Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Few places in the UAE offer a generation fixated on snapping the perfect Instagram-worthy picture as Dubai Marina.
From its impressive sprawling skylines, winding boardwalk and quirky cafes, this is one place where you can capture photos that you will want to share with everyone.
Fun fact - this bustling neighbourhood was one of the top five most Instagrammable spots in the city, according to property portal Bayut.com in 2018.
While Dubai Marina plays host to some of the city's most magnificent architecture, there is more to the area than pretty exteriors. It has become a UAE institution.
Home to more than 45,000 residents, the waterfront promenade is unofficially considered the "end" of Dubai.
For the city's long haulers, they will remember it took that distinction from the old Hard Rock Café in 2003, when the marina began sprouting from the sand.
The towering residential blocks are one of the last landmarks along Sheikh Zayed Road as motorists head south to Abu Dhabi.
"Dubai Marina is a lively hive of activity and with its famous skyline that is recognisable worldwide,” said Lewis Allsopp, chief executive of Allsopp & Allsopp.
"The community is an ideal location for people who enjoy being in the heart of an electric city and it is no surprise it is a favourite among residents.
“It is one of only a few beachside living developments in the city with shops, cafes and restaurants by the canal and the beach, all only a short walk away.”
Emaar designed and built the development along 3.6 kilometres of canal leading to the sea at either end.
Flats in Dubai Marina vary from studios, one, two, three and four-bedrooms.
Those who want something bigger and better can choose from an array of penthouses with five or more bedrooms.
"The majority of residential towers in Dubai Marina offer incredible views, have swimming pools, gyms, parks and sometimes BBQ areas for residents to enjoy," said Mr Allsopp.
Although at less than 20 years old it may still be considered a new kid on the block, Dubai Marina is an established property hotspot.
It has become a second home for many expatriates over the years and offers the perfect mix of metropolis living. Those who tend to flock to the area include singles, couples and young families.
The winding marina, which snakes 3.6km through a landscape of residential and commercial towers, is home to more than 600 boats and yachts – many of them with multimillion dollar price tags.
The area is one of few walkable districts in Dubai, too. The total length of the promenade is just short of 8km and there are plenty of stopping points along the way, from coffee shops to cafes and more.
Public transport options from Dubai Marina
Dubai Marina is one of the best connected neighbourhoods in the city. If you are putting together a check list of areas that boast good public transport options, this place has it all. Dubai Metro - check. Dubai Tram - check. Dubai bus - check.
Several metro stations sit along the front of the marina, just a stone’s throw from Sheikh Zayed Road. They include Dubai Marina Metro and Jumeirah Lakes Towers Metro.
And if travelling by road or rail does not take your fancy, an impressive cruise awaits you aboard the Dubai Marina water bus. Visitors and residents in the hub of Dubai can hop on and hop off between four scenic stops, including Marina Terrace, Marina Walk, Dubai Marina Mall and Marina Promenade.
In 2014, the neighbourhood welcomed an addition to the city's public transport network.
Beams of white light shot into the night sky, fireworks exploded and the wheels began to roll on the Dubai Tram in November that year.
This service stretches more than 14km and allows passengers to travel between 11 stations along the marina.
Rent prices in Dubai Marina
The cost of renting a home in Dubai fell this year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. That has led to greater choice and more space for tenants.
A report by property company Core said rental prices in Dubai Marina dropped by 12 per cent between July and September this year compared to the same period in 2019.
Studios now average at Dh44,000 per year. That is about Dh10,000 less compared to rental values a few years ago.
One-bedroom flats cost about Dh60,000 on average and that rises to Dh89,500 for a two-bedroom property and Dh135,000 for a three-bedroom.
For those with a larger budget and desire for more living space, there are villas in the marina. A four-bedroom duplex, although not abundant, would set tenants back about Dh175,000. And for the privilege of an extra room, be prepared to spend about Dh350,000 per year for a five-bedroom luxury flat or villa.
Dubai Marina's location and landmarks
For retail, the Marina Mall shopping centre is spread across four floors and covers more than 390,000 square feet.
It is hard to pinpoint one particular landmark in the district, unless you count the skyline. More than 300 towers - 152 of which are owned by the developer Emaar - are dotted throughout the marina, including 23 hotels, a seven-storey dining complex and 170 shops. It is also home to the Cayan Tower, an impressive 306-metre-tall skyscraper which rotates a full 90 degrees from base to top.
There really is no reason to leave the area as it also has nine clinics and medical centres to cater to residents living in more than 30,000 flats.
Facilities in Dubai Marina
The man-made marina offers a variety of shops and restaurants. The neighbourhood also boasts banks, pharmacies and supermarkets, all within easy reach of the apartments but mostly found towards the east end of the marina.
Access to the beach a few minutes' walk away in Jumeirah Beach Residence is free. The sands stretch for 1.7km. Playgrounds are dotted throughout the district and offer the perfect haven for families looking to entertain the children on a budget.
Skydive Dubai is located nearby and is open four days a week for those in need of an adrenaline rush.
For dog lovers, Dubai Marina is also a pet-friendly area, but bear in mind that you are not allowed to walk your dog along Marina Walk. There is one area in the marina, a substantial strip of grass on the way to Zero Gravity beach club, where you can walk dogs on a leash.
Schools and nurseries in Dubai Marina
A popular first-time rental spot for young families starting out in the city, Dubai Marina does not have schools but a good selection of campuses can be found nearby.
Less than 2.5km away in The Meadows district is Emirates International School. It offers an IB curriculum and has been rated as Very Good by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority. EIS Meadows has an EY1 to Year 13 grading structure.
A 4km drive away is the International School of Choueifat Dubai in Al Sufouh.
It offers a UK and US curriculum and has been rated Acceptable in its latest inspection report. It also takes on children from Kindergarten to Grade 12.
In Jumeirah Park, opposite Dubai Marina, is the Dubai British School run by Taaleem education group. The UK curriculum campus has been rated Very Good and has a roll of more than 1,100 pupils.
What makes Dubai Marina a good community?
Dubai Marina is regarded as a party haven for singles and couples, and Natalie Brogan has called it home for the past six years.
Ms Brogan, who is from the UK, she said the area fits perfectly with her lifestyle. As a DJ at one of the local beach clubs, she said convenience is one of its biggest attractions.
“I love living in the marina for many reasons,” she said.
“The quick access to the beach, the fact I can walk to work, or in fact, walk anywhere.
“There are plenty of choices of restaurants, bars, cinemas and shopping so it’s perfect when friends and family come to visit, too,” she said.
Home is a two-bedroom flat with a sea view, and Ms Brogan said rents have come down since she arrived in 2014.
Scottish resident Kevin McFerren said he would not live anywhere else.
"I've been in Dubai for two years now and I did a lot of research about where to live," he said.
“I’m 28 and was looking for somewhere lively with the potential to upgrade to a bigger place if I start a family.
“For my first year I didn’t drive because I could either walk everywhere, jump on the metro or grab a taxi.
"I call the marina its own mini city as I really never have to leave it - everything is on my doorstep."
When he arrived in 2018, he paid Dh66,000 for his small one-bedroom flat. In April this year, his rent was Dh54,000.
A version of this article was first published on November 10, 2020.
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 310hp
Torque: 366Nm
Price: Dh200,000
SQUADS
South Africa:
JP Duminy (capt), Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock (wkt), AB de Villiers, Robbie Frylinck, Beuran Hendricks, David Miller, Mangaliso Mosehle (wkt), Dane Paterson, Aaron Phangiso, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Tabraiz Shamsi
Bangladesh
Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Imrul Kayes, Liton Das (wkt), Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim (wkt), Nasir Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Shafiul Islam, Soumya Sarkar, Taskin Ahmed
Fixtures
Oct 26: Bloemfontein
Oct 29: Potchefstroom
Dubai Rugby Sevens
November 30-December 2, at The Sevens, Dubai
Gulf Under 19
Pool A – Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jumeirah College Tigers, Dubai English Speaking School 1, Gems World Academy
Pool B – British School Al Khubairat, Bahrain Colts, Jumeirah College Lions, Dubai English Speaking School 2
Pool C - Dubai College A, Dubai Sharks, Jumeirah English Speaking School, Al Yasmina
Pool D – Dubai Exiles, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Ain Amblers, Deira International School
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Film: In Syria
Dir: Philippe Van Leeuw
Starring: Hiam Abbass, Diamand Bo Abboud, Mohsen Abbas and Juliette Navis
Verdict: Four stars
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Sheer grandeur
The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.
A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
Winner: AF Al Moreeb, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
Winner: AF Makerah, Adrie de Vries, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Handicap | Dh80,000 | 2,200m
Winner: Hazeme, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roualle
6.30pm: Handicap | Dh85,000 | 2,200m
Winner: AF Yatroq, Brett Doyle, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Shadwell Farm for Private Owners Handicap | Dh70,000 | 2,200m
Winner: Nawwaf KB, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) | Dh100,000 | 1,600m
Winner: Treasured Times, Bernardo Pinheiro, Rashed Bouresly
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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Biggest%20applause
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'I Want You Back'
Director:Jason Orley
Stars:Jenny Slate, Charlie Day
Rating:4/5
What to watch out for:
Algae, waste coffee grounds and orange peels will be used in the pavilion's walls and gangways
The hulls of three ships will be used for the roof
The hulls will painted to make the largest Italian tricolour in the country’s history
Several pillars more than 20 metres high will support the structure
Roughly 15 tonnes of steel will be used
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Can NRIs vote in the election?
Indians residing overseas cannot cast their ballot abroad
Non-resident Indians or NRIs can vote only by going to a polling booth in their home constituency
There are about 3.1 million NRIs living overseas
Indians have urged political parties to extend the right to vote to citizens residing overseas
A committee of the Election Commission of India approved of proxy voting for non-resident Indians
Proxy voting means that a person can authorise someone residing in the same polling booth area to cast a vote on his behalf.
This option is currently available for the armed forces, police and government officials posted outside India
A bill was passed in the lower house of India’s parliament or the Lok Sabha to extend proxy voting to non-resident Indians
However, this did not come before the upper house or Rajya Sabha and has lapsed
The issue of NRI voting draws a huge amount of interest in India and overseas
Over the past few months, Indians have received messages on mobile phones and on social media claiming that NRIs can cast their votes online
The Election Commission of India then clarified that NRIs could not vote online
The Election Commission lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police asking it to clamp down on the people spreading misinformation
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
