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June 6, 2013 in
Middle East Expat
There is a huge difference between Dubai’s culinary establishments and that of other Middle Eastern countries. While the latter’s local cuisine can be found in every corner, Emirati food in Dubai is actually quite hard to come by. In fact, until the opening of Al Fanar in Dubai Festival City, Emirati food was something of
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May 22, 2013 in
Middle East Expat
DIFC, Dubai’s finance and commerce hub, is buzzing with eateries. From inexpensive fast food outlets like Zaatar W Zeit to high-end restaurants like Gaucho, there is something to suit even the pickiest palate – for both locals and Expats alike. However, during your lunch hour, when time isn’t always on your side, your best bet
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May 1, 2013 in
Middle East Expat
The Moroccan Hammam tradition goes back hundreds of years and while it is an integral part of Moroccan culture, the custom extends beyond North Africa, to Turkey, Syria, the UAE and the rest of the Arab world. Although the setting varies – from common, public facilities where patrons gather to gossip, to more private, high-end
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November 27, 2012 in
Middle East Expat
If you ever doubted the authenticity of Dubai being a multicultural city, a trip to Dubai Global Village will definitely put those doubts to rest. Dubai Global Village is the country’s largest cultural and tourism destination. The idea behind it is simple: Every country has its own pavilion where they showcase and sell their country’s
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October 9, 2012 in
Middle East Expat
While the world goes crazy over football, cricket and tennis, UAE residents go crazy over Falconry, Horse racing and Camel racing. That’s not to say that locals in Dubai aren’t interested in other sports. Football, Tennis, Golf, Motor racing and various water sports are all played here with great gusto and clubs for them can
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September 21, 2012 in
Middle East Expat
With the expat community making up over 80% of Dubai’s population (Source: World Fact Book), it’s no wonder that expats go for days without listening to any Arabic being spoken. With such a large expat population, everyone’s preferred language of communication is English. Even the expats who’ve lived here for years or decades still don’t
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September 5, 2012 in
Middle East Expat
Life for expats in Dubai is many things, but it’s certainly never dull. No matter how much one researches a place before moving to live there, some things only get discovered after living there for a while. Following are a few things expats learn only after living in Dubai for a few months. Language: Arabic
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August 15, 2012 in
Middle East Expat
For Muslims, Ramadan is a month of fasting and prayers followed by three days of celebration called ‘Eid’ or ‘Eid-ul-Fitr’. Since UAE is a Muslim country, both Ramadan and Eid are observed and celebrated with great gusto. In Dubai, Ramadan is a month of fasting, praying and preparing for the big celebration during the three
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July 2, 2012 in
Middle East Expat
One of the toughest things to get in Dubai is… a driver’s license. You can find a house, a car and even a job with relative ease but a driving license? That’s an entirely different story. One would think the biggest hurdle in getting your driver’s license in Dubai would be the driving test. But
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June 6, 2012 in
Middle East Expat
Expats here often claim that Dubai never runs out of things to do. Every time you think you’ve experienced it all, something new comes up. Dubai residents love claiming that they don’t need to venture to other UAE emirates for anything. However, no matter how much one loves living in Dubai and trying everything it 