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
Filipino parents Jeff and Ritch Briones moved their young family to Dubai’s popular Discovery Gardens area 18 months ago.
The couple have been residents in the UAE for 12 years and have lived in various parts of the city.
Mr Briones, 44, who works in the events industry, and his wife, aged 43, a sales manager in event services at Dubai World Trade Centre, pay Dh62,000 annually to rent a one-bedroom apartment. They share it with their daughters Juris, aged 10, and Olivia, aged 7, and two-year-old son Jian, plus a kitten called Rubii.
Mr Briones showed The National around the home, which is close to Dubai Metro’s Red Line.
How long have you lived here?
We moved to the Discovery Gardens area in December 2024.
It is a one-bedroom unit with an extra room, large enough for a full-sized double-deck (bunk) bed, that we also use as a bedroom. We have an en suite bathroom and a guest washroom, plus a storage room.
The apartment has a balcony with a view of the kids’ play area on the right, and the parking next to the pool on the left, with a big tree at the centre.
Why did you choose this particular place?
The location is good as our unit is only a five-minute walk to Al Furjan metro station and just a few minutes’ drive to my workplace.
The price is more compared to our previous apartment but this current one is more convenient for work and feels safer for my kids, in terms of the traffic and crowds.
Where have you lived?
Six or seven locations in a decade. Before this apartment, we lived in the Abu Hail area of Dubai, and International City.
We came to Dubai in 2014 and we first stayed in a curtain-partitioned four-bedroom apartment in the Business Bay area.
We moved to Al Rigga to a closed room apartment after a year and stayed there for a couple of months. Then, when my eldest was born, we rented a two-bedroom apartment at Al Khail Gate and stayed there for four years.
After that we moved to a one-bedroom, low-rise apartment in the Ghoroob community, in Mirdif. We stayed there for a few years and when they hit us with a high rent increase we moved to Al Qiyadah, on the border of Dubai and Sharjah. It was a two-bedroom, decent sized place with reasonable rent, but the traffic was horrible.
What made you opt for this area?
Discovery Gardens is a peaceful community, and a family-friendly neighbourhood. It’s a little expensive but the kids love it and it’s closer to my workplace in Jumeirah Lakes Towers, so I can save on petrol and toll fees.
Also the greenery… this area feels cooler because there are more trees; there’s shade from the sun everywhere because of them. Also the park and pool access is great and the kids’ play area is safe. There are schools nearby and it is a few metro stops to Expo City or DMCC.
Compared to where we were living, there is no traffic here. Literally, I can leave my apartment and still be at work in 10 to 15 minutes. Back in Deira, I would have to allow between an hour and 90 minutes if I left around 7am.
Do you feel you get a good deal for your rent?
It is value for money, although we pay extra for the agent, and for the cooling fees.
And this year there is no more free parking for more than one car. You have to pay an extra Dh945 per vehicle, per month.
How have you made it your home?
Generally, it’s the little things - the kids are happy and safe, feeling comfortable in the community, and ease of travel from work to home…that has made it feel like ‘home’.
We try to keep it minimal, so we have only things that matter. Less is more.
Although I do carry my anime and toy collections anywhere we move, stuff I bought from various parts of the world, but mainly from Tokyo.
What amenities do you have?
We have community parks, walking paths, and it's only a five-minute ride to the nearest supermarket.
We have access to pools, literally one-minute walk away. Discovery Gardens has 13 streets, and each street has a dedicated swimming pool. There’s a bicycle-friendly path from Street 1 to Street 13.
Downstairs in our apartment building we have a covered playground, which the kids love because they can literally play anytime.
There’s no gym access but there are gyms I can pay for near my apartment, in Al Furjan. There are also cafes and supermarkets around our area. The nearest to our place is a five-minute walk.
Walk a little bit more and you will get to the new W Mart, while the nearest mall to us is in Al Furjan, which is a 15-minute drive as it’s the opposite side of Discovery Gardens. Or you can drive around 15 to 20 minutes and you will get to Ibn Battuta Mall.
What would you change about living there?
The balcony is super small. It would have been better if we had a bigger space. Also, they should remove the paid parking.
Are you planning to remain there for long?
We plan on staying here for a few more years. The next move will either be to a villa or a townhouse.
Have you thought about buying property?
We would like to buy in the Dubai Investment Park area or anywhere that is buyer-friendly and feels like home.
But we always end up asking ourselves if we are sure that we want to stay here for the rest of our lives.
