The Good Life
11 things I love about Dubai

11 things I love about Dubai

Dubai is a shopper's paradise, an employee's ladder, a definition of diversity, a playground for International...

Hina Jafri February 07, 2013

I am not much of a blogger, but ever since I read a hate piece about Dubai, I wanted to revive its charm.

Dubai, can be assessed from several angles; a tourist, a family, a labourer, a tycoon or an individual.

I fall in the last. So here is my list of why I absolutely adore Dubai.

1. Array of cuisines

When it comes to food, Dubai is a mixed platter of delicacies from all around the world. Being a foodie in Dubai and its variety of dining options, is like an unleashed child in a candy-store. From Brazilian Churrasscaria to Vietnamese Bun Bo hue, Dubai offers it all - authentically.

Choosing a restaurant can be a tough call because of the diversity Dubai has and with several online deals and entertainer vouchers, gourmet and fine dining are no more a luxury.

2. Girl power

'Ladies first' still applies in Dubai and at most of the places, Eve surpasses Adam when it comes to convenience.

There are:

-Exclusive 'ladies only' compartments in the metro (rail);

-Separate lines for women at the ministry offices;
-Ladies only days at water-parks.

So, that's how women roll here!

3. Engineered greenery

When nature was distributing greenery, these GCC countries were may be too busy sheeshaing!

Dubai, unfortunately scores low on natural greenery but the government has not left any stone unturned to plant green pastures around the city.

You can always welcome winters with a BBQ party or just get along with summer by jogging and exercising on the free machines located in one of the several parks.

4. Cosmopolitan cocktail

The thing I love about this place is the number of nationalities it hosts. While travelling in the metro, you can literally observe the diversity of this metropolis, where a group of Filipina kabayans taking pictures, a South-Indian talking (loudly, like a boss) on a cell-phone, a Syrian woman with her baby in a pram, an Italian couple asking about the closest JBR or some GCC tourist family, who have never traveled by train before.

Dubai has become the new definition of diversity!

5. Climbing the corporate ladder

Dubai offers a promising growth to your career. With the number of MNCs and big names operating their regional offices from here, the experience gained is a resume builder.

The quality of working standards and level of exposure is definitely a perk.

6. Hot wheels

If you have a passion for wheels, Dubai is the stop where you can see the filthy rich people parading their precious vehicles on the JBR walk or a Harley Davidson group growling loud around the town over the weekend.

You can also experience an Audi TT drive at the circuits and burn in that heat, or just be simply mesmerised by the motor show!

7. Everyone's a winner

I am sure everyone in Dubai knows someone who has won something over somewhere. Like literally, radio stations give away prizes everyday from movie tickets to a one year leased apartment!

Prizes that are meant to be won, may I add daily, during the Dubai Shopping Festival are just insane!

8. The four letter word that women crave for! Love? Nah Sale!!

I, of course, won’t compare sales over here to Black Friday or Chinese New Year’s, but being a shopaholic, I feel Dubai is just a shopper’s paradise!

With so much variety on the shopping menu, you just get drawn to that four-lettered-magical-word and drool in stores, almost as though you were hypnotised.

9. SOS (Sync Oh Sports)

What is your sport? Wakeboarding? Taekwondo? Fencing?

Dubai allows you to keep up with literally anything! I love (like love) basketball, and thankfully, am a regular player in a community league here.

Dubai also hosts a variety of international sports to cater different tastes and till date, I have been to three Pakistan Cricket series, one Golf Desert Classic and one World Horse-Racing Cup.

Dubai just knows how to spoil you!

10. Let the music play

Ooo! Do I need to say anything about this one?

Weekends in Dubai are always booked for one concert or the other. From Rahat Fateh Ali Khan to Armin Van Buuren, Dubai is a haven for much lovers. .

There are several movie premieres and film festivals that are accessible and the tickets can also be won through various competitions hosted by sponsors.

Lucky for us!

11. Center of now

After studying abroad, I have made many international friends and ever since I moved to Dubai, I have met 19 of my university friends here!

This is because Dubai is just so convenient for people to drop by.

Suitcases are a permanent decoration piece in my studio apartment because whoever is going wherever just happens to pass by Dubai.

As I wind up, I feel like I will be labelled as a paid employee of Ministry of Tourism! Can't help it; I just love this place!

But haters gonna hate anyways, khallee wallee!

Follow Hina on Twitter @hinazj

WRITTEN BY:
Hina Jafri A fraud risk consultant. She loves long conversations, basketball and travelling. With writing and photography as her passion, she aims to capture and reveal the essence of life around her in light humour. She tweets @hinazj

The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necassarily reflect the views and policies of the Express Tribune.

COMMENTS (54)

Muhammad Rameez Javed | 11 years ago | Reply if you are not a shopaholic and not someone who likes to keep his space like me,dubai is not the place for you. I ve grew up in dubai and i have lost my love for this place. Way too many people and the locals are not sweet anymore. They are dare i say, racist now!!! If i'd be given a choice, i would bash an arab.

adnan | 11 years ago | Reply no doubt dubai has more pros than cons. i would like to add an important one here, i know how we feel when wark a dark street in london or even the main roads after dusk. whereas dubai is much safer place as compared to london or NY or bejing.

VIEW MORE COMMENTS

Azmat | 11 years ago | Reply @Hasan: Brother Hasan the infidels of UK and USA are working closely with Zionist jews to spread conspiracies against us Muslim lot and specially Arabs. I may request you to stop reading these Zionist propaganda filled papers and try to read some text from Hafiz Saeed, Zaid Hamid, Ansar Abbasi, Orya Maqbool Jan. :P BTW You cant rave in Dubai so whats the point of inviting Armin and other EDM stars there?

Alfred | 11 years ago | Reply Great post! Dubai is really a very nice place to visit. One can get so many facilities here. Whether you'll come for traveling or for any job purpose you'll love the city. You can meet so many people out here with different cultures. You hardly can get such opportunities in any other place.

Usama Bin Ahmed | 11 years ago | Reply Good Work HJ.. thumbs up :) Also there is LESSER discrimination comparatively.

MTeliot | 11 years ago | Reply @Rabika gul Haaahaha sarcasm fest...that was a feast...neat post. Seriously tho...its really not such a bad blog if you consider tge author is appreciating whats good about the place...how is that wrong?

bball | 11 years ago | Reply @Still Laughing at Hina: Are you sure that it's not your apparent 'superiority' complex of being in America that you are putting her down? It's one thing to have voting rights etc - and yes, west as a whole is much more generous with that as they primarily attract educated persons and filter out most of the labor class whereas Dubai attracts lot of the labor class from Pakistan also. In the cases where the labor was used by force, it is reprehensible, but where labor from Pakistan chose to work there because that was better than they were getting in Pakistan, then that is a higher value that they are attaining vs. Pakistan - simple economics. If have serious doubts whether the western nations would treat all Pakistanis with respect if they let the flood-gates open to every Pakistani - even today, there is definite racism in many western areas though less pronounced overall. What about economic equality? There are some pakistanis who have done well in the west and there are other pakistanis who have done well in UAE rising to very senior levels in I.T., finance/building. The salary gap for management positions is narrowing and Pakistanis in such positions are getting paid handsome amounts - $120K plus for an engineer with experience is quite normal and that too without taxes. Every place has its own plusses and minuses - however, the blog is about how well Dubai has done and it does stand today as a modern marvel. We've grown up on holiwood showing us the granduer of NYC/Chicago through their movies and empire state/WTC being the iconic tourist landmarks drawing millions of visitors. So what's wrong if we pay tribute to modern marvels like under water amazing structures or the burj Khalifa? if you look up, in terms of their architecture and design, they truly are modern marvels and technologically cutting-edge. Criticize where needed, but give credit where due. Otherwise, the world will continue to pass people of this mind-set by. We already missed the boat on China for years denying its rising significance - look now the entire world realizes what China is and we pakistanis still are living in the dark ages.

The Khan | 11 years ago | Reply Not sure why is the author being pwned here. She only stated her opinion. Btw i am a very high-income expat in Saudi and Saudis or people in Dubai do not insult people like us so i am not sure whether it is related to being Pakistani. FYI: I have a saudi as my servant

itsstilladesert | 11 years ago | Reply @ stilllaughingathina Beast of a post. Salute

abc | 11 years ago | Reply Sorry lady, everyone is not a winner in Dubai. Only the privileged elite that can afford Burberry scarves are :-)

bball | 11 years ago | Reply The resource-sucking leeches of Pakistan - aka 'liberals' - must know that dubai has carved out a niche for itself in tourism, finest building/architecture, regional finance/ marketing/branding etc. The tiny desert has transformed itself into a connection hub for billions in the region. It's one of the few places in Asia that is a truly diverse place with persons of all color seen about. Of course - those who leech off the state find those with wealth disgusting - what an irony. speaking of opulence, i guess our friends haven't been to las vegas, the playground for the rich in u.s. - but then they comment from a distance.

Rabika gul | 11 years ago | Reply the croak of the fashionably ethical and the morally superior bourgeoisie can be heard loud and clear raging and hell bent on disparaging the author's claims as squalid fantasy they are indignant and offended, unable to comprehend not 1 nor 2 or 4 but 11 things she loves! does she not know, does she not care how her passion for this country is a glaring reflection of the immigrant policies here? and what she must be like to not be able to see that without this corrupted country's citenzenship she will forever be labelled a degenerate, third rate citizen by me.(@itsstilladesert) and how blatantly vulgar to show sympathies for a circus that so thoughtlessly lays a claim on half of the world's valuable energy (@itsstilladesert) for what morsels are left after for Las Vagas, Shangai, Tokyo and the rest ?! but most degrading, most infuriating of all is how morally repulsive it is to focus on what you love instead of what you hate oh! you vile, rotten little lover of a decadent city what a flagrant miscarriage of righteous principles you have carried out by freely voicing out what you love about Dubai for as a proud american settled in america in an american house I know full well the strength of appreciation always come at the cost of one's principles. (@still laughing at hina)

Assad | 11 years ago | Reply Absolutely agree with you,I was born in Dubai and spent 18 years of my life there, there is more to like about Dubai and as for the hate blog this article trumps it easily. Good job

rabika gul | 11 years ago | Reply perhaps it will do some of you a whole whales' weight worth good to decide which do you hate the most; pakistanis, dubai, arabs or just plain old life in general? focus your energy on one and your ship of hate may actually take you somewhere productive. till then keep the misery, hate part of the deal on your list of virtues to attend to and leave the love part to her. i think that's bargain she will be willing to strike.

Milind | 11 years ago | Reply @Author - If guess your intention was to offset the effect of '10 hateful things of Dubai' listed on another blog.. Well, everybody in the world knows about the things you stated above. In fact Dubai has sold itself effectively and I too love Dubai for the above.. However the dark side (I'm sure everything/everybody has it) needs to be brought out and is lent more weight when everybody is in a state of perpetual optimism, going overboard on a high. Net-net - You're blog, writing style has come out good and I tend to agree with all of the above. However I will rate the other (10 hateful things) blog more (for its impact value), since we (especially the entitled / well to do) seriously need critical self-analysis and a wake-up call , periodically and that blog serves the purpose.

ABC | 11 years ago | Reply @bball No one except u even mentioned USA. Dubai and Arabs are all about showing-off. Maybe you haven't met one. Dubai is built from the blood and hardwork of bonded labors from poor countries and one day their "aah" will catch up with that superficial place.

Marina | 11 years ago | Reply Great Post Hina. Looking at the comments I seriously fail to understand is why we as a nation prefer to look at the dark side of everything. Dubai is a top notch tourist destination and we should be happy to acknowledge it but no we have to find flaws in everything. The tourist industry in Dubai is thriving and the fully booked logs of Dubai hotels or Dubai holiday apartments is a proof of it. We need to learn from Dubai and present a better friendly image of Pakistan too.

bball | 11 years ago | Reply It is utterly funny to see liberal pakistanis complaining about 'materialism' when it comes to Dubai - do they forget the the country whose praises they sing day and night - namely usa - is materialism personified - in fact, it defines materialism. And materialism is perhaps another word for progress - may resource-sucking Pakistani liberals gain the skills to produce 'materialistic' goods for the consumption of the world thereby benefiting their country...

sundus | 11 years ago | Reply imaan always acts like she knows what shes talking about. but she's just a kid. hina, thanks for showing us a more mature side of dubai.

Hasan | 11 years ago | Reply Here is something I found in an English newspaper. The Guardian, Thursday 7 February 2013 I was working as an attendant in a private hospital near my home in Qutbullahpur, a crowded town on the edge of Hyderabad when I first heard about job opportunities in Saudi Arabia. My brother's wedding had been arranged. The man who arranged the match, Majjid, told me I could earn four times more if I went to work in Saudi. He said my children – I have four and my husband has left me – could live better lives. I'd been at the hospital for six years, earning 5,000 rupees (£60) a month. It was very difficult to support my children since my husband didn't contribute at all. But I was reluctant to travel to Saudi because the thought of going overseas to a strange country scared me. So Majid introduced me to another man Feroz who, I think, is an agent who recruits people from Hyderabad to work in the Gulf. He was working for someone based in Delhi who has a network for recruiting. I had got my passport four months ago because my aunt and I were keen on going [for pilgrimage] to Mecca. Feroz used to come to my house and tell told me if I worked as a domestic help in Saudi I could go for Haj as well. He said I was getting the ticket and the visa for free. Even his wife spoke to me and told me there was nothing to fear. She had travelled to Saudi as a tourist and told me I should go to Riyadh. So I paid him 10,000 rupees (£120) for his services. Then I spent another 10,000 rupees buying clothes and other things for my stay in Riyadh. On 12 June 2012, I flew to Dubai – Bahrain – Riyadh. I was told to tell the emigration desk at Hyderabad airport I was going to Dubai to visit my aunt. When they asked me too many questions, I called Feroz and handed over the phone. Once he spoke to the official, they let me through. I think he had bribed officials at the airport so they wouldn't stop people like me from going. Once I reached Riyadh, I called the employer, Ahmed, but there was no response. They took me to the police station and I was there for four days waiting for my employer to come and pick me up. When Ahmed finally arrived, they gave him my passport. He took me to a hotel. I got nervous so I locked myself in the room and refused to open the door even when he knocked. There was a trap door through which he would pass the food. After two days, Ahmed's mother and sister arrived at the lodge and I agreed to open the door. I left with them for Ahmed's mother's house. There were six men in that house, all of them Ahmed's brothers. They made me sleep in the storeroom. They gave me a blanket that smelled so much that I had to wash it before I could use it. And it was so hot. I opened the windows at night. They didn't like the way I cooked, so they threw away the food the first day. After that, I did other work like washing the pots and pans, cleaning and so on. I was at the house for 15 days when Ahmed started approaching me at night and asking if I liked him and if I would live with him like his wife. I got scared and told him I wanted to go back to India. He said he would take me to the airport but instead he sold me to another man, a sheikh called Gazi. I was taken to an office where sheikhs were paying for women. There were five other women and three men who were quoting prices. Ahmed sold me for 25,000 rupees (£300). I was scared that I might get pregnant. If I did, I thought they might kill me. I was locked in a room with three other women during the day. Ghazi poured hot water on my hands and feet, burning them. My phone had been smashed but I managed to piece it back together and called my aunt in Hyderabad to ask for help. I asked [a customer] who let me use his phone. Finally, it was Ghazi's wife who helped us. She unlocked the room like she did every morning so we could bathe and have something to eat. But she told us we could leave if we wished. So we went to the police station and the police called Ahmed so he could bring my passport. I got back to India on 23 July 2012. I filed a [criminal complaint] with the police against Feroz but they haven't found him yet. He has left his house. Majid says he didn't know this would happen. He believed it was a genuine job offer that would help me." Anis Begum was speaking to Aparna Alluri

Still Laughing at Hina | 11 years ago | Reply We have a saying in Urdu; "Andhay ki bastey main kanay ka raaj." Why is it that Pakistanis are so in love with these cluture-less Arabs; especially the ones in these Gulf States. Ms. Jaffri has no interest in giving credit to the hard working labor of Pakistan that helped build this mirage at the cost of earning slave wages and having NO rights as human beings. It blows my mind as to how quickly our mentality changes the minute we board an Emirates Flight because some Pakistanis feel like they can wash off the Pakistani on them because they can check into a hotel with room service. So called bloggers like this lady want the best of both worlds. They want all the comforts of Pakistan while living in their bubble and escaping to Dubai for "great music." ( Are you kidding me.) For full disclosure I might add that I am a proud American of Pakistani desent and get can stand tall in the US because we have rights here. If we start calling these discriminating Arabs who they actually are, we will not be pushed around like "Miskeen" or poor souls as some Arabs refer to people from Pakistan. Change starts at home and I may sounds very hypocritical sitting in the US and complaining but we should never understand the power to change OURSELVES and yet should not over estimate the power to change OTHERS. The next time you are in a Jam in DXB Ms. Jaffri, write a follow up blog and give us a sneak peak into how you are treated. Next time you are in Mecca, be sure to buy a purse at the Paris Hilton Store. Ironic don't you think considering Ms. Hilton's claim to fame which mind you is not her last name. I'm sure my post will not make it to print.

Mursil Butt | 11 years ago | Reply As a business point of view this place is a great platform to represent yourself to outside world. as compared to Pakistan my work will get more recognition while working from Dubai.

Sterry | 11 years ago | Reply @tman: It's funny that you criticise conditions in Pakistan when most Arab countries are far worse off - ever heard of Syria, Libya, Yemen ? Closeby is Bahrain which is perpetually on the brink of revolt. Yes there is money in the Gulf but everyone sees it for what it is: a short blip in history and when the money runs out, the western foreigners and all the third world labourers will run back to their home countries. You may be enamoured with the shopping and seeing the diversity but the whole artifical nature of the place is what I find most irritating. And yes, poor people from Pakistan, Phillipines and Sri Lanka will still clamour to go there to earn money to send home. And yes middle class people from the Third World will think they have arrived in some developed heavenly country compared to their home countries but most educated people who have travelled the world won't give the Gulf countries an iota of the admiration that poor Pakistanis do. These are happy to make money as 2nd class citizens in an Arab country that can never be their home. It's pitiful to see them boast in Pakistan that they are born in Dubai or Sharjah or Saudia where even the locals laugh at how proud they are to say that! My siblings were born in Abu Dhabi and they've stop saying it!

javeria | 11 years ago | Reply IMAAN SHEIKH AND HINA JAFRI; FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT

Singh | 11 years ago | Reply Hi Hina, Your blog represent the thought process. As myself migrate to US some 25 yrs. ago, I might write some thing which might not your liking. 1. It should be qualitative living of collective living standard that represent migrant. 2. I watch some video of migrant laborer in UAE who are working like bonded labor. It might suit some people who have feudal back ground but not progressive person. 3. Migrant don't have any voice that represent their concern. Try to do the same and see the reaction. 4. Greenery or shopping mall does not represent any country value until unless every one have same right. Do you like to be in golden cage or living freely like bird. 5. They segergate women from men bcz they are still imprison in mind set of 5th century. Same people when come to US they behave accordingly US laws & don't have any problem. 6. And the worst part is one can not be a citizen of these country, no matter what how best you serve these country in your prime age. Once you done with that they will through you out like used toilet paper It is OK as long as you have work permit or visiting as tourist, but for life it is hell hole.

Aleem | 11 years ago | Reply On the 'Hate piece' I commented that I hate Dubai for taking my friends away! On this love piece I comment: I Love Dubai for many of my awsome friends are there. (And I hope Haider reads this comment too)

Singh | 11 years ago | Reply @bored: Cheap Servant ? Show your mind set. Go to Western country or US & try to call some body servant then see the reaction. I think proper word is DOMESTIC HELP.

Bharat | 11 years ago | Reply The best thing about Dubai is that cars have no duty on them.This makes even luxury cars reachable to upper middle class people. In very few places in the world,this is possible But i believe the heat is unbearable as the country is a desert

Hina Jafri | 11 years ago | Reply @yogurt lover i have never lived in Pakistan :) , although visit it every year, I was born and raised in a neighboring GCC country (and not KSA). Neither I worship Dubai nor I am comparing it with any place, just that I am content with the quality of my life here!

Ali | 11 years ago | Reply Its the money silly

Aijaz Haider | 11 years ago | Reply Now what are the remaining 12 things (out of the total 33) about Dubai? ... and then khallaas!

The Khan | 11 years ago | Reply I just bought a apartment in Dubai. Good place

Hina Jafri | 11 years ago | Reply oh, yogurt lover, seriously or not, i like my name to own my opinion! :) thats not my 'pseudonym' though and i sort of don't agree with 'seriously' either because its not living life to the fullest that i am preaching here, its just that being a muslim, i feel comfortable in dubai when i am enjoying top gourmet food, praying after listening to adhaan rather than looking at my watch and keeping upto date with all other essential living standards. not a shallow thinker or materialistic, just an optimist :)

sandy | 11 years ago | Reply This is also a country where you cannot question your rulers - a blog will get you imprisoned - so essentially Express Tribune will not last a day. But I accept there are any number of pluses and who cares if the locals cannot question their rulers - they dont care so why should we.

Hina Jafri | 11 years ago | Reply Hi readers, would like to receive constructive criticism over writing quality and everything else. I clicked the submit button with crossed fingers to brace the criticism readers flood the writer with, over here. due to word limit, i had to cut down on alot of details, bt this is dubai to me in nutshell won't be able to respond individually. happy reading! :D

Human | 11 years ago | Reply @Pessimist: write it again please & U ET show his comments

Sana | 11 years ago | Reply I agree! :D wayy to gooo! good one :D love xoxo

Pessimist | 11 years ago | Reply Hooo haa, ET censored my comment I made in response to Ali S. How weird... :/

Parvez | 11 years ago | Reply I am transfixed............can't wait for ' Three and one third things I love about Sharjah '.

Le' Shuwarma | 11 years ago | Reply Aiiiwah!

I am a Khan | 11 years ago | Reply The last blog about the hateful things of dubai and this blog about the likeable things of dubai together sum up dubai. But this blog did not mention whether or not there is a social life in dubai. whether or not you have large groups of friends and family dinners like in Pakistan?? during my visit to Dubai, my main issue was with the unbearable heat and lack of air/oxygen in the atmosphere :) But I liked the diversity of the city.

seriously | 11 years ago | Reply @yogurt lover i think that would be called, living life to the fullest, don't judge her for loving something @nadir the blogger clearly mentioned that it is from an individual's perpective, i agree that from a laborer's percepective, things would be different.

bored | 11 years ago | Reply You forgot to mention "0% tax on cars" Commoners can afford luxurious cars..Infact commoners could afford LUXURY in general. I would give the example of my cousin who was making 4 times more money as a successful lawyer in the United States but enjoys a much more comfortable lifestyle in Dubai with a house by the beach, cheap servants and halal food.. I would say Dubai is a country which gives the opportunists a chance to improve their living standard.

Pessimist | 11 years ago | Reply Too... much.... materialism...! Ali S Just wait for the comments from ET’s so-called ‘Pakistani liberals’ criticizing Dubai’s sex segregation and human rights abuses (look in your backyard first if you want to see the real tragedy of those issues). Bashing anything Arab-related for them is a way to reaffirm their faith in their pseudo-liberalness.

Ali S | 11 years ago | Reply Just wait for the comments from ET's so-called 'Pakistani liberals' criticizing Dubai's sex segregation and human rights abuses (look in your backyard first if you want to see the real tragedy of those issues). Bashing anything Arab-related for them is a way to reaffirm their faith in their pseudo-liberalness.

saqib | 11 years ago | Reply I love Duabi.. The best place to be..its awesome. you are right when you says "I am sure everyone in Dubai knows someone who has won something over somewhere" Last three years I do won something 1. Two tickets to Rahet Fateh Ali khan Concert at world music Festival. 2 . 1000 dirham at Meydan race course at lucky draw. 3. A Weekend holiday for a couple from one the tourist company in Al Ain. The only thing which i don't like about Dubai is its Summers.

Nadir | 11 years ago | Reply And all of these great things are based on the sweat and tears of exploited labourers who are shuttled off to labour camps as the sunsets! Joy!

Adnan Khan | 11 years ago | Reply +1 for the Writer :) You forgot the best roads in the Region.. :) Early morning drive to Jebel al Hafeet... also the Resorts in RAK, Fujairah ! :) Virgin Radio to keep music Pumping...

Hamza | 11 years ago | Reply And all that becomes more wonderful when you have a US passport!

Gohar | 11 years ago | Reply Like the Lst Part Khalee Wallee!!!

Troll-face | 11 years ago | Reply Counter blog ^.^

ali abbasi | 11 years ago | Reply Yup. If you have more money than 80% of Pakistan has to blow, Dubai is awesome!

A traveling woman | 11 years ago | Reply Nice to see the other side of it. Not so sure about the shopping as I'm not a big fan of it, even as a woman. The ladies only charm, not a big fan of that myself, BUT I understand it's a haven for conservative women who simply prefer to be around other ladies, or the average woman who just wants to be away from any potential pervs (we all know how they creep out by the dozen in eastern countries particularly). But I'll give you the rest. Love the greenery, love the food, love the cultural variety of people and love the activities available. Must say I had a blast riding a dune buggy. So much to do there! Haven't spent nearly as much time as I would need to see/do/experience it all yet. Hope to return someday.

tman | 11 years ago | Reply Thanks a lot for posting ! as someone who has lived here for 2 years after coming from Pakistan, I can safely say that it was the best decision I ever made. May Allah (SWT) reward the ruling people here for providing such a beautiful way of life for everyone. It is a rare day when I dont get an email from someone I know in Pakistan asking for a job here in UAE because they are fed up with the hellish conditions over there. Lets hope the conditions in Pakistan get better and we can return happily to our home country

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ

11 things I love about Dubai

More by this writer

FOLLOW US