Dubai Is Special - Emirates 24|7
Behind Dubai's luxury: Why a young expat says the city is built on ambition, not appearances
Dubai: Simran Shashi Vishwakarma has always dreamed big. The 23-year-old Indian national said: “From a young age, I was fascinated by marketing, branding, and particularly the world of luxury brands. I knew that if I wanted to build a career in that space, I needed to step outside my comfort zone a
‘I am able to live my purpose every day’: Moving from Germany to Dubai, why this Berlin expat says the UAE exceeded every expectation
Dubai: When Sabine Karunanithy landed in Dubai with her three children on December 31, 2021, she arrived with more questions than expectations. The German national had visited the city twice on family holidays, but she knew that living somewhere was very different from passing through it as a touri
From a childhood dream in the Philippines to 17 years in the skies: Why Dubai became home for Nacel Concepcion
As a 12-year-old girl in Manila, Philippines, Nacel Concepcion was busy watering plants outside her family home when she noticed a woman walking past in a crisp uniform, pulling a small trolley bag. It was a scene she never forgot. This week, the 44-year-old UAE resident marked 17 years since she f
Meet Indian teen entrepreneur Jainam Jain: He left school at 13 and built an AI startup in Dubai at 14
Dubai: At an age when most teenagers are still navigating classrooms and exams, 14-year-old Dubai resident Jainam Jain is building an artificial intelligence startup. The teenager completed his Grade-10-equivalent IGCSE examinations at just 13 years old, around three years earlier than most student
'Once in Dubai, you belong': A doctor’s 20-year journey
Dubai: “Once in Dubai, you belong here, wherever you have come from. You really feel at home here.” For Dr Nishanth Sanalkumar, an endocrinologist who has spent nearly 20 years in the city, that feeling defines his journey as much as his career. What began in Trivandrum, near the southern tip of In
‘I couldn’t afford rent’: How one act of kindness changed a Kenyan expat’s life in Dubai
Dubai: Kenyan national Stella Wamaitha Njoroge first arrived in Dubai in February 2020. She was just 23 years old, expecting to find a job within a few weeks, and was excited to begin her life in the UAE. Then COVID-19 happened. Njoroge’s plan for her life abruptly plunged into uncertainty. She str
From AED 1,500 salary to million-dirham success: How Dubai shaped one man’s journey
Dubai: For this Ayurvedic therapist who arrived in Dubai in 2012 earning AED 1,500 a month, life has been a journey defined by determination and dedication. Today, he owns an Ayurvedic health centre and is a partner in two others, with an annual turnover exceeding a million. “If you follow the rule
Why Dubai feels like home: American expat reveals the ‘quiet kindness’ of UAE community life
Dubai: At 1am, a couple of months ago, Laura Krajewski Erk found herself in a tricky situation - record rainfalls that hit the UAE meant that her home was suddenly getting flooded. Within minutes, though, neighbours began showing up, with buckets, mops and offers to help. Some of these neighbours w
Sheikh Hamdan grants Dubai dream trip to Kenyan boy after video goes viral
Dubai: Three weeks ago, a young Kenyan boy named Milan sat in tears, telling his mother he wanted to go to Dubai, a place he described not as a city, but as a “planet.” The emotional moment, shared by Kenyan content creator Maria Nyambane on Instagram, quickly resonated with millions online. But am
Dubai pushes you to think bigger, says Irish expat and fashion consultant
Dubai: There are cities that offer opportunity, and then there is Dubai — a place where ambition feels almost contagious. For Máire Morris, founder of Morris Global Consulting, it was not just another market; it was a turning point. Nearly a decade after first arriving, her story reflects what many
‘Dubai’s freedom and peace make it special’: A psychiatrist on his two-decade journey
Dubai: "Whatever I am today, I owe it to God and then to Dubai," said Dr Sreekumar V Nair, his eyes glittering with pride and confidence. The well-known Indian psychiatrist made Dubai his home way back in 2006. He left a government health service job in the southern Indian state of Kerala for a pos
‘Thank you, Dubai’: Resident returns to unlocked car – and finds key safely waiting on the hood
Dubai: Laura Krajewski Erk was moments away from panic when she realised something was wrong with her car. The Dubai-based content creator had just walked towards her car, when she noticed that the car’s mirrors were open – which meant that her car doors were unlocked. She then realised she was mis