My Dubai Rent takes you inside a reader's home to see what they get for their money and ask them what they like and don't like
Two years ago Ian Steer and his wife Fran moved to Dubai from Abu Dhabi with their two rescue cats, Bonnie and Star.
The British couple rent a two-bedroom apartment in the Saratoga complex, in Al Barsha district, a walking distance from the Dubai Metro and Mall of the Emirates.
They were drawn to the property for a few reasons, including friends who lived in the building and recommended it, the spacious accommodation available, and the location.
Mr Steer, a freelance IT project manager/auditor originally from Manchester, and his Glaswegian wife, 40, an international business co-ordinator for a global law firm, pay Dh81,500 per year to rent their home.
Mr Steer, 52, opened the door to The National for a look around…
Tell us about your home
Our focus when we downsized from a duplex apartment in Abu Dhabi and moved to Dubai was to find a property with a good-sized kitchen, lots of storage, and easy access to the metro for work.
The building is 15 years old, but it looks and feels brand new thanks to the management who are very responsive and helpful.
Our apartment is one of the largest in the complex and comprises a spacious living dining area, large galley-style kitchen with laundry, two double bedrooms (master en-suite), a further 1.5 bathrooms, a large balcony, basement parking, and an air-conditioned storage room.
The rooms are all bright and provide plenty of natural light.
Where did you live before?
Prior to moving to Dubai, we lived in a two-bed duplex apartment overlooking Abu Dhabi Corniche.
One of the things we missed most about moving to Dubai is leaving behind the sea view.
Why did you choose this area?
Fran does not drive, and our number one requirement was a property with easy access to Dubai Metro.
Saratoga fulfilled this as it is situated within a few minutes' walking distance. The property is conveniently nestled between the bustling Mall of the Emirates and the efficient metro system, making it a prime location for affordable city living.
How did you find this apartment?
We have known about Saratoga Complex for a number of years. Our good friends lived in the building for eight years and, whenever we visited, we were always impressed by the size, layout, and quality of the property.
What advantages are there to residing in this neighbourhood?
Being here is perfect for city living. It is a great location; in less than 20 minutes you can be Downtown or in Jumeirah Beach Residence.
There is an abundance of local shops, restaurants and hotels on the doorstep, and being close to Mall of the Emirates is a bonus.
Al Barsha Pond Park is also close by, which is perfect for an evening stroll or bike ride.
The property has well maintained communal facilities, which include a spacious courtyard with access to the large semi-shaded swimming pool, two fully equipped gyms, and an indoor playroom for children.
How have you personalised the apartment?
My wife and I have a collection of art that tells the story of our travels and experiences, from some African masks picked up on a trip to Tanzania to a serene landscape of Angkor Wat that reminds us of our honeymoon in Cambodia. Each piece has some special meaning and makes us feel at home.
Our two cats Bonnie and Star love the apartment too and like to use the kitchen, which has two entrances, as a race track. The cats can also enjoy sunbathing and bird-watching safely from inside the property due to the large windows.
Our second bedroom has a dual purpose and is set up as a good-sized office, which is suitable for our hybrid working lifestyle.
What would you change?
Nothing, we are very happy with the building. It feels like home.
We have everything we need within walking distance.
Does living here offer value for money?
The property is great value. The current rent is still less than the pre-pandemic level.
The generous proportions make it unique, along with the fully fitted kitchen with integrated appliances. There are no extra chiller charges.
Do you plan to stay in your apartment?
Yes, we feel at home here. The only thing that would make us consider moving is if the rent were to increase substantially.
Are there any downsides to the location?
At certain times of the day, traffic is at a standstill so it can take some time to get out of the area.
Innotech Profile
Date started: 2013
Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari
Based: Muscat, Oman
Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies
Size: 15 full-time employees
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now.
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 435hp at 5,900rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,800-5,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Price: from Dh498,542
On sale: now
Yuki Means Happiness
Alison Jean Lester
John Murray
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
THE LOWDOWN
Romeo Akbar Walter
Rating: 2/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Robby Grewal
Cast: John Abraham, Mouni Roy, Jackie Shroff and Sikandar Kher
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
ZAYED SUSTAINABILITY PRIZE
The bio:
Favourite holiday destination: I really enjoyed Sri Lanka and Vietnam but my dream destination is the Maldives.
Favourite food: My mum’s Chinese cooking.
Favourite film: Robocop, followed by The Terminator.
Hobbies: Off-roading, scuba diving, playing squash and going to the gym.
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
The specs: Rolls-Royce Cullinan
Price, base: Dh1 million (estimate)
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 563hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 850Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 15L / 100km
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
Dubai World Cup prize money
Group 1 (Purebred Arabian) 2000m Dubai Kahayla Classic - $750,000
Group 2 1,600m(Dirt) Godolphin Mile - $750,000
Group 2 3,200m (Turf) Dubai Gold Cup – $750,000
Group 1 1,200m (Turf) Al Quoz Sprint – $1,000,000
Group 2 1,900m(Dirt) UAE Derby – $750,000
Group 1 1,200m (Dirt) Dubai Golden Shaheen – $1,500,000
Group 1 1,800m (Turf) Dubai Turf – $4,000,000
Group 1 2,410m (Turf) Dubai Sheema Classic – $5,000,000
Group 1 2,000m (Dirt) Dubai World Cup– $12,000,000
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
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A German university was a good fit for the family budget
Annual fees for the Technical University of Munich - £600
Shared rental accommodation per month depending on the location ranges between £200-600
The family had budgeted for food, books, travel, living expenses - £20,000 annually
Overall costs in Germany are lower than the family estimated
As proof that the student has the ability to take care of expenses, international students must open a blocked account with about £8,640
Students are permitted to withdraw £720 per month
