My Dubai Rent: Woman has lived in same 'hidden gem' apartment since she was born

Khwaish Adnani and her family pay Dh100,000 for three-floor Bur Dubai home that's filled with furniture they made themselves

My Dubai Rent takes you inside a reader's home to have a look at what they get for their money, how much they pay in rent and asks them what they like and don't like

Renting in Dubai, or anywhere else for that matter, is a transitory lifestyle; most of us are packing up and on the move every couple of years.

For one resident in the emirate, however, the reality is very different.

Khwaish Adnani, 23, who works in the real estate sector, has lived with her family in the same apartment in Bur Dubai since she was born.

The family currently pays Dh100,000 a year to live in what Ms Adnani describes as a “hidden gem”.

She invited The National into her home to see what makes it so special to her.

Where do you call home?

I live in a triplex apartment in Bur Dubai and have done so since I was born. I live with my parents, grandparents and my brother.

A lot of people are shocked when they realise where I live because they didn't expect to find such an apartment in this part of town.

It's a three-floor apartment with five bedrooms. There's a lot of space too. You could say it's a hidden gem.

I have never lived anywhere else, it has always been home to me.

Working in real estate, I see most people moving homes every two to three years and I think to myself "how have we stayed in the same place for so long?”

What are the best things about where you live?

My Dubai Rent

Khwaish Adnani, centre, and her family have lived in the same apartment her entire life. Pictured with her grandfather Rijhumal, mother Richa, father Mike and Tulsi. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The best thing is just how convenient it is. The metro station is only a few minutes' walk away and there are six supermarkets within a five-minute walk as well.

Downtown is only a 10-minute drive away. I work in Business Bay and I can drive to the office and be at my desk in less than 20 minutes.

I just have to make sure I leave before 8am to avoid the rush-hour traffic.

The apartment itself has three floors, ground then first and second floors.

The building is probably around 30 years or so old. The amenities were getting quite out-of-date and old up until a few years ago.

A new management company took over and we have fantastic facilities now. There's a sauna, a steam-room and the gym is being rebuilt right now.

There's even a squash court.

Do you feel the rent offers value for money?

Yes, absolutely. At one stage recently we were paying Dh85,000 in rent but now it's crept back up to Dh100,000, which is still good in the current market.

I know rents are high everywhere in Dubai right now but my parents tell me we were paying Dh180,000 at one stage, around 2010.

What personal touches have you made to the property to make it your own?

My family owns a factory that builds interiors. We've made all the furniture ourselves, from cupboards to beds, right down to the lights.

Everybody's room is personalised to suit the person living there; everyone's got their own bespoke space.

You've lived here a long time. How well do you know your neighbours?

There are a lot of Indians from the Sindhi community living here. It was actually a friend of my family, who first moved here, that recommended my parents to move as well.

There is a tight-knit community in the building. Everyone's always visiting neighbours for dinner and we often help out with babysitting each other's children.

It's just normal for us.

Is there anything you would change if you could?

It's only a small thing that just affects me really. There was a building across the way that was being rebuilt before the pandemic hit and it has been left abandoned ever since.

The problem is that it's directly across from the window in my room, I would definitely love to change that view.

Nobody else in the other rooms has that problem, though. They've all got great views.

Updated: August 06, 2023, 11:52 AM