Being Local in Dubai

I am not really sure if being local in Dubai is a thing… After all, based on some calculations, over 80% of the population in the UAE is made of people who are not from this country and I am sure this number is even higher in Dubai.

I believe the perception of a “local” person is someone who is born and bred in that country. Or at least it was for me up until I moved to Dubai.

Now, I have lived in Brighton (UK), Izmir (Turkey), Bahrain and Dubai. While I am not one of those who change the country they live in like they change their bedsheets, I am well-traveled and have certainly seen a fair share of this beautiful planet. However I have never been to a country where being “local” means something else compared to other countries. For example, say in Britain, as a local Brit, you go to certain pubs and as a tourist, you could go to tourist attractions. However in Dubai, tourists go to places expats no longer go and expats go to places true locals, i.e. Emiratis, would never go.

I am a regular contributor to Google Maps. Heck I even have a “local” badge for my reviews in Dubai. But tourists who are planning to come to Dubai and read my reviews actually read reviews of a person who is not “local”. I believe the perception of a “local” person is someone who is born and bred in that country. Or at least it was for me up until I moved to Dubai.

This was not the case in Bahrain. Yes, about half of the population in Bahrain are expatriates, but locals mingle with expatriates and that is an awesome thing. They welcome you to their country and actually socialise with you. I am yet to have an Emirati friend.

Now, this might sound like I am complaining about Dubai. Far from it. I love Dubai, the ambition of its rulers and the ever-changing scene of the Emirate on a daily basis. But I would have loved to have visibility to the Emirati side of life here a bit more.