My Dubai Rent takes you inside a reader's home to have a look at what they pay each month, see who they live with and ask what they like and don't like
Pakistani actor and photographer Habibullah Qureshi moved his family to Muhaisnah on the outskirts of Dubai to be within walking distance of his son’s school.
The father of two, who has appeared in numerous television and online commercials, last month moved, with his wife and children, from an apartment in Majan, close to Global Village.
He told The National that the move, to a neighbourhood on the edge of Sharjah, made sense on several levels.
Not least because they needed the extra space for their two children, aged five and two, to grow up and play in.
How much do you pay in rent?
I pay Dh30,000 across six cheques. We wanted a bigger apartment than before and we wanted to be close to a school for my son.
That was really important because there was no school close to us in Majan, so this is a much better option for us.
What are the best things about living where you do?
Everything is so convenient here. The schools are nearby and there are so many grocery shops and restaurants near us.
We used to have to order everything online, living in our last home, because there were no stores or restaurants close enough to walk to.
We were a little bit isolated, here we have everything we need.
It’s conveniently located between Dubai and Sharjah, which is a bonus because we are not too far from anywhere.
Our last home was a lovely community with lots of greenery and you could even see peacocks walking around freely at times.
But we often felt like we were deserted in the middle of nowhere. You used to have to get in the car if you wanted to go anywhere.
It was a smaller apartment as well, so it made sense to move here where we are close to everything.
We were paying slightly less there though. It was Dh24,000 for a studio apartment whereas this is a bit more, but it is a one-bedroom apartment with two bathrooms.
I have a friend who lives in the same building with his kids so there’s a nice sense of community.
It’s a very vibrant place. We have our choice of cuisines right outside our front door.
We can walk to quite a few restaurants, which is amazing, one night we could be having Pakistani cuisine and then the next night it could be Egyptian.
Parking is really easy here too. There are loads of spaces available outside as well as in the building parking.
What touches have you made to make it your own?
That’s my wife Mariam’s department. Before we moved in she was already making plans about what to do with the place.
We’ve painted one of the walls red to match the curtains and cushions.
Only being here a month has meant we have not had a chance to change too much yet though.
But I’m happy with how she’s putting her personal touch on it. We are going to get more plants and photo frames for the walls but it’s already shaping up well.
Are there any downsides to living where you do?
It’s a pretty old building and we’ve had a few maintenance issues. We had to get a lot of things fixed when we moved in.
Thankfully the building's management has been really helpful and approachable, so any problems were just small ones.
My Rent: I pay Dh72,000 in Bur Dubai and I love the buzz
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Equine nurse Trish Finn has lived in her Bur Dubai flat since 2000. All photos: Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Living in Bur Dubai is a win-win for Ms Finn, who is originally from Ireland. -
When Ms Finn first moved in, her rent was Dh64,000 for 13 months. -
Ms Finn has thought about moving a few times but always comes to the conclusion that she's better off where she is. -
When Ms Finn first landed in Dubai in 2000, she viewed one apartment in Bur Dubai and moved in shortly after. -
In 2007, rent jumped up to Dh84,000 and now she pays Dh72,000 ($19,600) for the year. -
Ms Finn lives in a one-bedroom apartment in a low-rise building called Golden Sands 2. -
Ms Finn pays the rent in four cheques, working out to about Dh6,000 a month. -
The apartment features a closed-off kitchen, balcony and separate utility room.
