Life & Style | Home & Interiors
"A kid can be a kid here... kick a ball, ride a bike."
How do Dubai's communities compare as family-friendly neighbourhoods? FM asks a cross section of residents for their opinions.
- By Bana Qabbani, Freelancer, Freehold Monthly
- Published: 00:00 November 15, 2009
Those of us raised during the UAE's formative years share similar recollections of Dubai as a quiet city with a far more relaxed pace of life than the present. Although there weren't many gated communities or compounds for children to play in, a sense of community was evident.
Like many people, I often find myself reminiscing about growing up in Dubai during the 1980s. As a child, I was perfectly happy to collect seashells, build sandcastles and play with other kids on the beach. With limited options available to most residents, many families like mine would often spend weekends at Chicago Beach Hotel, Dubai Country Club and the Hilton Beach Club in Jumeirah.
Back then, a place like Chicago Beach Village - one of the first gated communities, built in the 1970s where Madinat Jumeirah is now - was considered a long drive away. Yet many expats moved there and forged lifelong friendships with their neighbours. Other residents developed a strong attachment to the areas where they lived (gated or otherwise) such as Jumeirah, Al Garhoud and Deira. My family lived in Jumeirah for 27 years and only moved away recently.
Today, landscaped developments have sprung up across the desert sand, and thousands of Dubai's residents have taken up residence in newer areas. asks families in some of these developments about their experiences and whether they feel like they are part of a budding community.
Open railings
Ed and Jan Brookshank from the UK rank Green Community as their favourite neighbourhood. After initially buying a villa in Green Community phase one they then rented in Arabian Ranches for two years while waiting for the handover of a villa in Green Community West. They moved into their new home in July.
"There's a real sense of community here," says Ed. "The reason for this is because Green Community is better planned than other areas. In phase one you've got villas circled around a communal park with lots of pedestrian back lanes and no busy roads.
"Since moving in, I've met nearly all my neighbours. I compare that to Arabian Ranches where we lived for two years and didn't know any of them."
Jan agrees. "Instead of brick walls, there are open railings so you can always meet the neighbours."
The Brookshanks, who have three sons, were also attracted to the area because they felt it had a strong family-friendly environment. With bicycle paths and pedestrian walkways behind each villa that connect to communal parks, there's no need for children to use the roads. "You don't get fast traffic," say Ed. "The roads are narrow and cobbled, which makes it very hard to drive fast on them. In phase one, you can walk to the shops or go out in the evening. There's the lake, and very good facilities like tennis courts and volleyball courts."
Green spaces
Another parent who seems equally satisfied with the sense of community in her neighbourhood is Edina Cellie from Italy. She moved to Dubai about four years ago and lives in a rented apartment in Motor City with husband Cesare and sons, Csongor, 8 and Claudio, 9. "I think it's a question of individual taste. People think that if you live in a building then you have no freedom, but the nicest thing is that there are huge terraces and lots of parks," says Edina. "The boys can skateboard and roller skate and there's not just a pool, but lots of green around too, so we're encouraged to go walking and jogging."
She feels that having a large terrace overlooking green spaces gives residents an encouraging push to go outside and socialise because they don't have a private backyard that isolates them. "I lived in Arabian Ranches and had quite a few friends, but I met them at the school that my children go to and not in the neighbourhood. When you go outdoors in Motor City, you have an opportunity to interact with other residents in the area."
Although more shops are due to open soon in Motor City, Edina says she doesn't feel limited because there's a nearby Spinneys where she can shop for groceries. "If we had a school in Motor City, I would spend most of my time there - except maybe for the weekends."
Secure setting
Shatha Abdo, her husband and three daughters have been living in Arabian Ranches for three years. The Jordanian couple feels that the gated community is a safe haven for their girls.
Shatha enjoys the privacy that Arabian Ranches affords families with little ones. "Although my two eldest daughters Layan, 8, and Tala, 5, often venture outdoors to ride their bikes and go to the playground with their friends, I like that there's a private backyard where my toddler, Laila, can run around," she says.
Having grown up in Dubai, Shatha says there are far more activities and options available to families with children, and a development like Arabian Ranches caters well to this segment. "My daughters love to go trick-or-treating during Halloween, so it's nice for them to be in a residential community like this. The Arabian Ranches Equestrian Centre is also close, and my daughter Layan takes riding lessons there. The centre also organises lots of other fun activities for kids, and that definitely helps foster a community feel."
Having got to know other Arabian Ranches mums through her daughters' school, Shatha says it's easy to organise play dates when her daughters' friends live just a few blocks down the street. The mums can also meet up for a quick coffee at the community village centre.
"My girls really enjoy living here, and I think that's all parents want in the end."
Friendly neighbours
Carmela Casella from Switzerland thinks it will take time for Dubai developments to strike the perfect balance, since most are still in their infancy. She lives with her husband and three children, Anaïs, 9, Joel, 12 and Samira 13 in The Meadows. "I've been living in The Meadows for two years. I know my neighbours; they are lovely and we give presents for Diwali and for Christmas," she says. "Some of them have children at university so we don't meet often, but we know each other.
"I do feel that a kid can be a kid here... kick a ball, ride a bike. The weather is also good for most of the year, with the exception of two months in the summer."
Her only frustration is that people drive at 80km/h without any consideration for the residents. Otherwise, she's quite content. "We used to live in an independent villa, and after three months my children didn't like it so much because we always had to plan things in advance. Now, they can finish their homework and meet their friends in the compounds."
Although the family will soon move, since the villa owner is planning to sell it, they are dismayed to leave. Carmela, however, is philosophical. "It's normal for expats to move every few years, so things are constantly changing. I think of an expat as someone who comes and goes, but immigrants are people who sell everything and buy a new home in a city. Expats like us are nomads, always moving."
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