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
The buzz and bustle of Dubai Marina is the reason why a couple of young content creators chose to live there.
Zhale Rousta, a digital content creator, was drawn to the neighbourhood from the moment she visited Dubai in 2007.
Ms Rousta and her husband Nima Farahbakhsh then moved to the UAE from Rasht, a coastal city in Iran, about a year ago.
After living in Business Bay, within a 15-minute walk of Burj Khalifa, the couple moved to Dubai Marina a month ago – where they say they can feel the vibe and energy of the city.
The 32-year-old, who produces videos and photo shoots on home decor and food for companies, told The National the two-bedroom apartment in her dream neighbourhood is the perfect fit.
Tell us about your home
I love working from cafes and this area is perfect. The building has a separate door to Marina Walk and I have hundreds of choices.
I like walking here, sitting and watching people, watching life.
It really boosts my mood and creativity.
On our apartment balcony, I sit with my laptop and watch as people run and walk. I see the cars, the metro, the tram, the boats and this calms me. I just like watching life.
Why this area in particular?
I travelled to Dubai about 17 years ago and I have loved the Marina since.
We moved to Dubai a year ago and this is our second home.
Our first was in Business Bay near the metro station.
We both love crowded places, being among people. Although we loved Downtown, we were saving up for a year for this area.
We were thinking of coming to live in the Marina since we visited Dubai.
And here we are after 17 years of loving this place.
Is it value for money?
We pay Dh110,000 and have been lucky because it’s a two-bedroom with a huge balcony and large kitchen in a great building.
When we first saw this building, I was instantly in love with this place because it has very big windows.
I record videos of cooking on YouTube and the kitchen is big enough for this.
There is a lot of wardrobe space and both bathrooms have their own showers.
The living room is very cosy and there are huge windows to the balcony with a perfect view.
The bedrooms have a view of the water as well.
It’s great value for money.
How have you made the apartment your home?
I study architecture and this is my area of speciality.
I designed it with a few sharp colours but mostly beige and muted colours for the walls and furnishings.
The table and floor lamps that a friend in Iran has designed gives the colour as do the many plants I have.
We chose to give it a homey and cosy feeling.
Are there other advantages to living here?
We develop content for brands and do photo shoots, so we need as much natural light as possible.
Although it’s a crowded neighbourhood, it’s silent inside the house.
When I close the windows it’s a comfort zone for me.
Is it a sociable neighbourhood?
My husband is outgoing and makes a lot of friends.
It is a friendly neighbourhood.
What are the disadvantages of where you live?
I don’t think there is any downside to living here.
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
The biog
Place of birth: Kalba
Family: Mother of eight children and has 10 grandchildren
Favourite traditional dish: Al Harees, a slow cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled cracked or coarsely ground wheat mixed with meat or chicken
Favourite book: My early life by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah
Favourite quote: By Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, “Those who have no past will have no present or future.”
more from Janine di Giovanni
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
THE SCORES
Ireland 125 all out
(20 overs; Stirling 72, Mustafa 4-18)
UAE 125 for 5
(17 overs, Mustafa 39, D’Silva 29, Usman 29)
UAE won by five wickets
The figures behind the event
1) More than 300 in-house cleaning crew
2) 165 staff assigned to sanitise public areas throughout the show
3) 1,000 social distancing stickers
4) 809 hand sanitiser dispensers placed throughout the venue
Company Profile
Company name: Big Farm Brothers
Started: September 2020
Founders: Vishal Mahajan and Navneet Kaur
Based: Dubai Investment Park 1
Industry: food and agriculture
Initial investment: $205,000
Current staff: eight to 10
Future plan: to expand to other GCC markets
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Karnatake Tuskers 114-1 (10 ovs)
Charles 57, Amla 47
Bangla Tigers 117-5 (8.5 ovs)
Fletcher 40, Moores 28 no, Lamichhane 2-9
Bangla Tiger win by five wickets
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
