The Dubai summer is now receding. It is now down to 40 deg C. Believe me, it does make a difference when you have a job that requires you to be out and about. The mood of the city is different at this time - a bit cautious yet but the worst of the summer is now past, and the Dubai winter is approaching: that is cause for cheer. 

There is some bustle as schools begin again this week; stores are crowded with parents, children and sales on everything school-related. 

The big news of course is that Dubai is now the 12th most expensive city in the world. It used to be 55th or so some 5 years back. One can feel the change in cost of living now - especially post-COVID I notice the difference in the prices of everyday essentials at the favorite supermarket (though in all fairness q-comm and e-comm are always significantly cheaper for a large number of products). That said, on the supplier side, there is of course a need to remain competitive in all situations, and that is what we try and do all the while. 

Dubai Experiences

 Living in Dubai is a great experience: that is after all why we have been here since 2016 barring some 20 months in-between. The summers tend to be long and noticeably hot; the winters, or shall we say the non-summer period, is extremely pleasant and cool. It's a time to socialise, eat out, run a lot, and enjoy life in general. 

I have been visiting Dubai since 1992. In that year, I did a consulting project with a client in Saudi Arabia. The consulting firm I worked with had a regional office in Dubai and I was mandated to visit them on the way out. I spent three days in October. It was a much smaller city then, of course, with the outer limit of the city defined by Trade Centre (and the next built up area being Jebel Ali and the next built up area being Abu Dhabi, as it seemed to me then). 

Fell in love with the city and the culture. There is a warmth and consideration for people here that I have just not seen anywhere else.