With more people choosing to make the United Arab Emirates their home after retirement, many consistent trends are coming to the fore on how the old are deciding to spend their time in the Emirates.

While some relocate to smaller, less expensive parts of the United Arab Emirates, others adopt what is known as a transnational style of retirement in which they travel a lot between their native country and the United Arab Emirates.

fireworks

According to a social policy teacher at the University of Edinburgh, Dr İdil Akıncı, benefitting from the new visa rules and internal movement are two commonly seen trends among retired people in the country.

“The ability for adult children working in the UAE to sponsor their aging parents has made it possible for some retirees to prolong their stay,” she said. Similarly, the introduction of long-term residency options like the Golden Visa has played a key role. Another approach is financial planning through internal relocation. Some families are choosing to move to other emirates where the cost of living is lower than in Dubai, allowing them to better manage savings and day-to-day expenses in retirement.”

Dr. İdil, who is a member of AlSerkal Arts Foundation’s residency program, looks at the questions about what it is like to grow old in Dubai and the wider United Arab Emirates. Studying families in this country since 2013, Dr İdil has seen a significant shift in how retirement and the home are thought about.

Real Estate choices

According to Talal Adill, Director of Sales and Marketing at Nouba Real Estate, the number of retired folks choosing to buy property in Dubai is increasing. “Retirees are naturally favoring places such as Dubai Marina, Palm Jumeirah, and Jumeirah Village Circle,” he said. “These areas offer the right mix of luxury, convenience, and affordability. What really matters to them is being close to good healthcare, parks, shopping, and having that community feel. Many also love the idea of smart home features and eco-friendly living, which makes day-to-day life easier and more sustainable.”

He added that to “stretch their finances,” many retirees are going for off-plan properties that come with longer payment plans. “It’s a practical way to get more value,” he said. “Areas like Al Furjan and Dubai South are super attractive because they offer good-quality homes at lower prices. Some retirees are also investing in rental properties to earn passive income, which adds an extra layer of financial comfort.”

Real estate agent Huma Ahmad said that community living was high in accordance with the wishes of retirees. “I have had two people in their 60s approach me just in the last month, looking to invest in property in the UAE,” she said.

“Many people prefer to move to Ras Al Khaimah or Sharjah, where the cost of living is slightly lower,” she added, noting, “They also like to go for communities where they can go on walks regularly and have major amenities at close distance.”

Challenges for the retired in Dubai

However, according to geriatric medicine practitioner Dr Rahul Deshmukh, one of the biggest troubles facing retirees is their particular healthcare needs.

Sharing about his friend who moved to the United Arab Emirates for his retirement, Dr. Rahul said he was “concerned about the fact that he lived in an area where access to advanced healthcare was not quick.”

Dr. Rahul shared his joy that the friend, who is in his 80s, “has been managing for the last year.”

He said that the biggest difficulty is health insurance costs. “They are expensive, and even with high premiums, they only cover the basics,” he said. “It would be a great idea if there were a system for long-term residents to be issued a health card that costs around Dh10-15,000 per year, which would provide them with medical coverage at public hospitals in Dubai.”

He added that with the number of people retiring in the United Arab Emirates, there was an opportunity for the country to be part of a global thing to make cities elder-friendly.

He went on to say that not all agencies cater to the needs of the old. Nouba Real Estate helped a few of his friends find elder-friendly living arrangements.

Explore more News and Updates:
The UAE A rising Retirement Destination
UAE sets tax nexus rules for non-resident investors in real estate and funds 

The film is funded by the Abu Dhabi Film Commission, which is a part of the Creative Media Authority. The Desert Rose Films and Fujairah Films joint venture on the feature film Mountain Boy will be available in cinemas all over the country on 17 April. The film will be produced by The Plot Pictures.

In honor of World Autism Month, which happens each year in April, the film will have its premiere in a special location in CinemaCity, in the capital, Abu Dhabi, on 15 April. This was done with all the cast and crew present, along with children and the staff of the Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Special Education in Abu Dhabi, the location where the casting team found Naser Salah. The film is about Suhail, a young Emirati kid who has autism and escapes to the Fujairah Mountains. Fujairah Mountains after his dad did not want him, not knowing his determination.

With dozens of Emiratis working on it, this is a truly local movie. 

Desiring to locate his mother’s family members in Abu Dhabi, Suhail makes the long and arduous journey with his new companion, Barakah, the Arabian Saluki, to find acceptance, family, and redemption. Mountain Boy shows that Emiratis are tough when things are stacked against them. 

Mohamed Dobay, currently Director General of the Creative Media Authority, said: “As part of our ongoing effort to build an international creative environment that is thriving in Abu Dhabi, identifying and advocating for projects that incorporate Emirati stories made in the UAE with a skilled Emirati cast and crews – is an important lynchpin for our efforts. We are incredibly pleased to sponsor a film such as Mountain Boy, which showcases the amazing Emirati tradition and culture while shining a spotlight and challenging the perceptions of autism, and gaining a number of international awards in the process.”

The film was shot entirely in the UAE and at various places, including Samaliyah Island and the mangroves of the capital, Dibba Mountain located in Fujairah along with the Telal Hotel in Al Ain, Mountain Boy is a tribute to Emirati tradition, culture and talent. There were more than 32 UAE-based businesses that were part of the creation of the film, that was shot over a period of 35 days in 2023.

Female Led team

Nancy Paton, CEO and the leader of Desert Rose Films, stated: “More than 232 crew were part of this film, with 70% of the crew being female. It was vital for us to stay true to the concept of Michele Ziolkowski’s moving original novel by using as many Emirati performers and cast members as possible. We conducted several castings to identify the perfect person to play Suhail and nearly gave all hope when Naser Salah, as well as his twin sister Reem, auditioned. We knew immediately that we had our leading actors. To soundtrack the film, we hired an all-female Firdaus Orchestra, which is based in the UAE and was founded in the name of the Highness Reem Al Hashimy, the Minister of State for International Cooperation of the UAE.”

Zainab Shaheen, who directed Mountain Boy and is an alumnus of the Higher Colleges of Technology, stated: “As my feature film directorial debut, I am incredibly happy to be directing a film that showcases a lot of our nation’s talent, including the places and talent to the captivating story along with social commentary. Being able to tell such a compelling and compelling story in such a visually striking way has always fueled and fueled my love of film and directing. It’s something that will be a constant in me throughout my entire career.”

Pratiksha Shah, co-founder of The Plot Pictures, said: “As young, next-generation distributors, our aim is to share local (GCC) tales to the world at large. Mountain Boy is a testament to this vision by blending the essence of the region, a rich narrative, and a rich cultural heritage while also shedding light on the crucial issue of neurodiversity as well as the distinct particularities of those across the spectrum. We are grateful to have been the primary catalyst in connecting this powerful tale to the people who watch it.”

Mountain Boy is among 180 major productions sponsored by the Abu Dhabi Film Commission in recent times, gaining from the variety of its locations, its pool of skilled professionals with award-winning facilities, and cashback rewards.

Explore:
Russell Brand was slapped with rape and sexual assault.
Ranya Rao arrested for smuggling

Indian actor Ranya Rao arrested for smuggling over 14kg of gold from Dubai to Bangalore

Gold smuggling from the UAE to India has been a long-standing problem and has happened yet again. The reason is simple the differences in the price of gold and the level of taxation in India creates a gap. Gold smuggling from Dubai to South Asia including India and Pakistan.  

Ranya Rao who is a leading Kannada actress was arrested in Bangalaru for trying to  smuggle 14.8kg of gold while coming from Dubai. This was reported fat and wide in indian media. 

The arrest was made at Bengalru’s Kempegowda International Airport as she came back from Dubai on Monday night. The actress has been send to jail on a remand for 14 days. 

The 31-year-old had been flying to and from Dubai way too often. She made 4 trips in 15 days, and this made the authorities alarmed that something has to be going wrong.

So when they looked into it they found out that she was wearing some of the gold while hiding some more in her clothes. 

Investigations revealed that the actress was wearing large portions of the smuggled gold and had concealed some bars in her clothing.

She is the step daughter of K. Ramachandra Rao the head of the police in the state of Karnataka. 

The government is now looking into the potential of the government having helped her in any way in her illegal gold runs.

India is the world’s largest gold market. The massive demand for gold means that people from all over the planet are eager to get as much gold into the country as they can. 

Last year a massive theft in Canada of Swiss gold likewise ended up flowing to the gold markets of India. This trend is unlikely to stop anytime soon. Therecent surge in the price of gold has pushed more and more demand up. 

Follow Nouba News for more updates. 
UAE Golden Visa

Sam Kerr was one of the top female soccer players in the world. She was found not guilty of racially aggravating harassment of a law enforcement officer on Tuesday.

Kerr, an Australian striker and English club Chelsea player, admitted that she had called Police Constable Stephen Lovell, “stupid” and “white”, during a heated discussion at a London police station following a night of partying in January 2023. However, she denied it was a criminal charge.

The verdict was reached after a jury of 12 members had deliberated for more than 4 hours on the 7th day of the trial, at Kingston Crown Court.

Kerr posted a statement on Instagram saying, “I can finally put behind me this difficult period after today’s not-guilty verdict.” “While I apologized for my poor expression on what was an extremely traumatic evening, it is important to note that I never intended to hurt or insult anyone. I am grateful that the jury unanimously agreed.”

The taxi driver claimed that Kerr and Kristie Mewis – a U.S. player for the English soccer team West Ham – were out drinking and refused to pay the clean up costs after a member of the couple became sick and smashed the rear window of the car.

Kerr claimed that she was “trapped” in the taxi and feared for her safety. She is accused of being abusive and insulting to Lovell, calling him “stupid” and “white”, at the police station. Kerr admitted regretting the way she had expressed herself, but denied calling Lovell a “white person” as an insult.

Sam Kerr, the soccer star who signed a contract extension with Chelsea… but only after teasing fans

Football Australia welcomed Kerr’s statements and said that it would speak to her about the incident.

Football Australia released a statement saying that it invests heavily to build the behavior standards and expectations for everyone involved in our game. This is especially true for our National Team players who have additional responsibilities both on and off the pitch. “(We will) reflect with Sam on the learnings from this incident and we will continue providing appropriate support for Sam moving forward.”

“Throughout this time, Football Australia has been committed to Sam, and will continue to support her as she concentrates on her footballing, rehab from injury, and return to playing.”

Kerr has been with Chelsea since 2019 and scored 99 goals over 128 matches. The London club is the English champion and top contender for Women’s Champions League.

She has not played since January 2024, when she sustained an ACL during a warm weather training camp in Morocco with Chelsea.

Kerr will return to Australia soon, just in time for a couple of international friendlies in April against South Korea as part of the AFC Asian Cup 2026 preparations.

Visit Now for More News and Updates:
Reddit debates if employees should change office timings for work life balance
Musk’s Growing Influence in the White House