# where to live in Dubai



## lucylue1970 (Jun 1, 2014)

We will be moving to Dubai in August this year. My job will be based in Deira near to Deira City Centre mall. We will look for accommodation in Deira but it seems there is not much available in that area.

After some research I have seen many apartments online in Remraam. I can see this is on the other side of Dubai near to Jebel Ali.

Sharjah has been suggested to me as an option but I am not too keen on that idea as I have read about the problems with the commute and that it is a much more conservative Emirate than the others. 

Can anyone give me an idea of the expected commute time from around Remraam, whether by metro or car and also commute time from Sharjah to Deira.

Any other suggestions about commute times and options to Deira would be greatly appreciated

Thanks


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## rsinner (Feb 3, 2009)

Any reason why remraam specifically? Why not the thousands of areas along Sheikh Zayed Road all the way up to the Marina? Do you want villas? Apartments? Is there a budget you are aiming for?
From Sharjah to Deira should be about 30 mins at peak times if you live close to the Sharjah-Dubai border.


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## lucylue1970 (Jun 1, 2014)

No reason for Remraam really except I have seen lots of properties online in that area that are within budget. We are looking for apartment preferably 3 bed but could mange with 2 upto 120,000 per annum.

30 mins from Sharjah to Deira sounds good thought and seems more space for the money.
Any guidance is appreciated.
Thank you


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## Fat Bhoy Tim (Feb 28, 2013)

lucylue1970 said:


> No reason for Remraam really except I have seen lots of properties online in that area that are within budget. We are looking for apartment preferably 3 bed but could mange with 2 upto 120,000 per annum.
> 
> 30 mins from Sharjah to Deira sounds good thought and seems more space for the money.
> Any guidance is appreciated.
> Thank you


Mirdif. 

Decent area, not too far a drive (also near the Metro red line), and fairly cheap by Dubai standards.


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## londonmandan (Jul 23, 2013)

Fat Bhoy Tim said:


> Mirdif.
> 
> Decent area, not too far a drive (also near the Metro red line), and fairly cheap by Dubai standards.


Cheap as it's under the flight path :lol:


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## twowheelsgood (Feb 21, 2013)

Colleague of mine is moving to Remraam. He is currently on a high floor in the Marina and is looking to reduce costs etc.

He is an architect so knows a thing or two about buildings, having designed an iconic Dubai building (no, not Burj Al Arab or Burj Khalifa but one everyone knows)

He hasn't got his family here and said the two bed property is quite good.


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## Mr Rossi (May 16, 2009)

Port Saeed, directly opposite City Centre mall has decent apartments and behind them looking onto the creek.

Mirdiff as mentioned and Al Garhoud. Across the river Oud Metha, parts of Bur Dubai or even the bottom of Sheik Zayed Road.

City Centre Mall to the Marina would get tired very quickly, traffic jams and while the metro can be convenient between some areas, it trundles along slowly and takes forever.


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

Reverse commute, dude. Reverse commute. Deira CC to Marina is probably 30 minutes.

120,000 isn't much money for a 3-bed but she should find a 2-bed along Sheikh Zayed between Trade Centre and Dubai Mall. That's the area I'm looking at for when I move in August. There's some very decent bargains to be had, even now, but you need to literally go door to door and ask the watchmen. 

Metro from the Sheikh Zayed area to DCC is probably 20 minutes and no need to change lines.



Mr Rossi said:


> Port Saeed, directly opposite City Centre mall has decent apartments and behind them looking onto the creek.
> 
> Mirdiff as mentioned and Al Garhoud. Across the river Oud Metha, parts of Bur Dubai or even the bottom of Sheik Zayed Road.
> 
> City Centre Mall to the Marina would get tired very quickly, traffic jams and while the metro can be convenient between some areas, it trundles along slowly and takes forever.


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## lucylue1970 (Jun 1, 2014)

Thank you all, that is helpful


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## Zeeshan08 (Sep 15, 2013)

What are your work hours? Meaning what times will you be commuting? In your budget you can get a stellar 3 bed in Sharjah in one of the brand new buildings, sea view, beach close, nice area. But first see if it's worth the commute. I commute from Sharjah to Deira daily so give me an idea what times you'll be on the road and I can give you a realistic idea of commute timing.


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## lucylue1970 (Jun 1, 2014)

Not quite sure yet but will find out. Thanks


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

If you already have concerns about Sharjah being a more conservative emirate, you most likely won't like living there.

Traffic from Sharjah to even Deira is legendary. It's quicker to drive from the Marina to Deira than it is from Sharjah, even though Sharjah is only a few miles away.



lucylue1970 said:


> Not quite sure yet but will find out. Thanks


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## lucylue1970 (Jun 1, 2014)

So what are approximate driving times from say marina or that sort of area to Deira. I know during non rush hour is quick but have not been in traffic in Dubai during rush hour


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

The main traffic flow on E11 (Sheikh Zayed) in Dubai is:

Morning: From Sharjah southbound towards as far as Abu Dhabi.

Evenings: From southbound/AD towards Sharjah. 

So many people live in Sharjah because it's inexpensive as well as for cultural reasons. These are primarily low earning expats. The difference in the traffic flow is substantial enough that it does make one think. 

If you are working in Deira and you live anywhere south of Deira, you will have the "reverse" commute, as you will be going in the opposite direction from the main traffic flow. 

I know for a certainty that Dubai Marina/JLT/Greens to Dubai Airport Free Zone (just north of the airport) is 30 minutes during the morning rush hour. Deira CC is near the airport. So I'm confident in saying that you're looking at a 25-30 minute commute from the south end of Dubai to Deira CC. If you live on Sheikh Zayed/Downtown/Business Bay or Jumeira, the drive is probably 15 minutes, with variations depending on how quickly you can get onto Sheikh Zayed, and how much time it takes to get from Sheikh Zayed to the office itself.



lucylue1970 said:


> So what are approximate driving times from say marina or that sort of area to Deira. I know during non rush hour is quick but have not been in traffic in Dubai during rush hour


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## Zeeshan08 (Sep 15, 2013)

TallyHo said:


> If you already have concerns about Sharjah being a more conservative emirate, you most likely won't like living there.
> 
> Traffic from Sharjah to even Deira is legendary. It's quicker to drive from the Marina to Deira than it is from Sharjah, even though Sharjah is only a few miles away.


Again, I think this depends on work hours..maybe you will miss the morning rush from Sharjah. I make it to Deira from Sharjah in 15 minutes, I leave between 10-11am. Also a factor is where in Sharjah you are living. I think many people on this forum judge Sharjah and have either:

A) Never lived here
B) Haven't been here lately
C) Have only visited the lower income areas

What would your opinion of dubai be if all you had visited was international city?

As far as commute goes another thing to consider if living in Dubai is possibly using the metro if your work is near a metro station. I used to live near MOE and used the metro. It was nice not having to drive at all and you don't ever have to worry about traffic or crazy drivers or fines...just keep the car for after hours and weekends.


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

You leave between 10 and 11. 

Most people have to be in their offices by 9 at the latest. 

Huge difference in the traffic flow, as all the Sharjah commuters stuck on E11 can confirm. 

I have been to Sharjah more times than I can count. Parts of it is perfectly fine and safe. Other parts are run down, ugly and/or industrial, but still safe. The truth remains Sharjah doesn't have a sizable Western expat community or the range of social and recreational amenities as Dubai. Nor is Sharjah quite as pretty as the planned parts of Dubai, even the lagoon areas is a bit of hodgepodge. For the typical Western expat living in Sharjah will be more of an adventure. Some will like it, others won't. 

There's something to be said about wanting to live surrounded by your peers, and if Lucy is a typical British expat, her pool of peers in Sharjah is going to be much smaller than in Dubai. With her housing allowance she can easily afford to live in a pleasant apartment in Dubai and not have to suffer the Sharjah traffic. So it's a no brainer for me. 

I'm not basing comments solely on personal observations but also from many people have said to me over the years, including those that originally lived in Sharjah. Western women particularly don't like Sharjah, they find it more confining and too conservative and the support network of western women is tiny. 



Zeeshan08 said:


> Again, I think this depends on work hours..maybe you will miss the morning rush from Sharjah. I make it to Deira from Sharjah in 15 minutes, I leave between 10-11am. Also a factor is where in Sharjah you are living. I think many people on this forum judge Sharjah and have either:
> 
> A) Never lived here
> B) Haven't been here lately
> ...


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## lucylue1970 (Jun 1, 2014)

TallyHo said:


> You leave between 10 and 11.
> 
> Most people have to be in their offices by 9 at the latest.
> 
> ...


Thank you that is very helpful. I can see from online searches that there are plenty of big apartments in Sharjah within my budget and the size etc is smaller in Dubai but my preference is definitely Dubai and from the comments it seems I'll be able to find something to rent in an area of Dubai that's not too far to commute every day. If i can travel by metro all the better.


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## Fat Bhoy Tim (Feb 28, 2013)

londonmandan said:


> Cheap as it's under the flight path :lol:


Spent a few nights there with friends, you get used to it fairly quickly.


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## Fat Bhoy Tim (Feb 28, 2013)

Zeeshan08 said:


> Again, I think this depends on work hours..maybe you will miss the morning rush from Sharjah. I make it to Deira from Sharjah in 15 minutes, I leave between 10-11am. Also a factor is where in Sharjah you are living. I think many people on this forum judge Sharjah and have either:
> 
> A) Never lived here
> B) Haven't been here lately
> ...


I've been here over 20 years, and the last time Sharjah was any good was the mid/late 90s. The only thing worse than living there? Driving there.


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