Dubai is not the same without its single residents.
At this time of year all focus may be on the love birds, but many find in Dubai the ultimate single life scene; busy social life, minimal parental supervision and people from across the world living here alone.
Nobody likes to be alone, though. True, Dubai will never fall short of its leisure activities. Yet most people appreciate somebody to come home to; to eat with, wake up with, or share special occasions like Valentine’s Day with.
“Dubai even contributed to this feeling for me,” says Nawras Kurdi, who is still a newbie having arrived from Syria a short two months ago. “I would like to have a girlfriend, but in Dubai I want it even more. I want to share a place with someone, and I prefer this someone to be a girl that I love.”
“Last week, I had to go to hospital. I had cut my finger and needed 7 stiches. There was nobody to come with me; I had to go there alone. Everybody needs somebody,” says Latifa, A Tunisian woman who would love to get married.
Hani Majzoub from Syria agrees. “It is no fun to be alone in Dubai. Now I live with some friends, but I used to come home alone. I spent hours on Facebook, until it drove me crazy!”
According to singles, meeting people from the other sex is not a problem at all in Dubai.
“I am here for a month, and I have had 4 dates,” says Mark Abdulhuq, a Filipino looking for a job in Dubai. “It’s very easy. You go out and talk to people.”
Mirqo Bogdanovic from Serbia adds, “When you walk out of a party at the end of the night, I do not really have to think about what to say to a girl. ‘Can I have your phone number’ might just be enough.”
“Women celebrate the freedom that they do not have in their home countries, where they have the supervision from their family,” says Mark.
However, these quick meetings do rarely result in long-term commitments. “It is fun, but it is not what I am looking for.”
Women too are well aware of the longevity of relationships here: “A week if you are good,” says Latifa.
“All men are looking for is short-term commitments. Men approach me on the street, in the metro and where I work. I am covered, so mostly they comment on my eyes. Then we meet once or twice. It never gets me anywhere.”
“Appearance is very important in Dubai,” agrees Neha Khanball, an Indian woman who has lived in Dubai more than half of her life. “It does not happen very often that a man approaches a woman because he is interested in her personality, and it will be difficult for a woman to find a man when she is not so pretty.”
According to Mirqo, the problem is in the meeting place, as it is the clubbing scene where most man and women hook up. “You cannot possibly have a decent conversation there!”
Neha Khanball sees things differently. “I am involved in two communities. One is a spiritual community, the other a public speech class. I meet a lot of people there, but I am not ready for a serious relationship because I want to pursue my career first.
“I am 23 now, so I still have time. I want to focus on my career; I have to get balanced first. Then I might look for a man. I hope this will happen spontaneously. I believe in real love relationships. ”
Neha is not alone in her determination of pursuing a career.
Think of the reason most expats come to Dubai in the first place, and the lack of interest in the long-term commitment suddenly makes sense.
Work apparently was what moved people to change countries, so it is work that they will do.
“Singles are even preferred in the labour market,” says Roxanne, a Filipino woman working in the recruitment field. “Our clients often require single residents; they have no other priorities and are willing to work at flexible times.”
“If I meet a woman here, I will consider either her or my home country to move to after a while. I do not plan to stay here longer than two years,” says Nawras.
“Residence in the UAE is very much dependent on the sponsor. At any time, somebody might have to leave the country. It is in the hands of the company and not always up to the employer,” points out Neha, who nevertheless says that she knows many people who have been here for a long time.
Whether in Dubai on a short or long term basis, the need to share this time with a partner does not seem to vanish. It is maybe for this reason that short-term commitments are all the more popular.
“Many of my friends agreed to live with a girl for a while, then to move on afterwards. They start of as friends, get involved in more when they live together and then go their own way, says Hani.
“They don’t want to feel lonely, but do not want to get involved either. They just share life for a while.”
–Source:Emirates247