My Dubai Rent: Tech writer and keen cook turned this huge Dh40,000 flat into a home

Just three weeks after moving in, Nick Rego has turned a store cupboard into an office and loves his open-plan kitchen

Nick Rego pictured at his home in Sports City. All photos by Antonie Robertson / The National

The living room in Nick Rego's home.

Some of the art that adorns the walls of the home.

A games cabinet has pride of place.

Nick Rego's office, where he streams live to Twitch.

A projector beams movies and programmes on the wall with an image size of about 100 inches.

The bedroom.

The Sports City building Nick Rego calls home.

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

A video games and tech journalist has turned his one-bedroom flat in Sports City into a gaming centre that's already feeling like home.

Nick Rego, 39, pays Dh40,000 in four cheques to live in his apartment, which he says allows him quick access to most parts of the city.

The Indian writer turned a maid’s room into an office where he plays video games and then streams to his followers on Twitch and YouTube.

Mr Rego, who was born in the UAE, invited The National into his home to see why it is so special to him.

Why did you choose to live here?

I was living in a studio apartment in Sports City for nine years and wanted to make the move to a one-bedroom without leaving the area.

Once the pandemic hit I realised there did not need to be a disconnect between where you work and where you live.

I moved in three weeks ago. My criteria were it had to be less than D48,000 and it had to be at least four cheques.

That is what I ended up finding and then it did not take me long to move in after that.

What is the best aspect of living there?

There is not a lot of noise so I can get plenty of peace and quiet. It is also easy to get in and out too.

I just jump in my car and I am a short journey away from most places in Dubai.

How does the layout of your apartment factor into your professional life?

I definitely wanted a space where I could not only have my own home office, but also a place where I can play video games and be online because I stream to Twitch.

I am a tech and gaming journalist by trade and my life revolves around technology and gadgets.

Developing my storeroom into a home office and a games room was something that was very important to me.

You have a large kitchen — was that a deliberate choice when deciding to live here?

Cooking is a huge part of my life and I definitely wanted to have a large kitchen.

When I was looking around, the first thing I was looking at was photos of how big is the kitchen, and based on that I would go look at a property.

I cook a meal every day. I am always baking. I love to Instagram what I am cooking.

I sort of live in the kitchen, so I needed to have a comfortable space where I wasn't constantly bumping into appliances.

What are the downsides to living there?

The only downside is you really need a car if you live here and want to get around.

Getting a connecting bus to a metro station is a long trip.

There are really only a few bus stops so I would definitely say you need your own transport if you are considering moving here.