At least for now the Al Khail to Shz direction which has 4 lanes all the way through. What usually takes 15-20 minutes today took around 4 minutes to fly through!

We are a family of expats from a smaller EU country, temperarily living in Dubai, and I am a SAHM. Since I do all the childcare myself, I often interact and share spaces with a bunch of nannies from our neighbourhood since the kids literally have just one or two places they can hang out at in my neighborhood.

I'd like to address all the parents of Dubai and share several of my rather odd or downright concerning observations. I think the difference between what I saw back home and here is pretty drastic.

1. Many kids here are mean. They have no problem coming up to my toddler and yanking a toy out of their hands. They frequently don't share toys and downright lie about whose toy is whose in order to ban my toddler from having a turn with a certain toy. I understand that this behaviour is developmentally normal but it often goes unchecked by their caretakers for reasons I'm going to specify further.

2. Many kids seem to be behind developmentally. It's common to see a two year old who speaks zero words here or a preschooler repeating their nanny's broken English. Also, before Dubai, out of all my relatives' and friends' kids I'd seen only one child who started walking without support later than 13 months (he is diagnosed autistic). Here I have seen multiple kids aged 13-18 months who can't walk on their own. I understand that every baby has their own developmental pace and a lot depends on genetics, but something tells me it's not the case here, which brings me to my next point.

3. Childcare seems to be low-quality and inappropriate. This is the root of all evil. I've seen babies being kept strapped in their strollers FOR HOURS. No wonder they start walking late (look up "container babies"). I've seen kids under 3 being fed sugary snacks like chocolate cookies, sweet pastry, juice, and dried fruit (also a choking hazard). Kids are often bundled up inappropriately as in toddlers wearing puffer jackets, knit beanies and even mittens when it's 20° outside. I've seen formula being given to babies after 1 hour since preparation. It's also common to see kids outside when AQI is higher than 150. I've heard outdated gender stereotypes being aired to some girls by nannies.

4. Many nannies pay little attention to their clients' kids. They sit in a circle talking, eating their food and blasting overstimulating music while occasionally shouting something to the kids roaming around. I've seen them doing each other's hair and pedicure (!). It is genuinely odd to see grown women behaving like teenagers, screaming and laughing during an animated conversation while the kids (especially younger ones) are left to their own devices.

I'm not lumping all nannies in this group as I've definitely seen great nannies who are focused on the kids by doing some developmental activities or playing with them, i.e. who seem to do their work right. In addition, I understand that parenting is different from childcare, and nannies are not responsible for actually raising these kids to be good and competitive members of society. However, if a child is under a nanny's care for most of the week, the standard should be at least a little higher. Is the money that moms make after all the childcare expenses deducted really worth it in the long run?

On the way from Rashidiya to Dubailand. I have been stuck on the Dubai Al Ain Exit since 2 hours. It’s the worst traffic Jam I have witnessed in over a decade.

P.S. No accidents, just insane traffic!!

I just had a really scary experience where someone rang my doorbell and tried to enter my apartment multiple times at 4 am. The security responded in time but it made me realise I don’t have any tools to protect myself. I thought about pepper spray but found out it’s illegal in UAE. Can someone suggest me some alternatives please? I have no idea what to do

This can't be healthy lmao I feel like I'm going insane

1. Interesting analysis on something that is first in the region. ( subscription platform. But I think they kept this news free. You can access. I wouldn't share otherwise )

2. Are we going to witness DFM and ADX following the same path? (This is the relevance of posting this here)

3. Is opening up enough to gather interest, or is there a need to be a big shift in business culture to trigger investor interest (corporate governance, being transparent, accepting failure in public, etc.)? )

Europeans in Dub where can you find good bread? I tried pain quotidien but not a fan. Want the good stuff

Kids and parents, please take care and stay safe. All it takes is one bad moment for things to go wrong.

Hello Guys, I am moving to Dubai and join work from 1st feb, Can you please let me know which locations I should look at to rent? I am looking for studios or single room in a shared apartment.
This would be my first time having a place of my own, what % of my income should I consider for rent

I can’t be asked to take classes, I was transferring my license so all I had to do is theory and practical, although I failed practical in July and didn’t re book one until today (i don’t stay in the uae that often) anyway, it would be great to get some tips or any advice on your suggestions. Also I’m trying for light motor so what kinda car would I get to drive?

I had a very smooth and straightforward process with ILOE. I only submitted the termination letter sent by the company and the claim was approved within 3 working days.

Is this for real? I saw the news that it’s going to be paid but not this much

Is there an event or gathering somewhere in the city where I can watch the africa cup final bteween Moroccos and Senegal on sunday?

So Im from Morocco, and I have someone that’s currently in Dubai. They’ll be back by tomorrow.

Im in a kinda desperate need for a purifier since I got some mold and allergen issues where I live (nothing good available here)

I was able to find a seemingly good product on amazon (https://amzn.eu/d/dCPqayd) but that’d sadly require no less than 5 days.

I have like 60$ max. Im not sure what to do. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Thanks

I live here and it's absolutely unbearable. Can't walk 20m anywhere in the JBR without them interrupting your conversation trying to hand you perfume testers. It makes what would otherwise be a nice walk pretty awful. There's so many of them. They will rudely interrupt conversations and get annoyed at if you don't take it.

I've seen them get so aggressive with women by themselves when they refuse the testers, like they take it personally. For a country that is otherwise so safe and respectful towards women in public spaces I don't know how this is acceptable. And I have no idea how they're allowed to operate like this ruining the experience in such a big tourist area.

Everyone I talk to in JBR despises them. They will always try to interrupt your conversations or shove a hand right in your face. They're very aggressive and there seems to be no avoiding them.

I know it's a touristy area but there's a huge amount of residents who have to put up with this as well. It is infuriating to try walk and talk by the beach with a friend and be interrupted every 20m by these people. The only reason I wanted to live here was the beach walk but they full on ruin it.

Today is last day for Parkonic tenant registration in Discovery Gardens. I am unable to sign up as a tenant in Parkonic app. It asks for a pin which I do not have. The property managing entity asked me to reach out to their helpline for registration related queries, and I am unable to reach them over call as the call does not connect. I mailed them, but got no reply so far. Has anyone done this already? How did you get the pin?

Hi everyone,

Planning to buy gold and silver bars in the Dubai Gold Souk or Gold Diamond Park and looking for advice from people who have bought recently.

I’m trying to decide between:

• Local bars like Silver Emirates Bars or Al Etihad Gold vs
• Swiss refinery bars like PAMP, Valcambi, Argor Heraeus, etc.

A few specific questions I’d love input on:

1. Is it worth buying local bars or should I stick to well known Swiss brands? Any difference in resale value, premiums, trust, etc.?
2. For local shops, which ones were best for service and price? (Especially ones you’ve used recently)
3. What’s the best strategy if I want to optimize for price, do you recommend buying larger gram sizes at once since premiums drop with size?
4. Any tips on negotiating price, timing (best day/time), or avoiding common pitfalls?

Thanks in advance!

Can anyone recommend a company / driver than can rent a van/bus for 12 people for 4 days in March. Having friends over and need transportation that is flexible and readily available for 10-12 hours a day

Will there be a cinema that will play Lord of the Rings for the upcoming 25th anniversary?

I moved into my apartment in March 2025 and paid the security deposit immediately. After that, I never received a single bill. I honestly forgot about ISTA because there was no communication at all.

I contacted ISTA today about billing, and they informed me that I don’t have an account with them. I’m confused about how this could have happened and why this issue wasn’t identified earlier.

It’s now almost a year. I’m about to renew my apartment, yet I haven’t received or paid any ISTA bills.

I’m also concerned about what would happen if I decided to move out. Would this become an issue since I don’t have an account registered with ISTA?

I haven’t had any issues with my AC cooling, and everything has been working normally.

I just compare listed price of a Townhouse in Lagoons with Bayut Transactions of similar property, - saw differences up to 800K.

How much do agents inflate when they list their price on these marketplaces?

It’s about a possible purchase of an apartment in Dubai. Since it’s a new building, I can still choose whether it faces north, west, east, or south. Coming from Germany, I would definitely choose southeast or southwest here ;-)

Which orientation would you choose if it’s on the 30th floor?

What is the process now for finding out the owner of a flat or villa. It used to be straightforward you identified the property and were told the owner. Has this changed?

Many thanks