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We assure you, these items will come in handy while living here
16 June 2019
| Last updated on 19 January 2020
New in or moving to Dubai soon? These items will surely be useful when you move into your first place.
If you're fresh in Dubai, the mixture of excitement and fear probably have you feeling overwhelmed after landing in a brand new place.
You no doubt have questions like what bank should you use? When will you get your residency visa? Where's the nearest grocery store? Where's the bar!? More importantly, where will you be living?
Many expatriates, who have moved here with a sponsor, may move into serviced accommodation or a hotel for a short period of time whilst they find a suitable apartment or villa to rent. Alternatively, you may be living with friends or family before you find your new home.
SEE ALSO: 8 mistakes expats make when moving to Dubai
Whatever your circumstance, you will inevitably be moving into your new rental sooner rather than later, and as a result - you'll be shopping.
Besides the obvious cutlery, pots and pans, furniture, rug, etc., there are a few select items that can prove very useful whilst living in Dubai. We've gathered our list of the must-have items to buy when you're new in or moving to Dubai to get you started.
1. Air purifier
Some may disagree with this as #1, but we would argue that yes, an air purifier is a must-have when moving into your Dubai home. Why? Because of air-conditioning.
A lot of units across the emirates will have seen several tenants over the years, leaving air-conditioning units aged and dirty. In this environment, experts recommend having your A/C systems cleaned annually - ideally before summer. As a result, we'd first recommend you speaking to your landlord to clarify when the A/C was last cleaned. If it wasn't recently, request it be done so quickly.
After this, buy an air purifier... Sitting around all day in A/C isn't exactly great for our health, and having one in your home help to reduces concentrations of pollutants in your home.
Buy it now on Amazon, AED 229
2. A water dispenser
We all know that plastic is TERRIBLE for the planet. Which is why, when first moving into your Dubai apartment we would recommend you explore whether you can have a water filter installed.
If this isn't possible, a water dispenser is your next best option. This will help reduce the number of water bottles you use at home, and will also ensure that you have access to hot, cold and room temperature water at all times.
Buy it now on Amazon, AED 554
3. A shattaf
If you're non-Muslim and new in Dubai, you're probably wondering "a what now!?" This handy tool, a shattaf, is a toilet spray hose that you'll find in every toilet you come across in the UAE and the Middle East, for that matter.
Used to upkeep personal hygiene when visiting the washroom, your new Dubai rental will most definitely have these already installed in the bathrooms. However, we do recommend buying your own, new hose - only because you don't know where the existing one has been or what it's been close to...
Buy it now on Amazon, AED 25.99
4. Wardrobe and/or drawer organisers
Being new in Dubai, we're guessing you probably brought over no more than your luggage allowance. But once you're here, you will be buying new things. Ironing boards, vacuums, and a clothes rack are just a few examples and in a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment, it can get a little tricky to find a place for everything (in villas it's a different story).
SEE ALSO: How to set-up a mobile phone in Dubai
The logical thing to do in that case then is to purchase some wardrobe and drawer organisers. These useful buys will help you arrange your personal items in the limited storage you have at home, and help you to utilise the space you have as much as possible. They will also encourage you to go Marie Kondo on everything.
Buy it now on Amazon, AED 49
5. A magic sponge
You're probably wondering why a sponge would be a necessity - but in a renters market, the magic eraser is super handy when you're moving into or out of a Dubai apartment or villa. Famed for its magical powers of erasing dirt, fingerprints and grime from walls, these handy little guys can help you save the cost of re-painting your rental.
Buy it now on Amazon, AED 39
6. An airbed
Trust us when we say that once you've moved here, you'll soon have friends and family wanting to come and visit. After all, they get to see you AND have a holiday in glorious sunshine? Why wouldn't they?
SEE ALSO: Living together unmarried in Dubai and UAE - what expats should know
This is why purchasing an inflatable airbed is a good idea when living in Dubai... Even if you're in a studio or 1 bedroom, it means you are able to accommodate visitors comfortably.
Buy it now on Amazon, AED 160
7. A shower curtain
Unless you've moved into a unit that has modern interiors - and a glass shower door - you're most likely now living in a place that requires a shower curtain be installed. If there's one before you move in, like the shattaf situation, you might want to replace it with your own, new, clean one. Especially if you're grossed out by the thought of other people's hair... Which leads us onto our next must-have item...
Buy it now from Amazon, AED 38
8. A sink strainer
Again, not necessarily a priority item you've thought of already but having one of these in your shower will prevent certain disasters in your new Dubai home. Placing a sink strainer in your shower, bathtub or kitchen sink can help prevent things like blocked plugs, pipes and even flooding in some cases.
Buy it now on Amazon, AED 84
9. A shower filter
When living here, you'll no doubt hear complaints about the effects of Dubai's water on your hair. A lot will blame the quality of the water here in the Emirates for their brittle, dry hair and in some cases, hair loss.
To prevent your scalp falling victim, you should consider installing a shower filter, which helps to remove 99% of bacteria and solid impurities from the water you bathe in.
Buy it now from Amazon, AED 344
:: All products featured in this story are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
