Leaving UAE for Europe: My first summer abroad — and I’m missing Dubai’s AC more than ever

Sometimes, a heatwave is just a heatwave, whether you’ve endured it for five years or twenty in the UAE, it can still feel unbearable in Europe.

And considering that Europe has been facing a rather brutal heatwave of late, many UAE expats who just moved to the continent, are looking for different ways of dealing it.  For UAE expat Latifa Youssef, who has lived in the Emirates for over two decades, summer in Switzerland came with a surprise she wasn’t expecting, a heatwave without the comforts of air conditioning. “This is my first summer living outside of the UAE and facing a heatwave in Europe,” she says. “In a city where proper installed air conditioning is not allowed without a permit, which is typically only given to people with health reasons.”

After years of living in the UAE, where air conditioning is part of everyday life for much of the year, the experience of coping without it has been, as Latifa puts it, “a struggle.” Over the past few weeks, temperatures in Switzerland have soared to 35°C. Evenings, she explains, are what the locals refer to as ‘tropical nights,’ when temperatures stay above 20°C, making it difficult to cool down and rest. “I have purchased multiple fans in this attempt, but my home is uncomfortably warm still,” she says.

The effects of the heat extend beyond discomfort. Cooking, once a simple daily task, now feels overwhelming in the sweltering indoor temperatures. “Cooking can be a bit unpleasant with the added heat from the appliances, so I haven’t been doing much of it,” Latifa says. “Mainly trying to prepare cold salads and sandwiches instead.”

While some suggest buying a portable air conditioning unit, Latifa found that this solution wasn’t as effective as it sounds. “The solution of buying a portable AC exists, but many people have said that the mechanism for hot air release through the window is not efficient, and it often just comes back into the room, negating the cooling effect.” With AC off the table, she’s found other ways to cope. “For now, I’m keeping the blinds on the windows shut to keep the sun’s heat out, drinking 3–4 litres of water a day, avoiding the sun as much as possible, and enjoying a nice gelato when I get the chance.”

Similarly, for Dubai-based Ananda Shakespeare, who hails from England, is currently travelling through various parts of Europe for her holiday. “Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Czech, maybe Austria and then UK,” as she explains. Despite the relentless heat, she manages without too much difficulty. “I avoid the mid-day sun as much as I could, and walk around with my hat.”

However, she notes that it might be more difficult back home in England, where most homes don’t have air-conditioning. Still, she points out how her friends manage. “They do have a portable AC unit,” she says, concluding with the thought that she is always armed with ice-creams and cooling drinks.