Summer

For some, summer means traveling abroad either back to their home countries or to exotic destinations. But for others, staying in the UAE is a good summer option because of factors such as rising prices of holidays. The Red Cross provides the following tips for people who are living in hot and/or humid countries such as the UAE: wear light coloured clothes as well as something to cover the head, drink plenty of fluids and stay indoors as much as possible. Are you travelling this summer? What influenced your decision? What more do you think can be done to raise awareness about the dangers of high temperatures?

Children prefer spending their summer break in the UAE because of Dubai Summer Surprises.

There are some families that prefer leaving because they want to visit other countries or go back to their home countries. At the same time, there are some who stay here because travelling is expensive. Since there are summer programmes like Dubai Summer Surprises, families might choose to stay. It depends on the holiday budget of each family.
– Abdul Muthalab
Abu Dhabi

I prefer staying in the UAE during the summer. Here, I know it's safe and there are also a lot of sales and summer festivals, which make it fun. Also, I can do various activities with my friends, like going to the beach or doing something indoors together. I can have fun here without worrying a lot about things like cost and safety because I know the UAE.
– Judie Kariuki
Abu Dhabi

I have children and I prefer to travel with them back to my home country during the summer, even if it means that we would miss out on things happening here like the Dubai Summer Surprises. One reason is that it becomes too hot and humid here. The other reason is that we miss our family back home and want to go back to catch up with them.
– Jennylyn Bathan
Dubai

Many would prefer to go to their home countries, maybe because of the heat or they miss their families or both. But some might decide to spend their vacation here because they can't afford to travel or decide to travel to nearby countries. It's up to the families to decide how they want to spend their summer holidays because they have to take into account how much they will spend.
– Moulham Amour
Dubai

I/We don't take a holiday because it has become too expensive.

I just came back from a holiday and found it to be very costly. Everything from the ticket to the accommodation as well as money that I spent during the holiday added up when I came back. If a person isn't earning a high salary, they find that holidays are too expensive for them so they end up postponing it until they think they can afford it.
- Sonia Delacruz
Abu Dhabi

I don't think holidays have become too expensive. There are always offers being given by hotels to bring tourists so people can choose one that meets their budget. Also, when there are special occasions, such as festivals like the Dubai Summer Surprises, people would go to the country hosting it so that shows that holidays aren't as expensive as people might think they are.
– Maria Agapitov
Dubai

Everything has become very expensive, even things like airline tickets. So many families might think twice about travelling. Also, if they are going back to their home countries then they have to bring gifts for their relatives, which adds up to the overall cost of the trip. Many people pay via credit card so they might decide to take a vacation every other year instead of every year.
– Shalini Menezes
Dubai

The cost of vacations has made some people think twice about it. They now have to think about things like budgeting for it and for how long they could take the vacation. Some companies might provide tickets for their employees so that makes it easier. But if they had to pay for everything then they would have to plan everything, so they don't overspend.
– Lara Watlington
Dubai

Not enough people are aware of the need to use sunscreen to protect against skin cancer.

There isn't a lot of awareness and some of the people who know don't like to use it. I don't like the way it feels and smells, so I use sunscreen as little as possible but I learned my lesson a week ago. I came back from the beach with bad sunburn so now I make sure that I use it whenever I go to the beach.
– Mahmoud Bakhache
Abu Dhabi

I once forgot to wear sunscreen while participating in the Terry Fox Run. I was so badly burned that it remained with me throughout the year before it finally healed. Many people would use it on the beach because they know that if they aren't careful they can get burned but not otherwise because they don't think that they can get sunburn outside the beach.
– Dima Ayyash
Abu Dhabi

I don't think people here spend a lot of time outside, especially in the summer. Because of that, they might not be aware about what they should do to protect themselves. People should try to protect themselves by avoiding spending a lot of time in the sun but because everyone here is so used to staying indoors, they either don't really know what to do or don't care when they are outdoors.
– Mamoun Nawash
Sharjah

It's hot here so people know that they will get sunburned if they don't take care. Whenever I'm outside, I always use sunscreen or lotions to protect my skin. Others might use things like jackets, hats or umbrellas — anything to make sure that they are covered from the sun. They want to avoid getting burned as much as possible so they might do things like staying indoors a lot as well.
– Baby Beln Rosal
Dubai

I/We tend to eat out less in summer because of fear of food going bad easily.

I went to a barbeque recently and we made sure that everything was properly stored. Many people tend to avoid going out to things like picnics here because they are worried about food getting spoiled in the heat and the humidity. They might drive all the way to emirates like Al Ain if they are planning a picnic or a barbeque.
– Yassir Khatib
Abu Dhabi

It depends on the person. But many like going on picnics so they know what they should do to prepare the food and make sure it doesn't spoil. Also, people bring cooked food to make sure that there are no chances of getting food poisoning. Also, there are some foods that shouldn't be exposed to heat or humidity so they aren't taken.
– Elaine Batara
Abu Dhabi

Because of the high heat and humidity here, people might be cautious about food getting bad so they won't eat out as much as during other months. In Sweden, even though summers are hot, people aren't as worried about getting sick from food that might have been in the heat. But generally speaking, people are always cautious during summer about food so they don't get sick.
– Ursula Kuosmanen
Dubai

The UAE during the summer is very hot and humid so people don't like spending a lot of time outdoors. The people who might go on picnics and barbeques are less. In Spain, even though people worry about food spoiling, many still go on picnics because the weather is all right. They just take extra caution when they are preparing and packing the food.
– Laura Tetley
Dubai