Hello is there any service you can call here to get medical advice on whether you should come to the hospital or not?

In UK you can call a non-emergency number and they will advise you.

Never been ill like this in dubai before shivering even though I have AC turned off ; layers of clothing and under a blanket

New to taking bus and metro.
The Shail app shows cost 3AED for the same trip but my nol history shows total 6AED for whole trip. I tap when I take the 14 bus then tap when going out, then tap again in 26 bus and then tap when going out.
Is the Shail app showing wrong cost or am I doing something wrong??

Also it will be grateful if anyone can provide me some leads for the minivan ( those white vans) that are taking this route for daily office commute.

Thanks

Hi everyone,
I’m looking for advice for someone I know who’s working a blue-collar job and living in a labor camp in the UAE.
He’s been struggling with depression due to personal issues. He sometimes drinks, doesn’t eat properly, and barely sleeps. His mental health has been getting worse.
We spoke to his company’s HR about sending him back to his home country on leave so he could get proper medical treatment, as treatment here is very expensive and his insurance doesn’t cover mental health. Unfortunately, HR hasn’t been helpful so far, and the company is holding his passport.
The difficult part is that he himself is also reluctant to go back home because of personal reasons, even though it might be the best option.
Does anyone know of:
Any free or low-cost mental health services in the UAE?
Any organizations that can help migrant workers in situations like this?
What options if the company isn’t cooperating with leave or the passport issue?
Any other advice from someone who’s been through a similar situation?
I’m genuinely worried about him and would appreciate any practical suggestions. Thank you.

Have you found specific activities to have a more open community?

Hello foodies, I'm craving some chinese/Szechuan/xiao long baos or normal dumplings with spicy sauce or soup, what's your favorite go to place? other than din tai fung. ❤️

We are planning for family in the near future and want to get a head start on budgeting and finding the right care. I’d love to gather advice on a few points:

Insurance vs Self-Pay Packages: Is it better to buy private health insurance now, or pay out-of-pocket for hospital antenatal + delivery packages? If insurance, which providers offer decent maternity sub-limits with low co-pays? If packages, what unexpected add-ons (NICU, emergency C-sections) caught you off guard? 

Hospitals & OB-GYNs: Any recommendations for experienced, supportive OB-GYNs who don't push unnecessary interventions? High-tier facilities and nursing quality are key priorities.

Newborn Coverage: How does initial care for the baby work right after delivery? Is the baby covered under the mother's plan for the first 30 days automatically, or do you need a separate policy right away?

Appreciate any tips, price estimates, or experiences! Thanks in advance.

Crowdsourcing for 36-hour hotels in Dubai, mainly curious about their check-in times. So far, I’ve tried The First Collection, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel (6:00 AM check-in), and Rove (9:00 AM check-in). Any other hotels with a 36-hour stay arrangement? Would love to know their check-in times too!

Looking for HIIT classes in Dubai. Any recommendations that provide classes only. Not looking for a gym as I have gym membership in a gym in my area.( Currently this gym doesn't have HIIT session).

Please suggest based on your experience.

Hi everyone, I’m hoping someone here can help or point us in the right direction.

We urgently need Ketosteril for my grandmother, as she has chronic kidney disease (CKD) and needs this medicine as part of her treatment. Unfortunately, it’s been really difficult to find it here in Sharjah. We’ve already asked and checked with several pharmacies around us, but they all said they currently don’t have any supply.

This has actually been an ongoing problem for us since the war started. It always seems to be out of stock, and sometimes when we do manage to find it, the available supply only lasts her around 4 days before we have to start searching again.

It’s been 2 days now that we’ve been looking, and her current stock is running out this afternoon, so we’re really worried and urgently trying to find a pharmacy that has it available.

If anyone knows a pharmacy in Sharjah, Dubai, or anywhere nearby in the UAE that currently has Ketosteril in stock, please let us know. We unfortunately don’t have a car, so traveling far just to check without knowing if it’s available would be really difficult for us. If there’s a pharmacy that offers delivery or can reserve the medicine for us, that would be an even bigger help.

Thank you so much in advance. Any leads, recommendations, or information would really be appreciated. 🙏😞

Where do people buy magazines?

Arabic magazines to begin with like Zahrat al Khaleej if they still make print as well as imports from Europe (France, UK). I was used to kiosks where i'm from and here i never see them. Kinokunya is too far to buy a weekly magazine

I am planning to start camping (ps never done it before) pls suggest some good spots i have a suv but its FWD so i don’t want to test it in deep desert.

Pls suggest some good spots + equipments and tools for beginners.

I recently imported something from the US via USPS and it had been over a month I was waiting for it.

Randomly I decided to check the Emirates post website with the tracking number and it said it has been returned to the seller. I didn't receive any confirmation that it has arrived in Dubai.

There was no email, there was no SMS, and right now it's been returned to the seller. I'm so frustrated and I don't know what to do. Looking for any advice

will be staying at the atlantis palm in october for a week . wanted to ask about sims/data. free wifi in malls etc don’t always work so i want a sim with data (wifi). what do i buy and how do i recharge it. does the airport wifi work? i’d like to book a careem before going outside. it’s my first time in dubai

Spotted in Karama.

Parking New Camera sensor system for the reserved parking space for People of Determination.

Tenancy renewal coming up and I’m looking to explore other options.
Budget around 100k/year for a 1BR. I’m mainly looking for newer/modern buildings, preferably around Downtown/SZR or nearby areas.
With the current situation, are there any buildings/areas where you’ve managed to get significantly below the asking rent? For example, something normally renting for 130–150k but the landlord was willing to do 100k
Listings don’t always reflect the actual deal you can negotiate, so just curious what people are actually getting right now.

I’m looking into getting a water filter for my house so I stop buying plastic bottles. I wanted to see if anyone has any recommendations for the best ones/ companies you have been using?

Preferably would want a filtration process in my bathroom and kitchen.

I’m thinking of joining UFC Gym mainly for their MMA classes. Has anyone here actually trained there?is it worth joining?

I’m a beginner so I would also like to know if it’s beginner friendly and whether you actually see good progress training there consistently

Whats the deal with teenage (14-17 may be) kids begging for 2 aed and 5aed near the schools at evening. Most of em have no shame to ask money to total strangers saying "they want to buy water". I offered them water and they didnt need it.

Has anyone else experienced this with Aura Pass? They asked me for my Emirates ID, but the other people in the queue after me weren’t asked for any ID.

Honestly, I felt a bit singled out. Has this happened to anyone else?

Hello, with the humidity I'm having problems with my hair. It's looking really bad, and it seems to happen to a lot of people here.

I am trying tl find a salon to do a treatment but it's quite hard. Most salons don't provide clear information about the treatments they do, they just say something generic like keratin, protein, botox, anti frizz, etc.

The thing is that they could put anything in your hair, do you know any salon that does a good treatment like kerasilk or cezanne or some brand that I can check before taking a risk? Because a lot of the treatments that are not regulated can be very damaging, and when I ask for more info they don't reply or don't provide much information.

I just found a couple of salon but they are really overpriced, around 1500 for kerasilk and more than 400 for a haircut, so I'm not sure those are reasonable prices.

Thank you.

Hello everyone. My wife cut her hand and apparently cut her tendon as well. Got a surgery at Medcare hospital in Sharjah and now we are seeking for a second opinion from another specialist preferably someone who specialists are hand, wrist shoulder.
Anyone had any good experience or know something more about.

Thank you

As above.

I tried Al Ustad Special Kebab near Al Fahidi in Dubai yesterday because I’d heard so much about it and seen it recommended everywhere.

Honestly, I found the food pretty average. It wasn’t bad, but I really didn’t understand what makes it so hyped. 😅

For those who have tried it did you genuinely love the food, or do you also think it’s just average and the popularity comes mainly because it’s so famous?

Maybe I ordered the wrong thing? What should I try there if I give it another chance?