piccassoo

Hi all,

Im moving to Dubai in a couple of days for 6 months to a year. Im looking for a nice 1-2 bedroom apartment. Is Mirdiff nice? Is it value for money in dubai? Anybody with experience in finding accomocations in dubai, please advise. Im looking at spending around AED 5,000 to 8,000 per month max. Can I get a great 2 bedroom in that in a building with a pool, gym, sauna, steam - the works? Let me know pleaseeeeeeeee...thanks

Inselaffen

Really depends where you are going to be working.

one problem you will have is that you'll have to sign up for a 1 year contract unless you take a room in a shared apartment/villa. and you have to pay the full rent for the year at the start ( you may get to pay in 6 months installments with postdated cheques)

5,000 AED will get you a studio apartment at best.

beebee

Thats 60 to 96k, I knew of a 2 bed apt just outside Mirdif (in the desert basically) that was going for 80k.. maybe if you look around you may find something. Anywhere else and you don't stand a chance... Rentals here are anything BUT value for money...

lionheart

If you really want a 1-2 bed apartment with facilities,expect to pay at least AED 10,000 and much more if you want to live in a fashionable area. We have BMs living in Mirdiff so they are better able to answer your specific query about rents there. You could try International City if you don't mind occasional smells drifting across from the sewage plant or Sharjah if you don't mind heavy traffic congestion. A good middle ground could be Al Qusais.

fritztastic

I, too, am moving to Dubai (from Los Angeles, in about six weeks). Perhaps I've been reading outdated materials or have been searching the wrong listings, but is a decent one-bedroom w/ facilities in a hip area really AED 10K/month? That's $2700, and quite a smart place in LA.

Are long-stay hotels a better bet? I've seen mid-scale ones priced around AED 8K/mo.

Is it impossible to find, say, a bedroom in a flatshare 3-BR villa in that range as well?

If I'm only going to be living in Dubai for two years, I'd like nice, convenient, hip accomodations...but now i'm not so sure on a monthly salary of AED 22-25K.

Thanks for your help!

lionheart

Sharing a villa or large apartment may well be your best bet. You should be able to find something for AED 5-6K per month. Try the Gulf News or advertise on a site like expatriate.com

Meow

I reckon you could find a a reasonable one bed for 8,000 pm. Look in 'non-fsahionable' areas. Mirdif is possible (provided you don't mind plane noise) and also look at Deira. Prices in the Marina seem to be falling too

Have a look at www.bhomes.com for ideas of rental prices.

jvr20

2-beds just over the Sharjah border on the highway for c. 45k p.a. (c. 4k/month) if you can cope with the traffic.

fritztastic

Thanks so much for your help.

Btw, are you sure about expatriate.com--perhaps you meant another site?

Just curious, why would marina prices be falling? Seems like it would be very nice.

Also, since I understand traffic is such a concern in the city, I'll be working in Humanitarian City, so any advice regarding that neighborhood appreciated.

Thanks!

Inselaffen

expatriate.com does have flatshares on it, but the site seems to be down a lot of the time at the moment.

you could also look at dubizzle.com

Marina prices are falling because there are so many apartments coming online in the Marina and JBR.

Madam Medusa

you could also try http://www.dubaipropertymatch.com/index.php

MM, xx

lionheart

The Real Estate section on expatriates.com (UAE) used to be very busy...would somebody please enlighted me as to where exactly Humanitarian City might be...also, there seems to be two Knowledge Cities, which is rather confusing.

fritztastic

According to their site (http://www.ihc.ae/faq.asp#3):

At present IHC’s premises are located in central Dubai near Business Bay. IHC will, however, be expanding to meet the rapidly growing requirements of the global humanitarian community by relocating to new facilities that will be developed on a one million square meter land allocated by the Government of Dubai in Dubai World Central in Jebel Ali.

--
I've never been to Dubai before--I'm moving sight unseen--and your tips are helpful in helping me piece together the city. thanks again!

Eeyore

It's a single building (as far as I can tell) next to the Al Khail Road in the Burj Dubai/Business Bay area.

Paidtoplease

Are they allowed to call one building a ''city'' ???