My Dubai Rent takes you inside a reader's home to have a look at what they get for their money, how much they pay in rent and asks them what they like and don't like
Artist Alka Bhatia was born and raised in Dubai where she still lives, currently in the vibrant Al Karama community.
The former compliance officer is a five-time Guinness World Record holder for her crochet creations and is now working towards her sixth.
Ms Bhatia has seen the city grow from desert sand to one filled with skyscrapers, and from two-bedroom apartments renting for Dh9,000 a year to “the current situation” of landlords requiring a major chunk of incomes.
The Indian national and her husband moved to their current unit in the Al Wasl Building, near Emirates Post Dubai Central Office, in 2017. They share it with his parents.
Ms Bhatia, 45, took The National on a tour of their home.
What can you tell us about this flat?
This is a two-bedroom apartment with two and a half bathrooms.
It has central AC and the building is chiller-free. It has a pool, a play area for children, a gym – separate for ladies and gents, which makes it more special.
I love the apartment as I get to see the sunrise from my balcony and start my day with positive energy straight from the sun.
The building is on the main road. However, my apartment is facing an interior road, which makes it quite peaceful.
Where did you live before?
I had lived in a two-bedroom apartment with my parents in Al Fahidi Street since 1978. I moved to Karama after I got married.
Rents in this area are reasonable for their size. We pay Dh75,000 per annum.
Why did you choose the area?
The apartment is in a central place with easy connectivity to Bur Dubai, Deira, Oud Metha and Sheikh Zayed Road.
Our building is on the main road which makes it special as we beat the traffic on the interior roads.
There is a bus stop by our building exit so it is easy to connect to public transport, whether it's an RTA bus or the Dubai Metro red or green line.
One of the major reasons we moved here was because there are lots of restaurants and grocery stores and big supermarkets, which means easy access for everything we need – not to mention emergency services; the building is opposite the fire station.
We have many clinics and pharmacies nearby, and we are also very close to hospitals in Healthcare City for any medical emergencies.
What are the other advantages of living here?
The security in the building makes its really safe for kids and elderly people and only families are allowed to rent apartments.
There is a maintenance team available around the clock that solves any issues pretty fast.
The famous BurJuman Mall is close, where you can hang out with friends.
Added to that, we have Al Seef at Dubai Creek also within 1km range, which is normally busy with various activities round the clock.
It is good for fireworks during New Year's Eve and Dubai Shopping Festival. It’s like a carnival throughout the year, so much happens in this area.
Are you in a sociable neighbourhood?
There are about 100 apartments in one block, there are two blocks in the building and we know quite a lot of people. We have also referred this building to family and friends as we like it a lot.
However, this is not a pet-friendly place – no pets are allowed.
For children, they have a beautiful play area built recently with a lovely walking track and benches for elderly people – all in all, something to keep every member of the family occupied.
How have you made your house a home?
We have our own furniture with a little Indian feel.
Since I am an artist I like to put a lot of artwork on display in my house.
Anything that you would change?
I am quite happy with the way it is and do not really want to change much.
I have plenty of space and light to be creative, such as doing Diamond Dotz – which is a form of art, and crochet, which I sell and take orders for.
I have five world records [as Anjana of Crochet Collectibles], one in 2017 for the longest crocheted scarf, in 2018 with the largest display of crochet sculptures, the largest display of Christmas decorations in 2019, the largest display of crochet caps [in 2022], and last year one for the largest display of crochet ponchos.
All that work goes to charity and in the past I have donated our handmade crafts to children with special needs.
Do you think living here offers value for money?
It does. We have done many calculations of the rent and other bills like water, electricity and transportation. We always came out with a result that is the best for us.
Do you plan to stay in the property?
Yes. We like it here and are happy to stay as long as it is feasible to our pockets.
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Building boom turning to bust as Turkey's economy slows
Deep in a provincial region of northwestern Turkey, it looks like a mirage - hundreds of luxury houses built in neat rows, their pointed towers somewhere between French chateau and Disney castle.
Meant to provide luxurious accommodations for foreign buyers, the houses are however standing empty in what is anything but a fairytale for their investors.
The ambitious development has been hit by regional turmoil as well as the slump in the Turkish construction industry - a key sector - as the country's economy heads towards what could be a hard landing in an intensifying downturn.
After a long period of solid growth, Turkey's economy contracted 1.1 per cent in the third quarter, and many economists expect it will enter into recession this year.
The country has been hit by high inflation and a currency crisis in August. The lira lost 28 per cent of its value against the dollar in 2018 and markets are still unconvinced by the readiness of the government under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to tackle underlying economic issues.
The villas close to the town centre of Mudurnu in the Bolu region are intended to resemble European architecture and are part of the Sarot Group's Burj Al Babas project.
But the development of 732 villas and a shopping centre - which began in 2014 - is now in limbo as Sarot Group has sought bankruptcy protection.
It is one of hundreds of Turkish companies that have done so as they seek cover from creditors and to restructure their debts.
FIXTURES
Nov 04-05: v Western Australia XI, Perth
Nov 08-11: v Cricket Australia XI, Adelaide
Nov 15-18 v Cricket Australia XI, Townsville (d/n)
Nov 23-27: 1ST TEST v AUSTRALIA, Brisbane
Dec 02-06: 2ND TEST v AUSTRALIA, Adelaide (d/n)
Dec 09-10: v Cricket Australia XI, Perth
Dec 14-18: 3RD TEST v AUSTRALIA, Perth
Dec 26-30 4TH TEST v AUSTRALIA, Melbourne
Jan 04-08: 5TH TEST v AUSTRALIA, Sydney
Note: d/n = day/night
Babumoshai Bandookbaaz
Director: Kushan Nandy
Starring: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bidita Bag, Jatin Goswami
Three stars
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%3Cp%3EYears%3A%20October%202015%20-%20June%202024%3Cbr%3ETotal%20games%3A%20491%3Cbr%3EWin%20percentage%3A%2060.9%25%3Cbr%3EMajor%20trophies%3A%206%20(Premier%20League%20x%201%2C%20Champions%20League%20x%201%2C%20FA%20Cup%20x%201%2C%20League%20Cup%20x%202%2C%20Fifa%20Club%20World%20Cup%20x1)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Director: Shady Ali
Cast: Boumi Fouad , Mohamed Tharout and Hisham Ismael
Rating: 3/5
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
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AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
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)
THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
