I've been living in Dubai for a while now, and there's something I've increasingly noticed that genuinely bothers me: the casual prejudice towards South Asians and how normalised it seems to have become.

Whether it's scrolling through TikTok and seeing some Arabs mock each other by calling someone "Indian," as though it's an insult, or witnessing subtle stereotypes in everyday interactions, it makes me wonder why certain nationalities are treated as inherently less sophisticated than others.

Today, I experienced something similar at Barry's, a well-known premium fitness studio. While a trainer was explaining how the workouts operate, he randomly asked where I was from. When I told him Pakistan, he responded with a smirk, "Your accent doesn't sound Pakistani."

I immediately called him out and asked whether he would make the same comment to a white European. He apologised, but only after I called him out.

What bothered me wasn't the question about my nationality. It was the assumption behind his reaction. What exactly is a Pakistani supposed to sound like, and why should my accent surprise anyone?

It also made me question something broader: Why are South Asian accents so frequently stereotyped or ridiculed, while British, Italian, Spanish or other accents are often perceived as charming or sophisticated?

Everyone has an accent. English isn't the first language of many Europeans or GCC nationals either, so why are South Asians so often singled out?

I genuinely wonder why, in a city built on diversity, we still struggle to treat that diversity with equal respect.

Source: Reuters.

When did the price increase to 3 AED.

Things are getting so expensive, it’s becoming impossible to survive. Used to have it once in a while but looking at the prices it’s getting crazy.

I know a lot of people will say it’s just 1 AED, what’s the big deal. But these small numbers do add up.

I am looking to buy good quality honey that is natural and not sweetened directly or indirectly. I would prefer it to be from smaller farms rather than large chains/names. I don’t mind sourcing it from outside. Any suggestions?

Yesterday, a Pakistani guy approached me in Meena Bazaar, asking to use my phone because he was lost and wanted to contact his friend. I refused, saying I wasn't comfortable sharing my number. He then asked for my hotspot, which I also declined.
Next, he asked for AED 1 to buy water. Feeling bad for him, I opened my wallet and gave him AED 5. He started praying for me, we shook hands, and I left.
Later, I discovered that the AED 500 note I had folded and kept inside my wallet was missing. I clearly remember having it, and I can't recall anything suspicious happening. I also felt there was enough distance between us for him not to reach my wallet.
I've replayed the whole encounter in my head, but | still can't figure out what happened.
Has anyone experienced something similar in Dubai?
Could this have been a distraction scam, or did I simply misplace the note?

Im 21F Expat sponsored by my father's visa. He's threatening/abusing and forcing me for marriage & not letting me study or even do a job. He's scared that if i do a job then I'll change my sponsor and he'll lose his controls.

So basically now i want to leave my home and go somewhere rent a partition and also cancel this visa so that in the grace period i can get a job.

He'll not letme do all this so can i complain to police or get their help? Can i take protection from police when I'll leave the home? Will they help in cancelling this visa?

Please give me advice.

Hey peeps!

I’m usually stressed out, and my coping mechanism is eating chips and stuff.

What do you guys do when you’re stressed? Give me some ideas because I can’t keep eating my way through life.

With wars, global uncertainty, inflation, expensive living costs, and growing competition, I sometimes wonder how an ordinary person can get ahead today.
If you’re in your 20s, entering professional life with no family wealth, no connections, and very little savings, do you feel you still have a fair chance of becoming rich?
Living in a place like Dubai, you see wealthy people everywhere, and it can seem like money makes almost everything easier for them, while others work hard just to survive.
Do you think hard work and smart decisions are still enough to build wealth from nothing, or does your starting point matter more than ever?

Bro, I just wanted to open a tiny battery pack, not unlock a secret military weapon. 😭

This packaging is tougher than a bank vault. I tried my nails, scissors, and every tool available, and this thing still refuses to surrender.

At this point, even Hulk would be standing there confused, looking at his hands and asking, “HULK SMASH… BUT HOW OPEN?” 💀

WHY DOES A BATTERY NEED MORE SECURITY THAN A NUCLEAR LAUNCH CODE? 😂

I swear, the battery will probably die of old age before I manage to get it out.

Has anyone else fought a battery package and lost their dignity in the process? 🤣

so basically i have got a new job in interior sales department and its my first time working in this field , i really dont know what to do , cause i have tried almost everything and have not gotten any response at all , im really stressed as i have to get some projects in or else ill loose my job which i got after being unemployed for 5 months , anyone here can give me any advice related to this , im not asking for job or money , i need advice from professionals

⚠️ WARNING to anyone using or planning to use Ziina in the UAE. Please read my experience before trusting their "free transfers" and referral promotions.

I am extremely disappointed with Ziina and how their referral promotion and transaction fees have worked in my experience.

Here's what happened:

1. Promised AED 5,000 in Fee-Free Processing – But I Never Received It

Ziina advertised that referring another business would give me fee-free processing on my next AED 5,000 in sales.

I referred someone using my referral link, expecting to receive the advertised benefit.

Later, I was told that the referred person needed to complete AED 1,000 in card payments to qualify.

I completed two AED 1,000 payments, but I still did not receive the promised fee-free processing benefit.

Instead, I was charged approximately AED 30 per transaction, losing around AED 60 in fees.

2. Ziina-to-Ziina Transfers Are Supposed to Be Free – So Why Was I Charged?

On 26 October 2026, I received AED 971.60 from the Ziina account of the person I referred.

My understanding was that Ziina-to-Ziina transfers were free.

But here's what happened:

• Amount sent: AED 971.60
• Fees and Service VAT: AED 27.57
• Amount actually received: AED 944.03

Why was AED 27.57 deducted if Ziina-to-Ziina transfers are supposed to be free?

3. Almost AED 90 Lost in Fees

Between the two earlier transactions and this transfer, I have lost approximately AED 87.57 in fees.

And I still haven't received the advertised referral benefit.

I find this extremely frustrating and misleading.

4. My Questions for Ziina

• Why wasn't my referral benefit activated after the qualifying transactions?
• Why was I charged approximately AED 60 on the earlier payments?
• Why was AED 27.57 deducted from a Ziina-to-Ziina transfer?
• What exactly are the conditions for the AED 5,000 fee-free processing offer?
• Will Ziina refund these charges if they were applied incorrectly?

My Advice to Other UAE Users

Please be careful before using Ziina for business payments or referring other businesses.

Don't assume that "free transfers" or "fee-free processing" promotions will automatically apply to your account.

Ask for written confirmation of all fees, referral conditions, and eligibility requirements before making transactions.

I'm sharing my personal experience because I don't want other people to face the same unexpected charges and disappointment.

I have screenshots of the transactions and deducted fees as evidence.

Has anyone else in the UAE experienced similar problems with Ziina? Did you receive your referral benefits, or were you charged unexpected fees?

I would appreciate an official explanation from Ziina and a refund of any incorrectly charged fees.

#Ziina #ZiinaUAE #UAE #Fintech #HiddenFees #CustomerExperience

Hello everyone, can you advise which website i can go to for US visa appointments?

Dear Gymnation,

Thank you for all the support that you have shown towards my subscription of your membership. I am not justifying my action here but there has to be some rules and laws to protect the users right ? While joining i was offered a package to good to be true and I simply put my apple pay. Due to some reasons I had to shift to a much more farther location but still I was paying because the amount was not that big but after 3 months suddenly the fees doubled. I was still paying again but I tried to cancel and everytime they asked me to pay the upcoming month then some weird account team will contact me for my cancellation and they would ask 100s of questions along with justifications. Fast forward to 9 months of payments I cancelled my card because I lost my job due to war situations and could not afford another extra dime. Explained the situation to gymnation team again and same robotic answer pay the upcoming month then we will transfer to cancellation team. OK another 2 month paid. So now its 11 months paid out of 12 months contract and mind you I have used their facility only for 2 months and since I did not read the offer conditions I am paying extra for last 8 months. Since offer was valid for only 3 months.

Now my message to gymnation i will not pay the last month and never going to cancel my membership please continue to charge me until I am alive and if ever you decide to goto court because I am seriously not afraid of your internal threats, lets fight this in court of law. And I will make sure you loose not the case but definitely your reputation as a subscription based provider in UAE.

Hello Folks,

I’m looking for an accommodation which is not very expensive for a family who is coming to Dubai for a function.

The dates of stay : 25 December - 1 January

If you guys have any leads or suggestions, kindly let me know.
They are open to stay in a villa or a farmhouse ir an apartment or a hotel apartment anything is fine , but it must be cheap and decent.

hey guys by any chance does anyone have this contact lens available w you (extras?)
i’ve been waiting for over a year for the restock but they just won’t restock it lol
or does anyone know any natural looking dark brown lens?

Living here in UAE since 3 years. Hairs loss doesn’t seem to improve. Only going worse day to day.

Indian Expat here. People, what do you do to stop the hair loss and grow them again?

Need some cost effective methods, techniques to implement in day to day life

Age 37

TIA

I have vitiligo and the cream for it here is way out of my budget, I was wondering if anyone is coming from India who can get me 7 or 8 tubes of benoquin? I can pay up to 50 or 60 dirhams. Please help out of u can

Hi fam,

My wife is onto something and needs some first hand data for a research. Basic questions and will take about a minute.

Appreciate it if you could fill this anonymous survey🙏

https://forms.gle/p4x9g8ucxeUCeP9v6

Cheers

Hey guys, I’m a GCC resident, Oman specifically. My moms Omani and she’s my sponsor, I was planning to visit the UAE via car for a day or two, but one of my moms friends told her she needs to be w me cause the UAE side requires the sponsor to be w the traveler? Can someone confirm this? Thank you.