home country of the Philippines 18 years ago and has lived most of that time in his one-bedroom apartment in Dubai’s popular Silicon Oasis.
While working as a graphic designer, photographer and videographer he has seen area evolve dramatically. He has a company Eye Candy Media & Events, which he mostly operates remotely from home.
Mr Delante is an outdoor activity enthusiast in his spare time and regularly goes hiking, kayaking and camping during the cooler months, which is why he appreciates the great road connections that his ASB Tower home provides.
He is single and pays Dh38,000 a year spread across four cheques to lease his apartment, along with an annual fee of Dh2,500 that covers air-conditioning.
Here, he invites The National into his home for a look around.
Why did you choose this area?
I really had no idea about Dubai Silicon Oasis until a friend of mine invited me more than 11 years ago. He is a collector of valuable action figures and I wanted to visit his place in order to see his collection. I used to live in Sheikh Hamdan Colony in Karama, in a shared two-bedroom flat. Then I saw this place.
This building has a pool, a gym and sauna whereas the flat I was staying at that time didn’t have those amenities, so I decided to move in as one of this block’s earliest tenants.
Rent was only Dh32,000 with free AC back then — I was looking to live on my own, so the decision to move address was easy. I like that the area is far from the busiest city districts and, at that time, it was a really quiet, peaceful environment.
What is the community like now?
The building is near the new Silicon Central mall, which is very handy. I’m not sure if this is the heart of the community now, but it seems the area is busier than other locations in DSO.
That said, I don’t really consider myself sociable. I’m definitely more of a home body, so the area is still perfect for me — generally far from everyone else.
How have you personalised your apartment?
It took several iterations for me to finally say I’d got what I needed in the flat.
Over the years I have accumulated a lot of things, including my Star Wars 31-inch action figures collection.
This must be a bug I got from my friend, who used to live in the same building. I added three custom-made white wooden boxes to store my stuff; two are long boxes for my photography and videography gear and the other one is for my hiking and camping gear.
I particularly chose white for the boxes to keep the place looking clean and still appear minimalist. There are two washrooms in this flat; one is also used as a store room.
Are there unique features in your home?
This flat has a big enough balcony for my purposes. I have seen units in the same building with bigger balconies, but they have smaller living rooms.
The one thing that really made me decide to take this flat was the large living room. It also has a high ceiling and I can easily convert the space into a photo studio for sessions anytime I need to.
Are there any downsides to living in this district?
When driving to some places I sometimes feel DSO is a long way out, but actually, it’s usually 20 minutes by car to almost anywhere else in Dubai.
And my location also means that I am a little nearer than most of my hiking buddies when it comes to us heading up to Ras Al Khaimah for our outdoor activities on weekends during the winter.
In terms of public transport, there are regular RTA buses to BurJuman and Centrepoint stations on the Dubai Metro.
So when I am not in the mood to drive I can commute from DSO to Dubai Media City for work assignments which can involve magazine design on-site with a client.
What is the major plus of living in your apartment?
The building is very well maintained compared to other residential buildings I have visited in Dubai. The real estate company is also very quick to respond when it comes to any repairs required in the flat.
Do you plan to stay in the property?
I have stayed here all these years and haven’t moved around maybe because I dread the idea of moving. While the rent rate is not as competitive as it perhaps should be for a ‘far from the city centre’ location, it is still a great place to live.
The five pillars of Islam
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The permutations for UAE going to the 2018 World Cup finals
To qualify automatically
UAE must beat Iraq.
Australia must lose in Japan and at home to Thailand, with their losing margins and the UAE's winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.
Saudi Arabia must lose to Japan, with their losing margin and the UAE's winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.
To finish third and go into a play-off with the other third-placed AFC side for a chance to reach the inter-confederation play-off match
UAE must beat Iraq.
Saudi Arabia must lose to Japan, with their losing margin and the UAE's winning margin over Iraq being enough to overturn a goal difference gap of eight.
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Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Hydrogen: Market potential
Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.
"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.
Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.
The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers Henderson, Pickford, Pope.
Defenders Alexander-Arnold, Chilwell, Coady, Dier, Gomez, Keane, Maguire, Maitland-Niles, Mings, Saka, Trippier, Walker.
Midfielders Henderson, Mount, Phillips, Rice, Ward-Prowse, Winks.
Forwards Abraham, Barnes, Calvert-Lewin, Grealish, Ings, Kane, Rashford, Sancho, Sterling.
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
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
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group B
Tottenham Hotspur 1 (Eriksen 80')
Inter Milan 0
'Of Love & War'
Lynsey Addario, Penguin Press
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Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
What is the definition of an SME?
SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.
A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors.
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