Living in Dubai
About Dubai
Dubai is the second largest of the seven emirates with an area of 3,885 square kilometers. The city of Dubai is a rapidly growing, modern city often described in superlatives such as "booming" or "mega" or "bold". The innovative and daring architecture of its skyscrapers and impressively large real estate projects are recognized around the world. Fortunately, visitors and residents can enjoy the benefits of a modern city in addition to the beautiful surroundings of desert, stretches of white sandy beaches and rugged mountains.
Situated on the coast of the Arabian Gulf along the Dubai Creek (Khor), Dubai has long been an important trading center. Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the father of the current ruler of Dubai, had the creek dredged to provide access to large vessels. Import/export trade of goods, notably gold from India, became the foundation of the economy. Today, walking along the creekside, one can still see dhows loaded with goods for shipping to Africa, Iran, India and the nearby Gulf countries.
Trade and commerce fuel a thriving economy including manufacturing, transport, construction, finance, technology and real estate. Dubai is an increasingly popular tourist destination. The booming hotel industry achieved a record in 2004 of approximately 5.5 million guests with 6.2 AED billion in revenues. An ambitious target of 15 million visitors has been established for 2010. The economy is booming with an increase in GDP of 13% over the previous year. Evidence of construction on a vast scale can be seen everywhere in Dubai. It is said that as many as 15 to 25% of the world's cranes are in Dubai.
Along with the economic growth, in the cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, are concerns of rising inflation largely fueled by increased housing costs. The escalating volume of traffic in Dubai is also a common topic of discussion at the water cooler. In response, Dubai Municipality has major road works underway in addition to the recently launched Dubai Metro, a rapid transit system built to ease traffic congestion. In contrast to Abu Dhabi, situated on an island, where you can easily walk to amenities and services, Dubai is not a walking city. It is a sprawling city spreading from Sharjah to Jebel Ali with a system of high-speed highways and flyovers. Taxis are easily accessible from most locations and are considerably cheaper than in the West (but still much more expensive than Abu Dhabi).
Dubai is located at 25.16° latitude N and 55.16° longitude E. It is about an hour and forty five minute drive on a multilane highway to Abu Dhabi.
Culture & Conduct in Dubai
Dubai is one of the seven emirates and the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates. It is located along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula.
Dubai's government operates within the framework of a constitutional monarchy and has been ruled by the Al Maktoum family since 1833. The current ruler, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is also the Prime Minister and Vice President of the U.A.E.
Islam is the predominant religion in the U.A.E., and the local customs and traditions are influenced to a great extent by this religion. However, the country is highly tolerant towards expatriates who are given a great degree of religious freedom and the government spares no efforts to safeguard the religious and traditional interests of the country. The most highly prized virtues are courtesy and hospitality and visitors are often charmed by the genuine warmth and friendliness of the people.
Dubai, in the true sense, is a metropolitan city that brings together a vast number of people from different countries, cultures and religious beliefs. In order to govern and set a standard for social ethics and mutual respect in the country, the Government of Dubai has now released a code of conduct to be followed by all of it's citizens, residents and visitors.
To view the Dubai Code of Conduct, please click here.
Housing in Dubai
The rental market in Dubai is very tight and highly competitive. Rents have escalated rapidly in recent years with surging demand and rising costs.
Most singles and couples will reside in apartment buildings. Larger families may reside in villas (villas are attached housing similar to townhouses in the West). Rental prices are on the rise in Dubai as in Abu Dhabi. Even with a recent cap of 7% on rents in Dubai, rent increases continue to rise sometimes as much as 40%. We work closely with reputable landlords and property management companies to minimize these issues. In general, villas are more expensive to run and maintain than apartments - maintenance and airconditioning costs are greater. As with real estate all over the world - "location location location". Prices are greatly dictated by location and accommodations are secured in good but affordable areas. With all the construction, new communities continue to develop with the necessities of new schools, shopping centers and services.
Apartment buildings in Dubai vary in size from four or five stories to highrises of twenty or more floors. Nearly all offer parking. Historically the major appliances such as oven (cooker), washing matching and fridge have been included. However, this is changing and in some cases the tenant must purchase these items. Many complexes offer some services - a gym and/or pool. Depending on your recreational tastes, there are also many beach, health, golf and sports clubs to investigate.
Many apartments and villas have restrictions on pets, with cats being more acceptable than dogs.
Dubai Campus Location and Address
The mailing address for the Dubai campus is:
Zayed University
PO Box 19282
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Telephone: (9714) 402 1111
Click here for maps of the Dubai Campus
