This beautiful city truly offers up the best for our families, and here’s our little ode to it!
We love living in Dubai, right, mamas? From the beautiful beaches, to the record-breaking buildings, to the vast mix of cultures, to the incredible desert vistas, here are the 14 reasons why we are thankful to live in this fantastic city!
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There aren’t many cities in the world where so many different nationalities come together as they do in Dubai. We love seeing the kiddos walk into their classrooms and play with friends from countries all over the world, living next door to neighbours from completely different cultures, and seeing the different ways people live, worship, dress, eat and relax – and seeing the littlies grow up with in such a diverse and accepting place is a real joy!
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Dubai might be known for its hot, hot summers, but let’s not forget the months between October and April, when we can enjoy endless beach days, park play dates, picnics in the garden, and BBQs with friends. When friends back home are posting pictures of rainy days and freezing mornings, it’s difficult not to feel a bit smug… And when the weather does heat up? We have a city that caters for it, with plenty of fun to be had indoors too.
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Standing on the beach as the waves lap our feet, the sun beats down on our back, and the kids play in the sand is a pretty fantastic way to spend our afternoons and weekends – and if we ever lived in a place where we couldn’t throw a bucket and spade in the car and make a dash for the sand, we would definitely miss it. How lucky are we, mamas?
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If it’s sand you are after, there’s always the desert too… It doesn’t take long to reach burnt orange desert dunes in the car (about a 10-15 minute journey out of the city) – and when you reach it, the desert offers perfect day trip (or overnight camping, if you have all the kit). Just don’t forget your cameras mamas, as this is one Dubai highlight you won’t want to forget. And keep your eyes out for camels too!
We are blessed with beautiful parks dotted throughout the city, which allow us mamas to enjoy some sunshine while the kids play. They are either free to enter or charge a very nominal fee, making it one of the cheapest ways to entertain the littlies too. And top tip mamas; make sure you head into the cafés on site, which usually offer decent coffee for seriously good prices.
We have the world’s tallest building, world’s tallest fountains, world’s biggest mall, and world’s largest indoor theme park (to name just a few). Dubai really is world record breaking – and driving or strolling past these buildings and places each day is surreal, but amazing. And let’s face it mamas, it’s perfect for impressing the visitors too!
Dubai is so child-friendly that the littlies usually get acknowledged before we do when we venture out in the city. It really is their city; right from when our pregnant bump gets noticed wherever we go (kudos to the manager of Dubai Garden Centre who has recently been spotted handing out free flowers to expectant ladies!), to the newborn days where everyone gazes into your pram with big smiles, to the toddler and school-age days where they staff in shops and restaurants dote on them, entertain them, and always consider them with stock and menus. We love the family-friendly ethos of this city – and we’re yet to find anywhere in the world that compares.
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It doesn’t happen so regularly these days, of course, but we do love a Friday brunch when the opportunity arises – and whether we take the kiddos along too (to enjoy the out-of-this-world entertainment from petting zoos, to cookery workshop, to painting sessions) or we escape for much-needed quiet time (hello, cocktail stations and long catch-ups with friends), we feel pretty lucky when we get the chance to don our high heels and brunch dresses on a Friday lunchtime.
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Even if you weren’t a mall kind of person before you moved to Dubai, you get used to it pretty quickly – whether that’s popping in for a pint of milk, buying a whole new wardrobe of clothes and accessories, or just enjoying a quiet coffee with a friend after the school drop. And if you want entertainment? The malls have that too, mama: from gazing up at prehistoric dinosaurs, to visiting giant aquariums, to bombing down ski slopes, to trying not to fall over on a giant ice rink. Whatever you want to do, there is a mall for it.
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And talking of indoor fun, there is plenty more on offer in Dubai when you don’t want to head outdoors. From cinemas specially designed for kids, to countless soft play areas, to theatres offering fantastic performances for kids, to painting and craft workshops. The kiddos won’t get bored easily in this city – and that’s a big relief when it’s scorching outside.
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Let’s be honest, mamas, it’s never boring living in a city that changes as fast as this one. With buildings rising in a matter of months, to new areas of Dubai opening on a seemingly daily basis, to impressive pieces of engineering and construction like The Dubai Canal opening in seriously quick time frames, it’s very exciting to be part of a city that is ever changing and evolving.
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Not everybody has help at home in Dubai, but for those that choose to go down that route, not a day goes past where we aren’t thankful for the extra pairs of hands. From maids that become part of the family, to agencies that keep our apartments and villas sparkling clean, to drivers, to cooks, to handymen. In a place where so many of us are without our extended families to lend a hand, we are lucky to live in a city where help at home is so accessible to many.
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Don’t fancy cooking, mama? No problem, as Dubai offers the vastest choice of home delivery options to our door. And it’s not just meals that will arrive at the click of a button, but orders from grocery stores, coffee shops, chemists, and pet shops. If you never wanted to leave home again, it’s very possible here in Dubai, mamas!
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Whilst we love Dubai, we also love the fact it is part of the UAE, and with six other Emirates to explore at the weekend, we’re spoilt for choice when we fancy exploring. From sprawling desert vistas, to eclectic markets, to mountainous landscapes, to stunning unspoilt beaches (and everything in between), this is what we love about this incredible corner of the world. If only there were more hours in the day to explore it all…
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Featured image via denis harsch on Unsplash, Mix of cultures image sourced via Pexels, Mall Slide image sourced via freestocks.org on Unsplash, Other Emirate image via David Rodrigo on Unsplash, All other images have been sourced from different Sassy articles (credits given in original articles).
