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 and asks them what they like and don't like
Two years ago tourism boss Siddiqui Masroor Azar decided to swap his Abu Dhabi apartment for Dubai life.
The Indian citizen, who works as a lead data scientist at a bank, pays Dh85,000 ($23,140) for a two-bedroom apartment in Jumeirah Garden City, which he shares with his wife, Nikhar Khan, who owns a tourism company, and their two-year-old daughter.
The couple also run a YouTube channel, Indians Abroad, which they launched during the Covid-19 pandemic, that shares guides to Dubai with their followers.
They speak openly about the cost of living in the emirate, as well as the rules and regulations around visa applications.
One of their videos, in which they share a six-day itinerary for Dubai, as well as the most affordable places to eat and visit, has already garnered more than 1.2 million reviews.
Here, the 36-year-olds invited The National to take a tour of their property to show us why Dubai is the city for them.
What can you tell us about your apartment?
It's a two-bedroom apartment that has a living room and a kitchen.
It's around 1,500 square feet.
The building also has a rooftop pool, where we have great views of the Burj Khalifa.
Where did you live before?
This is our fourth apartment since we moved to the UAE in 2016.
Our first apartment was in the Al Nahda area in Dubai.
Then we moved to Abu Dhabi for work and rented an apartment in Al Nahyan.
Two years ago, we returned to Dubai.
Why did you choose this district?
We came back to Dubai because my office moved from Abu Dhabi to Dubai.
The best thing about Jumeirah Garden City is that I don't get stuck in traffic.
My office is in Jaddaf, so it's only a 10-minute drive from our apartment.
What kind of facilities do you have around you?
We are in the middle of everything.
It takes us around 10 minutes to reach several places including the Dubai Mall, Old Dubai where they have all the restaurants we love, and La Mer Beach.
The Museum of the Future is also two minutes away.
The best thing about Jumeirah is that during winter time we can take our two-year-old daughter to Satwa Park, and it's about a 10-minute walk.
We also have a pharmacy and supermarket nearby.
Is it a sociable neighbourhood?
It's a bit difficult to make friends since we live in a city and everyone is busy with their own lives.
We do have a few friends but it's hard to catch up. If you have time, you can make friends.
How have you made your house a home and personalised it?
Before furnishing our apartment, we watched a lot of YouTube videos and explored many websites to find what suited us best.
We brought our blue sofa from our previous apartment as we love how bright and joyful it looks.
We also bought a wooden dining table, as well as plants to put in the living room as it adds a sense of cosiness to the apartment.
Any features you would change?
The view from our balcony could have been better. Unfortunately it's obstructed by surrounding buildings.
Do you think living here delivers good value for money?
The rent is high everywhere in Dubai.
Location-wise it's great because it's close to all the places that we like to visit, so it makes it worth it.
If you compare our apartment to others that are older, you'll understand that it's completely reasonable for its price.
Do you plan to stay in the property?
We've been paying rent for years and we wanted to have our own apartment.
So last year we bought a two-bedroom apartment in Jumeirah Village Circle and we will be moving next year.
It took us around three years to save to buy the property but we're excited.
