I asked the waiter to keep an eye on my stuff.
He smiled and said, “Habibi, this is Dubai. No one will touch your things. But don’t worry, I’ll watch them anyway.”
That one line summed up one of the most overlooked qualities of living in the UAE... safety.
In 9 years:
- I’ve never locked my front door (apart from when my mum stays with me, she still shakes her head and locks it for me bless her)
- I’ve left phones in taxis and had them returned
- I've left a full trolley of shopping outside a shop while I browsed something else
- I’ve told delivery guys to walk in and grab the cash from the table
- My lazy mate leaves his keys in his car so he always knows where they are
Now my kids book their own Careem rides. When they were younger, I could let them run wild in a mall and not worry for a second.
Growing up in London, I don't think I could have imagined such instances. I go back now and have to remind myself not to leave my phone on the table. It’s a first-world problem I never expected to have.
The UAE has done something incredible. It’s built a society where peace of mind is normal. Where safety is expected, not earned.
That’s the real luxury here. Not the supercars. Not the skyscrapers.
So how much is peace of mind worth to you?
What are some things you do in the UAE that would be unthinkable back home?
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