Fahrenheit Beachsports owner Carl de Villiers loves his seaside ‘hood.

My days in Dubai start and end out on the water, and that’s why I really love Jumeirah – it’s literally in line with the beach! I like to get in some early morning fishing from my stand up paddleboard before the day properly begins.

I enjoy the solitude and the pursuit of hunting fish out on the bay. I also love the peace and quiet. Once the sun is up, I’ll take out our guests for a wake surf session from Fahrenheit’s HQ at the Dubai Marine Beach Resort.


Fahrenheit Beachsports

Or, if I’m not working I’ll join a surfing session with Surf School Arabia. There are a few really nice spots in Jumeirah to catch a break.


Surf Shop Arabia

Dubai is one of the world’s best places to take part in the action. The surf scene in the Emirates grows bigger every year.

Away from the ocean, the recently developed Boxpark area has helped make this neighbourhood special – I’m a big fan of the new Roxy cinemas there. They’ve got retro leather armchairs.


Comfy seats at Roxy…

Food wise, I reckon Jumeirah has some of the most authentic and reasonably priced restaurants in all of Dubai. There are so many hidden gems. My absolute favourite place is Al Ijaza Café on Beach Road. It’s awesome, cheap and authentic Middle Eastern Cuisine. You can easily spot it; it’s the one with a massive line of cars outside. They also do epic fruit juice mixes.


Al Ijaza, a proper hidden gem in Jumeirah

At sunset, I’m usually back out on the water for one last wake boarding session. It’s great to see how happy people are once they’ve waked. I try to jam in a session myself to get the same feeling. As I always say, life is better on water.

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