Droves of Dubai families and young professionals are turning their back on the hustle and bustle of city-centre life to opt for the quieter suburbs.
One area benefitting from the exodus is the Al Qudra Road, where many are opting for suburban life in the Mira and Town Square communities.
The surge in demand for these areas has seen occupancy rates rise, which has led not only to prices rising, but an increase in facilities.
“In Town Square there is a mini fair for the children, including a mini train ride, community events in the town centre, a trampoline park, splash park, cafes, restaurants and more,” said Lewis Allsopp, chief executive of Allsopp and Allsopp real estate.
It's no longer essential to be close to the centre of the city as there is more and more for people on their doorstep
Lewis Allsopp,
Allsopp and Allsopp
“The community attracts families in the villas and a lot of young families and young professionals in the apartments.
“Mira is like a Mediterranean village in its architecture and has an abundance of park areas … as well as pools and play areas.”
As popularity rises, both Mira and neighbouring Mira Oasis have had community gyms open in the last year. A mosque is also being built.
“If there is a negative that has been associated with the communities it's the slightly further distance to the more central areas of the city,” said Mr Allsopp.
“However, recent works on Umm Sequim are easing some of that pain, and this is coupled with the increased suburbanisation of the city. It's no longer essential to be close to the centre of the city as there is more and more for people on their doorsteps.”
Traffic problems
“I moved here eight weeks ago from Manchester and chose Town Square because I prefer the quiet life,” said Haider Ali, 39, a doctor from Sweden.
“It actually reminds me of the UK when I used to live in the suburbs.
“I looked around Dubai at other areas but this area seemed unique and was a little bit away from the main part of the city.”
Mr Ali pays Dh110,000 for a town house in Town Square. He also works at the local medical practice in the community.
“There’s a nice expat community and it really ticks all the boxes for me,” he said.
“The only downside is the traffic. It’s almost a 30-minute drive to anywhere else in the main part of Dubai.”
Landlords rule the roost
Mr Allsop said that it was very much a landlord’s market at the moment.
“Supply is low at the moment and demand is high so anything coming to market is in high demand,” he said.
“A lot of properties in Mira are renting before they go on to the market, enabling landlords to get a good price.”
Nshama, the management company behind Town Square, forecasts that by 2025, 85,000 people will be living and working in the community.
Leigh Wilmot, senior broker with Treo Homes, who specialises in the area, said properties are almost all occupied.
“The demand for property in Town Square is absolutely ridiculous,” said Mr Wilmot.
“So many people want to live there even though the prices have increased.
“When somebody moves there’s somebody else moving in almost immediately. I would say the occupancy is around 95 per cent.”
There are currently 2,600 town houses and 6,000 apartments in Town Square, Mr Wilmot said, with plans for further expansion.
In Mira, there are just under 1,900 properties.
Rising rents
Saher Ahmed, a 31-year-old British Indian dentist, rents a property in Mira.
“The primary reason for choosing to live here was because of the children, she said. “There are great facilities here and in neighbouring areas and it’s competitively priced.”
The average price of an apartment to rent in Town Square starts from just over Dh25,000 for a studio apartment up to D95,000 for a four-bedroom unit, according to the latest figures from Property Monitor.
Renting a town house starts at just over Dh102,000 up to more than Dh121,000.
Neighbouring Mira, which is directly across Al Qudra Road, offers town houses and villas for sale and rent.
To rent a town house in Mira starts from an average of just under Dh119,000, up to almost Dh135,000. Villas starting from close to Dh139,000, rising to more than Dh175,000 for the bigger units.
The two communities have long been attractive to residents but that appeal has only grown in recent months due to escalating rent prices across the emirate, said one real estate expert.
“Spacious, affordable properties in peaceful areas have always been attractive to home seekers, which has led these two communities to maintain a high demand,” said Thomas Poulson, leasing director with Haus & Haus real estate.
“This is even more noticeable now as a lot of people are being ‘priced out’ of more centrally located villa communities such as Dubai Hills, Arabian Ranches, Meadows, and the Lakes.”
More residents now buying
One resident who bought his home in Town Square was Matt Trenchard, 44, from the UK.
“We were previously living in an apartment in The Greens and had our first child four months ago, so we needed somewhere with more space,” said Mr Trenchard, who runs a business coaching company.
“It feels like a village on the outskirts of the city. I won’t tell you what I paid but what I can say is that I got lot more for my money than I would have in a lot of other places.”
Another major draw of living in the area is being close to the Al Qudra cycling track.
That was a big draw for Aruna Subin, 40, from India, who bought a property in Mira.
“My husband and I are keen cyclists and decided to move here as we used the track regularly when we lived in Ras Al Khor, so this cut down a lot of travelling,” said Ms Subin, who works in the logistics sector.
“Our quality of life has improved. The community comes together to celebrate festivals all over the world. This is something we didn’t have before.”
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
8 traditional Jamaican dishes to try at Kingston 21
- Trench Town Rock: Jamaican-style curry goat served in a pastry basket with a carrot and potato garnish
- Rock Steady Jerk Chicken: chicken marinated for 24 hours and slow-cooked on the grill
- Mento Oxtail: flavoured oxtail stewed for five hours with herbs
- Ackee and salt fish: the national dish of Jamaica makes for a hearty breakfast
- Jamaican porridge: another breakfast favourite, can be made with peanut, cornmeal, banana and plantain
- Jamaican beef patty: a pastry with ground beef filling
- Hellshire Pon di Beach: Fresh fish with pickles
- Out of Many: traditional sweet potato pudding
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Honeymoonish
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Elie%20El%20Samaan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENour%20Al%20Ghandour%2C%20Mahmoud%20Boushahri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The biog:
From: Wimbledon, London, UK
Education: Medical doctor
Hobbies: Travelling, meeting new people and cultures
Favourite animals: All of them
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Letswork%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EOmar%20Almheiri%2C%20Hamza%20Khan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20co-working%20spaces%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%242.1%20million%20in%20a%20seed%20round%20with%20investors%20including%20500%20Global%2C%20The%20Space%2C%20DTEC%20Ventures%20and%20other%20angel%20investors%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20about%2020%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Health Valley
Founded in 2002 and set up as a foundation in 2006, Health Valley has been an innovation in healthcare for more than 10 years in Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
It serves as a place where companies, businesses, universities, healthcare providers and government agencies can collaborate, offering a platform where they can connect and work together on healthcare innovation.
Its partners work on technological innovation, new forms of diagnostics and other methods to make a difference in healthcare.
Its agency consists of eight people, four innovation managers and office managers, two communication advisers and one director. It gives innovation support to businesses and other parties in its network like a broker, connecting people with the right organisation to help them further
