35 essential Dubai hacks every resident needs to know
Making life in Dubai that little bit easier…
Did you know that the UAE has the second highest proportion of expats (around 88 per cent) of any country in the world, just narrowly out-migranted by the Vatican City. With an accelerating influx of fresh faces, it is incumbent on us – as veteran residents – to share with them our accumulated wisdom of how best to navigate this exotic paradise and live our best Dubai life.
Before you arrive: Get your documents attested
Unless you want to be saddled for perpetuity with the visa designation of desk clerk, we urge you to get your degrees attested before you arrive. The same goes for marriage certificates. It will save you money, hassle, time and potentially desk clerk administration obligations.
Read up on Ramadan
And not just Ramadan. Arab culture is one of the oldest, most beautiful and prolifically innovative in the world. Learn the language if you can, although it’s made incredibly easy for you not to, we’re looking at you British people. But certainly read up on Ramadan. It is the Holy Month, the most important time of the year for Muslims, with a profound and deeply meaningful reason behind its practices and to its adherents. Ramadan is a period when Muslims around the world abstain from eating, drinking or smoking between sunrise and sunset. Lasting about a month, it marks the time when the Quran was first revealed to the Prophet Mohammed PBUH. Extra tarawih prayers are performed at the mosque throughout Ramadan and each evening 1/30th of the holy book is recited. Be respectful, be inquisitive, and even if you aren’t a Muslim, try following the fasting ritual, it’s a blessing to learn what it has to teach you.
Careem Box is basically a butler-on-demand
The Careem app holds many labour-saving wonders (including food delivery aggregation, Hala taxi hailing, a luxury chauffeur service, a super handy zero-fee money transfer function, bike rental and grocery shopping) but one of its less well-known outsourcing tricks is probably its crowning glory. Careem Box is ostensibly a courier chartering service, a butler on demand if you will. Left your phone in The Nice Guy bar area last night? Too tired and emotional to pick it up in the morning? Careem Box has got you. Whatever you’re too lazy or functionally incapable of picking up, dropping off, or just having conveyed across physical geographical space, there’s an app that’s happy to pick up the slack. And the forgotten phone. Not that we’ve done that of course.
Understand the rental market
One challenge you’re likely to face immediately after landing in Dubai, is finding somewhere to live. It’s a difficult task in any city, but Dubai with its myriad districts, theme-park growth curves and not infrequent use of chequebooks can seem particularly overwhelming. And we haven’t even got to whatever an ejari is yet. To help get you on the right hat-laying track, we enlisted the wisdom of property whisperer, Mr Joshua Pargin (@property_sourcing_dubai) of @NomadHomes _Dubai. His top three tips for first-time renters in Dubai are: A) The rental market moves quickly here, if you find something you like, go for it, even if it’s a little over what you were expecting. B) Keep your search to where you need to be on the daily. There’s no point looking in The Springs if you’re working Downtown, you’re not going to enjoy the commute. C) If you see a property online, and it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Do not be surprised if it’s ‘gone’ when you enquire, its likely just a ‘lead farming’ tool. Finally, for a guide on regional rental prices, it’s worth checking out the new Dubai Smart Rental Index, which gives dynamic market prices for Dubai’s residential enclaves.
Cafu brings the petrol to you
It’s not just that you can get almost anything delivered in Dubai, it’s that you can usually do it for a fiscally trivial fee. It’s cut-price convenience made manifest. And if there’s one delivery service that never fails to blow the previously uninitiated’s minds, it’s Cafu. Forgotten to top the car up on the way home? Concerned about that empty light crawl to the closest petrol station? No problem, you can get a mobile pump to come and fill you up wherever you are in the UAE. And you can get it with Nissan-Patrol-express-lane levels of rapidity too, within 20-minutes for their priority package. They also service vehicles, offer valeting for sparkling interiors and exteriors, provide battery CPR and replacement, inspections and new tyres.
Find the world under one roof at Dragon Mart
“It’s like someone downloaded Amazon”, was the take away after my first visit to this, the largest trading hub for Chinese products outside mainland China. Pianos, pagodas, paragliders, drones, phones, astroturf, and telescopes, washing machines, motorbikes, hi-fis, routers for wifi, electrical tin openers, bathrooms, golden thrones, helicopter rotors, boat motor, steam engines, sculptures, pulpers, porcelain vultures, folders, polystyrene boulders or a full battalion of terracotta soldiers. Whatever your home decorating, transport or Cuban-coup mounting needs, if at first you don’t succeed, go to Dragon Mart.
Level-up those air miles
A credit card is not for everyone. It’s probably a good idea to avoid them, for example, if you’ve ever used terms like ‘free money’, ‘sounds like a future me problem’, or ‘debt is just a construct’. In fairness, it is a construct, just usually one that looks a lot like a downward spiral. But if you can trust yourself to pay off the balance on time, not overspend, or go on ad-hoc, sultan-tier, treat yoself sprees, there are a whole raft of credit cards that offer the opportunity to earn Skywards Miles, and Marriott Bonvoy points.
du, Etisalat or Virgin
When it comes to your mobile services provider you have a choice of these three companies. The coverage is great for all of them, but unlike other markets, you’re unlikely to get anything approaching a ‘free phone’ with your contract (without incurring extra charges elsewhere) so choose wisely. Virgin Mobile offers big discounts if you’re willing to pay for your year’s contract in advance. When it comes to fixed line or home internet, you’re often compelled to stick with whichever service your building or community is signed up for. Although Virgin is now offering 5G home broadband services that lets you bypass this convention. Whichever one you choose, or have chosen for you, know that using a VPN to access prohibited sites, is illegal in the UAE and carries heavy penalties.
Read What’s On
Ahhh the shameless self-plug. You knew it was coming, I did at least, I’d sketched out the subheads long before I started filling out what’s beneath them. But it really is a genuine and sincere piece of useful advice. There’s no better way to stay informed on all the new and existing leisure activities, live music, restaurants, megaprojects, festivals, concerts, regionally relevant movies and TV shows, bars, trends, transport updates, news, views, sporting events, rule announcements, hotels, residential communities, schools, beach clubs, pubs and Etihad Rail dispatches. Available in print, online and through your preferred social media platform. Other (less experienced) information disseminating publications are also available.
Find your beach
Dubai has hundreds of miles of coastline, but the ways in which parts of it have been enhanced or left to luxuriate in their own natural charms have led to quite the spectrum of sand-top experiences. There are beaches more frequently visited by waves, which make them the ideal spot for surf safaris (Sunset Beach and North Beach are probably the best in Dubai, but there are better locations in the Northern Emirates, try Tim’s Reef in Fujairah). There are lots of beach clubs offering varied levels of hospitality, often with (at least partly) redeemable entry fees. Some public beaches are quieter than others (try Jebel Ali Beach, or Jumeirah 1 and 2), though if you can stand the crowds, the busier ones are usually equipped with excellent fringe leisure benefits. Lifes a beach, as they say, but if beaches are life to you, at least you can choose where to lay your towel.
Dodge queues for administrative services
OK so we’ve already dropped ‘the E word’ (ejari) but there are a lot of other acronyms (DEWA, the utility provider for example) and exotically-titled documents you’ll have to either consult or procure in your early Dubai months. Possibly the best pro-tip for any new starter in Dubai is to check what you can do at the much quieter government office site in Al Barsha Mall. It offers a lot of the same services (ejari, RTA, typing centres etc) and there’s even a vehicle testing centre in the basement carpark (for doing your annual vehicle relicensing). You might not be able to perform your full admin 360 there, and it’s still operated on the ‘take a ticket and wait’ protocol, but we can borderline guarantee it’ll shave hours off your combined wait times.
Avoid the “same price as normal taxi boss” taxis
Spoiler alert. They’re not. They’re usually not even licensed. Most commonly represented by harboured fleets of Lexuses… Lexi? Lexium? (not the legitimate Careem/Uber services which are hailed via an app). Their preferred stalking grounds are around hotels, post-brunch kick-out spots, festival exits or mall carparks, where the drivers will approach you advertising themselves under such seductive taglines as “where are you going?” or “same price as normal taxi”. It’s possible to report unlicensed taxis, or drivers offering unmetered services to the RTA on (800)9090.
Don’t listen to the haters, the summer really isn’t that bad
Your first summer is always your hardest, but given the fact you can travel almost anywhere in Dubai in the merciful embrace of AC, how much you’re out in the midday heat is largely up to you. Even the outdoor construction workers are given siestas in the height of the summer. Plus at the weekends, there is an inexhaustible supply of indoor leisure activities to explore (see our guide to new adult focused fun here or sheltered activities for the whole family here), and temperature controlled pools to wallow in.
Zofeur is the ultimate safe driving option
When I first heard about this service it felt like another one of those ‘only in Dubai’ lifelines that just really need to be exported globally. It’s a driver charter service that allows you to book on demand, or in advance, securing yourself a chauffeur who can drive your car to or (lets be honest, the much more likely scenario) home from locations (again, playing the numbers game here, usually restaurants, events and house parties) inside the UAE for when you’re too tired (or… yeah the other one) to do it yourself.
Instashopping
Instashop is an extraordinarily handy app that aggregates a collection of grocery, pharmacy, and domestic service providers and organises delivery right to your door. Even through your door if you tip them well enough. I couldn’t count the amount of times they’ve stepped in with critical parmesan deliveries, or lifesaving Telfast drop-offs at my home or office. Other apps offering similar services: Barakat is a huge hit for budget fresh fruit and vegetable ordering; use Carnistore for your meat; Noon (basically local Amazon) can get you a range of consumables, cosmetics, electrical items and more within a quarter of an hour through their ‘Minutes’ function; Namshi is your local fast fashion plug and also includes same day deliveries for wardrobe panic scenarios; and Deliveroo and Talabat are probably the strongest food delivery apps.
Other essential apps
We’d also strongly recommend you download the Dubai Police app, you can use it to report accidents, file complaints, request permits and even launch an SOS beacon tracked to your GPS coordiantes. The government’s UAE Pass is also a conveniently place to request and store digital copies of all your important documentation (including visa and Emirates ID).
If you’ve doubled down on X chromosomes, enjoy the thrills of ladies’ nights/days
In the unlikely event of you not finding something you need in Dubai: Shop & Ship
If you want to order something online and that service doesn’t currently deliver to the UAE, that’s where Ship & Shop can swoop in. You organise delivery of your product to one of their delivery locations in more than 40 countries, they’ll then ship your product to Dubai for a fee, and within a timeframe that will likely be less than you think.
Get a water filter for your shower
Before we get ahead of ourselves, we should first acknowledge that the fact we can get water out of any tap in the middle of a desert is a modern miracle to rival plane wifi or creme brulee. The majority of the stuff that comes through your household tap in Dubai will be desalinated water, and whilst that is absolutely safe for most purposes, some anecdotal evidence suggests that there are ways to make it kinder on your hair and skin. You can get relatively inexpensive filters for shower heads that screw on in a matter of minutes.
Join all the Facebook Groups
Facebook might now be designated as Boomer technology, a virtual wasteland of webcam selfies and vitriolic right-wing Minions memes but it still has its uses. The Facebook Group community function is yet to be effectively replicated in many of its social media platform piers, and it can provide a valuable information source, sounding board, and friendship spawning hub for niche collectives. There are multiple Dubai expat groups of varying utility, but their ability to operate as a sort of accumulative oracle beats any AI algorithm that I’m aware of. Get your questions answered, recommendations for services, or just simply use it as a tool to find your tribe. The Dubai SubReddit is also an excellent resource.
Looking to sell/buy second hand stuff? dubizzle
Best price, last price, cardboard box. This is the democratisation of eCommerce. Dubai’s premiere online preloved listings site. Just prepare yourself for some triggering buying/selling transactional banter, and you’ll be just fine.
Do the cheap stuff
Dubai can be expensive. So can Paris, Mumbai, Sydney or pretty much any modern cosmopolitan city you care to think of. It’s not necessarily expensive though. You can spend a day on one of the many, immaculate public beaches for absolutely free, you can pick up a Dhs6 shawarma for lunch, or any number of Dhs15 biriyanis; catch the spectacular fountain shows at the Burj Khalifa, gratis; you can get big change back from Dhs50 for entrance to Global Village, Miracle Gardens, or Dubai Garden Glow; you can rent Careem bikes and meander the miles of picturesque cycle pathways; hike the highlands; live it up at the ladies’ nights; trawl the souks; meditate in the museums; take abra rides; chat over chaat in Karama; there’s diversity in the rental market; public transport; there’s an abundance of happy hours and voucher apps for soiree-ing on a shoestring; and petrol, compared to almost everywhere else in the world, is scandalously cheap. Check out our guide to the best free activities in Dubai here.
Your nol card isn’t just for Metro rides
The humble nol card might be your passport to the many glittering platforms of the Dubai Metro loop, but it can be so much more. You can use it to pay for assorted articles of bric-a-brac and nick-nackery at Almaya, Carrefour, Lulu, AllDay and Zoom stores; some restaurants accept it as a form of payment too (including 800 Degrees Pizza, London Dairy and Burger King); you can do the old regal wave with it in RTA taxis; at Zabeel Park and ENOC gas stations. There’s no card like a nol card.
It takes a Village
Want to live the Downtown life on a Karama budget? You might want to check out The Outlet Village in Jebel Ali, where you can find discounted fashion brands and huge savings on a number of big-name designers. This way, there’s no need to forsake it or fake it, until you make it.
The 20kph buffer zone
The speed limit is the speed limit, but in Dubai it’s the limit (whatever the sign says) plus 20kph. That’s the velocity at which the all-seeing, all-fining penalty notice paparazzi (speed cameras) are set to, drive 1kph over that and you’ll get the light show. Interestingly, in Abu Dhabi, there is no such buffer, if the sign says 140 and you’re driving at 141kph, it’s ticket city and the population, friend, is you.
Swap your driver’s license
Even if you have a driving license from your home country, you will eventually (and usually very soon after arrival) need a UAE driver’s license to legally operate a vehicle here in Dubai. Some nationalities will be able to do a straight transfer (this includes most of Europe, the US and Canada, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, Turkey and a few more nations, check with the RTA or a full list). You’ll need an Emirates ID and an RTA eye test but the whole process is relatively straightforward. People holding licenses from other countries will have to pass a driving test before obtaining a UAE license, though there’s now a way to avoid the previously compulsory lessons via the Golden Chance scheme.
Looking for a taste of home? Park n Shop
Craving some obscure edible (Irn Bru, Reese’s Puffs, Yorkshire Tea, Greggs sausage rolls, Frukti, Monster Munch, Ragu) from your home country? I can’t promise you’ll be able to find it in Park n Shop but it’s your best bet if nowhere else seems to stock it.
Explore Old Dubai
Sure sparkling new Dubai, with its razzamataz skyscrapers and futuristic tech accoutrement, is a magical place to explore. But if you want to see what’s at this city’s colourful, experience-rich core, take a walk straight through the heart of it.
Take your admin woes to DESCO
They print stuff; take photos for passports, visas and licenses; help you with basic design layouts and I don’t have the data to back this up but I’m fairly sure youre never further than 50 metres from one in Dubai.
Local Water
This is one of those hacks you pick up early on in your Dubai tenure. Whenever you’re at a restaurant and you’re asked if you want water, your reflex response, like the panicked jolt after a governmental emergency phone broadcast, should be: ‘local water please’. It’s not mandatory, but I’m not sure I could tell the difference between Masafi and Evian in a blindfold taste test, and paying a wodge of dirhams for packaging just feels like something that’s best left to cast members of Dubai Bling.
Join the Humantra race
And if want to spike your water with something nourishing, you can get Humantra electrolytes delivered straight to your face with Deliveroo.
Embrace the shataf
The metal hose contraption by the side of most lavatories in the Gulf region. Look toilet paper is a perfectly functional tool, but if you spilled a dollop of mango sorbet down your favourite cream sweater are you going to use serviettes to essentially move the mess around, or engage the big brain and just wash it clean off? Apologies if I’ve lost some of you here with this euphemistic hypothetical, but it’s an important life lesson.
Throwing a house warming? Do a Barracuda run
The old ‘big black bag’ road trip to Umm Al Quwain’s famous beach resort and beverage shop, Barracuda. It’s the old school expat destination of choice for picking up discounted adult refreshments and experiencing gag reactions to niche European liquor you’ve not seen since Tenerife ’08.
Don’t skip sellanycar.com if you’re looking at trading up your vehicle
The way these sorts of services are marketed can make them feel like a last resort, but they really aren’t. This isn’t a panic sale merchant, the business model is sound, and the amount you’re offered for your car is often surprising. Don’t believe me? You can get a free home inspection.
Exercise outside while you can
The Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC) may now be behind us for another year, but wellness is for life not just the 30 x 30. The month-long calendar of fitness events did come with some useful reminders though, of how to make exercise great again. Not least amongst them, the joy of training outdoors. Swapping beach runs for treadmills, punch bags for outdoor boxing drills and standard yoga for moonlit namaste thrills. And if, whilst the weather allows, you’d like to keep the alfresco gains coming, these are some of the best places in Dubai to stay fit with outdoor kit.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of tips, tricks, life hacks, shortcuts and just things you wish you knew sooner, but it’s a pretty good place to start. Please feel free to share with us, any we may have missed.
Before you arrive: Get your documents attested
Unless you want to be saddled for perpetuity with the visa designation of ‘desk clerk’, we urge you to get your degrees attested before you arrive. The same goes for marriage certificates. It will save you money, hassle, time and potentially desk clerk administration obligations.
Understand the rental market
One challenge you’re likely to face immediately after landing in Dubai, is finding somewhere to live. It’s a difficult task in any city, but Dubai with its myriad districts, theme-park growth curves and not infrequent use of chequebooks can seem particularly overwhelming. And we haven’t even got to whatever an ejari is yet. To help get you on the right hat-laying track, we enlisted the wisdom of property whisperer, Mr Joshua Pargin (@property_sourcing_dubai) of @NomadHomes _Dubai. His top three tips for first-time renters in Dubai are: A) The rental market moves quickly here, if you find something you like, go for it – even if it’s a little over what you were expecting. B) Keep your search to where you need to be on the daily. There’s no point looking in The Springs if you’re working Downtown, you’re not going to enjoy the commute. C) If you see a property online, and it seems too good to be true – it probably is. Do not be surprised if it’s ‘gone’ when you enquire, it’s likely just a ‘lead farming’ tool. Finally, for a guide on regional rental prices, it’s worth checking out the new Dubai Smart Rental Index, which gives dynamic market prices for Dubai’s residential enclaves.
Find your beach
Dubai has hundreds of miles of coastline, but the ways in which parts of it have been enhanced or left to luxuriate in their own natural charms have led to quite the spectrum of sand-top experiences. There are beaches more frequently visited by waves, which make them the ideal spot for surf safaris (Sunset Beach and North Beach are probably the best in Dubai, but there are better locations in the Northern Emirates – try Tim’s Reef in Fujairah). There are lots of beach clubs offering varied levels of hospitality, often with (at least partly) redeemable entry fees. Some public beaches are quieter than others (try Jebel Ali Beach, or Jumeirah 1 and 2), though if you can stand the crowds – the busier ones are usually equipped with excellent fringe leisure benefits. Life’s a beach, as they say, but if beaches are also life to you, at least you can choose where to lay your towel.
Throwing a housewarming? Do a Barracuda run
The old ‘big black bag’ road trip to Umm Al Quwain’s famous beach resort and beverage shop, Barracuda. It’s the old school expat destination of choice for picking up discounted adult refreshments and experiencing gag reactions to niche European liquor you’ve not seen since Tenerife ’08.
Careem Box is basically a butler-on-demand
The Careem app holds many labour-saving wonders (including food delivery aggregation, Hala taxi hailing, a luxury chauffeur service, a super handy zero-fee money transfer function, bike rental and grocery shopping) – but one of its less well-known outsourcing tricks is probably its crowning glory. Careem Box is ostensibly a courier chartering service, a butler on demand if you will. Left your phone in The Nice Guy’s bar area last night? Too ‘tired and emotional’ to pick it up in the morning? Careem Box has got you. Whatever you’re too lazy or functionally incapable of picking up, dropping off, or just having conveyed across physical geographical space – there’s an app that’s happy to pick up the slack. And the forgotten phone. Not that we’ve done that of course.
Source local water
This is one of those hacks you pick up early on in your Dubai tenure. Whenever you’re at a restaurant and you’re asked if you want water – your reflex response, like the panicked jolt after a governmental emergency phone broadcast, should be: ‘local water please’. It’s not mandatory – but I’m not sure I could tell the difference between Masafi and Evian in a blindfold taste test, and paying a wodge of dirhams for packaging just feels like something that’s best left to cast members of Dubai Bling.
Join the Humantra race
And if want to spike your water with something nourishing, you can get Humantra electrolytes delivered straight to your face with Deliveroo.
Avoid the “same price as normal taxi boss” taxis
Spoiler alert. They’re not. They’re usually not even licensed. Most commonly represented by harboured fleets of Lexuses… Lexi? Lexium? (not the legitimate Careem/Uber services which are hailed via an app). Their preferred stalking grounds are around hotels, post-brunch kick-out spots, festival exits or mall carparks, where the drivers will approach you advertising themselves under such seductive taglines as “where are you going?” or “same price as normal taxi”. It’s possible to report unlicensed taxis, or drivers offering unmetered services to the RTA on (800)9090.
Find the world under one roof at Dragon Mart
“It’s like someone downloaded Amazon”, was the take away after my first visit to this, the largest trading hub for Chinese products outside mainland China. Pianos, pagodas, paragliders, drones, phones, astroturf, and telescopes, washing machines, motorbikes, hi-fis, routers for wifi, electrical tin openers, bathrooms, golden thrones, helicopter rotors, boat motor, steam engines, sculptures, pulpers, porcelain vultures, folders, polystyrene boulders or a full battalion of terracotta soldiers. Whatever your home decorating, transport or Cuban-coup mounting needs, if at first you don’t succeed, go to Dragon Mart.
Take your admin woes to DESCO
They print stuff; take photos for passports, visas and licenses; help you with basic design layouts and I don’t have the data to back this up but I’m fairly sure you’re never further than 50 metres from one in Dubai.
Explore Old Dubai
Sure sparkling new Dubai, with its razzamataz skyscrapers and futuristic tech accoutrement, is a magical place to explore. But if you want to see what’s at this city’s colourful, experience-rich core, take a walk straight through the heart of it.
Swap your driver’s license
Even if you have a driving license from your home country, you will eventually (and usually very soon after arrival) need a UAE driver’s license to legally operate a vehicle here in Dubai. Some nationalities will be able to do a straight transfer (this includes most of Europe, the US and Canada, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, Turkey and a few more nations, check with the RTA or a full list). You’ll need an Emirates ID and an RTA eye test but the whole process is all relatively straightforward. People holding licenses from other countries will have to pass a driving test before obtaining a UAE license, though there’s now a way to avoid the previously compulsory lessons via the Golden Chance scheme.
Cafu brings the petrol to you
It’s not just that you can get almost anything delivered in Dubai, it’s that you can usually do it for a fiscally trivial fee. It’s cut-price convenience made manifest. And if there’s one delivery service that never fails to blow the previously uninitiated’s minds, it’s Cafu. Forgotten to top the car up on the way home? Concerned about that empty light crawl to the closest petrol station? No problem, you can get a mobile pump to come and fill you up wherever you are in the UAE. And you can get it with Nissan-Patrol-express-lane levels of rapidity too, within 20-minutes for their priority package. They also service vehicles, offer valeting for sparkling interiors and exteriors, provide battery CPR and replacement, inspections and new tyres.
An essential guide for new people in Dubai
Level-up those air miles
A credit card is not for everyone. It’s probably a good idea to avoid them, for example, if you’ve ever used terms like ‘free money’, ‘sounds like a future me problem’, or ‘debt is just a construct’. In fairness, it is a construct, just usually one that looks a lot like a downward spiral. But if you can trust yourself to pay off the balance on time, not overspend, or go on ad-hoc, sultan-tier, treat yo’self sprees – there are a whole raft of credit cards that offer the opportunity to earn Skywards Miles, and Marriott Bonvoy points.
The 20kph buffer zone
The speed limit is the speed limit, but in Dubai it’s the limit (whatever the sign says) plus 20kph. That’s the velocity at which the all-seeing, all-fining penalty notice paparazzi (speed cameras) are set to, drive 1kph over that and you’ll get the light show. Interestingly, in Abu Dhabi – there is no such buffer, if the sign says 140 and you’re driving at 141kph, it’s ticket city and the population, friend, is you.
Dodge queues for administrative services
OK so we’ve already dropped ‘the E word’ (ejari) but there are a lot of other acronyms (DEWA – the utility provider for example) and exotically-titled documents you’ll have to either consult or procure in your early Dubai months. Possibly the best pro-tip for any new starter in Dubai is to check what you can do at the much quieter government office site in Al Barsha Mall. It offers a lot of the same services (ejari, RTA, typing centres etc) and there’s even a vehicle testing centre in the basement carpark (for doing your annual vehicle relicensing). You might not be able to perform your full admin 360º there, and it’s still operated on the ‘take a ticket and wait’ protocol, but we can borderline guarantee it’ll shave hours off your combined wait times.
Zofeur is the ultimate safe driving option
When I first heard about this service it felt like another one of those ‘only in Dubai’ lifelines that just really need to be exported globally. It’s a driver charter service that allows you to book on demand, or in advance, securing yourself a chauffeur who can drive your car to or (lets be honest, the much more likely scenario) home from locations (again – playing the numbers game here, usually restaurants, events and house parties) inside the UAE for when you’re too tired (or… yeah the other one) to do it yourself.
It takes a Village
Want to live the Downtown life on a Karama budget? You might want to check out The Outlet Village in Jebel Ali, where you can find discounted fashion brands and huge savings on a number of big-name designers. This way, there’s no need to forsake it or fake it, until you make it.
Your nol card isn’t just for Metro rides
The humble nol card might be your passport to the many glittering platforms of the Dubai Metro loop, but it can be so much more. You can use it to pay for assorted articles of bric-a-brac and nick-nackery at Almaya, Carrefour, Lulu, AllDay and Zoom stores; some restaurants accept it as a form of payment too (including 800 Degrees Pizza, London Dairy and Burger King); you can do the old regal wave with it in RTA taxis; at Zabeel Park and ENOC gas stations. There’s no card like a nol card.
Embrace the shataf
The metal hose contraption by the side of most lavatories in the Gulf region. Look toilet paper is a perfectly functional tool, but if you spilled a dollop of mango sorbet down your favourite cream sweater are you going to use serviettes to essentially move the mess around, or engage the big brain and just wash it clean off? Apoligies if I’ve lost some of you here with this euphemistic hypothetical, but it’s an important life lesson.
Do the cheap stuff
Dubai can be expensive. So can Paris, Mumbai, Sydney or pretty much any modern cosmopolitan city you care to think of. It’s not necessarily expensive though. You can spend a day on one of the many, immaculate public beaches for absolutely free, you can pick up a Dhs6 shawarma for lunch, or any number of Dhs15 biriyanis; catch the spectacular fountain shows at the Burj Khalifa – gratis; you can get big change back from Dhs50 for entrance to Global Village, Miracle Gardens, or Dubai Garden Glow; you can rent Careem bikes and meander the miles of picturesque cycle pathways; hike the highlands; live it up at the ladies’ nights; trawl the souks; meditate in the museums; take abra rides; chat over chaat in Karama; there’s diversity in the rental market; public transport; there’s an abundance of happy hours and voucher apps for soiree-ing on a shoestring; and petrol, compared to almost everywhere else in the world, is scandalously cheap. Check out our guide to the best free activities in Dubai here.
Looking to sell/buy second hand stuff? dubizzle
Best price, last price, cardboard box. This is the democratisation of eCommerce. Dubai’s premiere online preloved listings site. Just prepare yourself for some triggering buying/selling transactional banter, and you’ll be just fine.
Join all the Facebook Groups
Facebook might now be designated as Boomer technology, a virtual wasteland of webcam selfies and vitriolic right-wing Minions memes but it still has its uses. The Facebook Group community function is yet to be effectively replicated in many of its social media platform piers, and it can provide a valuable information source, sounding board, and friendship spawning hub for niche collectives. There are multiple Dubai expat groups of varying utility, but their ability to operate as a sort of accumulative oracle beats any AI algorithm that I’m aware of. Get your questions answered, recommendations for services, or just simply use it as a tool to find your tribe. The Dubai SubReddit is also an excellent resource.
Help for new people in Dubai
Instashopping
Instashop is an extraordinarily handy app that aggregates a collection of grocery, pharmacy, and domestic service providers and organises delivery right to your door. Even through your door if you tip them well enough. I couldn’t count the amount of times they’ve stepped in with critical parmesan deliveries, or lifesaving Telfast drop-offs at my home or office. Other apps offering similar services – Barakat is a huge hit for budget fresh fruit and vegetable ordering; use Carnistore for your meat; Noon (basically local Amazon) can get you a range of consumables, cosmetics, electrical items and more within a quarter of an hour through their ‘Minutes’ function; Namshi is your local fast fashion plug and also includes same day deliveries for wardrobe panic scenarios; and Deliveroo and Talabat are probably the strongest food delivery apps.
Exercise outside while you can
The Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC) may now be behind us for another year, but wellness is for life not just the 30 x 30. The month-long calendar of fitness events did come with some useful reminders though, of how to make exercise great again. Not least amongst them, the joy of training outdoors. Swapping beach runs for treadmills, punch bags for outdoor boxing drills and standard yoga for moonlit namaste thrills. And if, whilst the weather allows, you’d like to keep the alfresco gains coming, these are some of the best places in Dubai to stay fit with outdoor kit.
Other essential apps
We’d also strongly recommend you download the Dubai Police app, you can use it to report accidents, file complaints, request permits and even launch an SOS beacon tracked to your GPS coordiantes. The government’s UAE Pass is also a conveniently place to request and store digital copies of all your important documentation (including visa and Emirates ID).
Don’t listen to the haters, the summer really isn’t that bad
Your first summer is always your hardest, but given the fact you can travel almost anywhere in Dubai in the merciful embrace of AC, how much you’re out in the midday heat is largely up to you. Even the outdoor construction workers are given siestas in the height of the summer. Plus at the weekends, there is an inexhaustible supply of indoor leisure activities to explore (see our guide to new adult focused fun here or sheltered activities for the whole family here), and temperature controlled pools to wallow in.
Read What’s On
Ahhh the shameless self-plug. You knew it was coming, I did at least – I’d sketched out the subheads long before I started filling out what’s beneath them. But it really is a genuine and sincere piece of useful advice. There’s no better way to stay informed on all the new and existing leisure activities, live music, restaurants, megaprojects, festivals, concerts, regionally relevant movies & TV shows, bars, trends, transport updates, news, views, sporting events, rule announcements, hotels, residential communities, schools, beach clubs, pubs and Etihad Rail dispatches. Available in print, online and your preferred social media platform. Other (less experienced) information disseminating publications are also available.
du, Etisalat or Virgin
When it comes to your mobile services provider – you have a choice of these three companies. The coverage is great for all of them, but unlike other markets – you’re unlikely to get anything approaching a ‘free phone’ with your contract (without incurring extra charges elsewhere) so choose wisely. Virgin Mobile offers big discounts if you’re willing to pay for your year’s contract in advance. When it comes to fixed line or home internet, you’re often compelled to stick with whichever service your building or community is signed up for. Although Virgin is now offering 5G home broadband services that lets you bypass this convention. Whichever one you choose, or have chosen for you – know that using a VPN to access prohibited sites, is illegal in the UAE and carries heavy penalties.
Read up on Ramadan
And not just Ramadan. Arab culture is one of the oldest, most beautiful and prolifically innovative in the world. Learn the language if you can (although it’s made incredibly easy for you not to, we’re looking at you British people). But certainly read up on Ramadan. It is the Holy Month, the most important time of the year for Muslims, with a profound and deeply meaningful reason behind its practices and to its adherants. Ramadan is a period when Muslims around the world abstain from eating, drinking or smoking between sunrise and sunset. Lasting about a month, it marks the time when the Qur’an was first revealed to the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). Extra tarawih prayers are performed at the mosque throughout Ramadan and each evening 1/30th of the holy book is recited. Be respectful, be inquisitive, and even if you aren’t a Muslim, try following the fasting ritual – it’s a blessing to learn what it has to teach you.
In the unlikely event of you not finding something you need in Dubai: Shop & Ship
If you want to order something online and that service doesn’t currently deliver to the UAE – that’s where Ship & Shop can swoop in. You organise delivery of your product to one of their delivery locations in more than 40 countries, tehy’ll then ship your product to Dubai for a fee, and within a timeframe that will likely be less than you think.
Get a water filter for your shower
Before we get ahead of ourselves, we should first acknowledge that the fact we can get water out of any tap in the middle of a desert is a modern miracle to rival plane wifi or creme brulee. The majority of the stuff that comes through your household tap in Dubai will be desalinated water, and whilst that is absolutely safe for most purposes, some anecdotal evidence suggests that there are ways to make it kinder on your hair and skin. You can get relatively inexpensive filters for shower heads that screw on in a matter of minutes.
If you’ve doubled down on X chromosomes, enjoy the thrills of ladies’ nights/days
If you’re a lady who likes to soiree or lounge leisurely during the day – you won’t want to miss out on the feminine privilege that is the ladies’ night/day. Wherever you go, every dame day of the week, you can expect big savings and quite often an open free-for-all on access, dining and drinking. You can check out our up-to-date guides on the best of the best days here, and nights here.
Looking for a taste of home? Park n Shop
Craving some obscure edible (Irn Bru, Reese’s Puffs, Yorkshire Tea, Greggs sausage rolls, Frukti, Monster Munch, Ragu) from your home country? I can’t promise you’ll be able to find it in Park n Shop but it’s your best bet if nowhere else seems to stock it.
Don’t skip sellanycar.com if you’re looking at trading up your vehicle
The way these sorts of services are marketed can make them feel like a last resort, but they really aren’t. This isn’t a panic sale merchant – the business model is sound, and the amount you’re offered for your car is often surprising. Don’t believe me? You can get a free home inspection.
Images: Unsplash/Getty
