My Dubai Rent takes you inside a reader’s home to find out what they get for their money, how much they pay in rent, and what they like and don’t like
Sangeeta Bora is new to Dubai, having only arrived in the UAE but has already found what she describes as her perfect home. She chose the one-bedroom apartment as she felt it offered a home from home in a vibrant Indian community, as well as being in close proximity to everything she could possibly wish for.
The 30-year-old Indian, who works in the PR sector, pays Dh60,000 for the home she shares with her seven-year-old son and husband. She invited The National into her home to show readers what makes it so special to her and her family.
Why did you choose to live here?
It's close to my son's school and there are two metro stations beside us, one to the left and one to the right. There is a strong Indian community with a lot of families around here too. It feels like the world is around a 10-metre radius from us.
My son has kids to play with and everything is nearby. Like you walk out of this place and you have your Pizza Hut, you have your Dominos, you have lots of restaurants, you have so many options. You just go out and you have it. You feel warm and positive because it's such a happening, family-orientated place.
Do you feel like you are getting value for money?
I definitely feel it's a little bit on the higher side. If it was around Dh50,000, I'd be very happy. This was the best option at that point of time though.
I'm pretty new to Dubai. We came in in April and spent three months in a serviced apartment. We viewed a lot of houses but this was the one that we loved because of the location and the light that comes in to our room.
What personal touches have you made to your home?
What we've done is we've made it a combination inside of white, black and grey. Those combinations make it livelier. We don't have a balcony, but we have a space in the hall, where the door opens out and we have put some plants there. Our hall is something that we love and we spend a lot of time there. We have a kid, so there's a lot of chaos and a lot of toys.
Do you see yourself moving home any time soon?
I want to stay here because of the location. I am not sure I could find anything similar for around the same price because the prices are going so high right now. I would like to own my own space maybe three years down the line. We are very happy right now. If we leave this place we would miss the location.
What about access to other parts of the city?
Because the metros are near, and you have two of them, you can avoid traffic when it's heavy. It feels like traffic has increased a lot but with the metros it's not actually that big a deal. I love Dubai so much but wherever I go, I know I want to return to this place.
Is there any downside?
It's expensive for a one-bedroom apartment and the building is quite old, it must have been here for at least 20 years.
My Sharjah Rent: Retired teacher spends 32 years in emirate’s vibrant community
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The biog
Name: Abeer Al Shahi
Emirate: Sharjah – Khor Fakkan
Education: Master’s degree in special education, preparing for a PhD in philosophy.
Favourite activities: Bungee jumping
Favourite quote: “My people and I will not settle for anything less than first place” – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.
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Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Bloomberg
'The Sky is Everywhere'
Director:Josephine Decker
Stars:Grace Kaufman, Pico Alexander, Jacques Colimon
Rating:2/5
The specs: 2019 BMW X4
Price, base / as tested: Dh276,675 / Dh346,800
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged in-line six-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 354hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,550rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.0L / 100km
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Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
Ultra processed foods
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
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The specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 849Nm
Range: 456km
Price: from Dh437,900
On sale: now
SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
