Life in Dubai

The pretext being given for these new measures is one of public heath: overcrowding breeds disease, etc… Still, one can’t help but remember the global financial crisis which is hurting property values and the retail-driven economy in Dubai. Many of the same villas being targeted by the authorities can now be bought for 40% less than a few months ago. Has the bubble burst? It’s too soon to know, but despite what officials say, a faltering economy seems like a more plausible cause for the newfound interest in people sharing homes (and trying to spend less).

Who can blame them? Unless you’re making big cake, Dubai is not a place where you can live comfortably without cutting a few corners. Before these new policies, being able to share a home with someone else was just enough to make a regular life possible for some people. That all seems in jeopardy now. For the time being, apartment buildings are not affected by the new law, but with all the empty windows in Dubai’s fancy skyscrapers, they’re likely to be hit soon in some similar way.

As usual, there’s a divide between those who have money to spare and those who don’t. When I first read about this on The Angry Arab News Service, I immediately thought of the poor labor/working class. Sure enough, they have been struggling even before the law came down – many of the neighborhoods they live in have long been destined for demolition. On the other hand, those living in the pimped out villas on Jumeirah can afford to scoff (or so they think). There are an estimated 4200 villas in the authorities’ scopes; at the current pace, that would leave some people with several more months of showers and TV.  Many are happy waiting it out; others have certain expectations. Let’s not forget wasta… there have got to be some connected individuals who are finding a way out of this mess without actually moving out.