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Dr Louise Lambert, a researcher in positive psychology who has been in the UAE for 20 years, has lived in her one-bedroom Business Bay apartment since 2020, which has resulted in her rent being among the lowest in the building.
The property in Churchill Tower costs her Dh65,000 annually, having risen from about Dh40,000 over the past few years.
For as long as it stays that low, she has no intention of leaving – not when it’s such a nice place to live.
The National takes a look around.
How long have you lived here?
I moved here during the pandemic. I got super lucky, as it was the price of a song.
Why did you choose this place?
I didn’t take it because it was cheap. I just took it because I like the layout. I saw others that were about the same price, and I felt like a little bird in a cage.
It’s in Business Bay, so I cycle every morning. I literally take my bike, go straight down and I’m right on the canal, so I love that about it. On one side, I can see the [Godolphin Racing] stables, so I see the horses every morning. I see them training and the jockeys going around. And then on the other side, I see the boats going by on the canal.
I have a little balcony, and I grow random things like little tomatoes and, at the moment, dying sunflower seeds. It’s just nice.
What do you pay for it?
I got it for Dh40,000 to Dh44,000 and now I pay Dh65,000. I have one of the lowest rents in the city, I’m sure. It does go up every year, but it can’t go up more than 5 per cent, so if you’re starting from Dh40,000 it’s not much. The new rent will be Dh68,000.
How have you made it your own?
I’ve got this lovely artwork. I have paintings all around and lots of plants. Greenery just adds life, and it has paid off, because every year I get a little family of birds. They’re beautiful songbirds, and they come in and build a little nest in my bougainvillaea.
I get a little dose of nature and it’s really bright.
What amenities do you have?
There is a gym downstairs. There’s a pool. There’s a daycare, which I don’t use, but there’s a few things for families. Then, when there are holidays, like Diwali, they do little celebrations outside and fireworks.
The municipality has done loads of really nice things on the canal. They put outdoor gym equipment, they’ve lined it with tresses. It’s really nice.
The other thing that’s really great is New Year’s Eve. I literally walk downstairs and Burj Khalifa is right across the water, so we can see the fireworks right there. It’s close to the downtown, I can see downtown, I just don’t need to live in it.
During winter I also walk across the bridge to the Zaha Hadid building, the Opus, that’s full of restaurants now. Everything’s close by. It’s perfect.
What would you change about it?
Traffic has been a big issue. It’s one of the things I hate about it. Nobody was living here before, but now it’s really bad. At 10.45am, there’s gridlock. It’s becoming really disastrous.
On this street, there’s now a new hotel, a new grocery store, new apartment buildings. It’s great, but I realised the secret’s out and now everybody’s coming in and the traffic is showing. I get stuck in my car park sometimes for 45 minutes.
Have you thought about buying?
I’ve thought about it. I have a few friends who did. If I were still working at the Canadian University Dubai, I might, just because I had a regular income. But, working for myself, it’s high and then low and then high. It’s just too unpredictable. I don’t want to take the chance.
In hindsight, I’ve been here 20 years, so if I had bought back then my mortgage would have been paid off by now.
How long do you plan to stay in this apartment?
Even if the rent goes up, I’m staying because I’m seeing other people’s rent and they’re in the Dh100,000-plus for smaller or the same. So, as long as it is less than anywhere else, I’ll stay. But the way Dubai is going now, where would I go that doesn’t have traffic?
I will stay as long as I can. I’ve been here 20-some years. I’ve got my golden visa. All my friends are here. This is home, so I don’t want to leave.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
The five pillars of Islam
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
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.
MATCH INFO
Leeds United 0
Brighton 1 (Maupay 17′)
Man of the match: Ben White (Brighton)
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Young women have more “financial grit”, but fall behind on investing
In an October survey of young adults aged 16 to 25, Charles Schwab found young women are more driven to reach financial independence than young men (67 per cent versus. 58 per cent). They are more likely to take on extra work to make ends meet and see more value than men in creating a plan to achieve their financial goals. Yet, despite all these good ‘first’ measures, they are investing and saving less than young men – falling early into the financial gender gap.
While the women surveyed report spending 36 per cent less than men, they have far less savings than men ($1,267 versus $2,000) – a nearly 60 per cent difference.
In addition, twice as many young men as women say they would invest spare cash, and almost twice as many young men as women report having investment accounts (though most young adults do not invest at all).
“Despite their good intentions, young women start to fall behind their male counterparts in savings and investing early on in life,” said Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, senior vice president, Charles Schwab. “They start off showing a strong financial planning mindset, but there is still room for further education when it comes to managing their day-to-day finances.”
Ms Schwab-Pomerantz says parents should be conveying the same messages to boys and girls about money, but should tailor those conversations based on the individual and gender.
“Our study shows that while boys are spending more than girls, they also are saving more. Have open and honest conversations with your daughters about the wage and savings gap,” she said. “Teach kids about the importance of investing – especially girls, who as we see in this study, aren’t investing as much. Part of being financially prepared is learning to make the most of your money, and that means investing early and consistently.”
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz S 450
Price, base / as tested Dh525,000 / Dh559,000
Engine: 3.0L V6 biturbo
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 369hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm at 1,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.0L / 100km
The Limehouse Golem
Director: Juan Carlos Medina
Cast: Olivia Cooke, Bill Nighy, Douglas Booth
Three stars
MATCH INFO
Norwich City 0 Southampton 3 (Ings 49′, Armstrong 54′, Redmond 79′)
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London’s hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Benefits of first-time home buyers’ scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
