Residents garner inspiration from Dubai's ever-changing beach-blessed district

As the city prepares for Expo 2020, the landscape around Jumeirah morphs into an ideal getaway setting, and complements the magnificent sea blue glare that beams across the coast of the Arabian Gulf

Commissioned murals and eye-catching hotspots, namely Boxpark, Canal Walk and vibrant street art presentations, set alongside designer cafes and perky bistros collectively wave Marhaba to a sprawling community of contemporary tastes.

In fact, art, ambition, creativity, and an ode to poetic architecture have long caressed the idyllic shores along Jumeirah's pristine waterfront. The district keeps up with the pulse of the hashtag society, and is in sync with the nation's drive to win world records and break new boundaries.

Despite its exciting and rampant development, Jumeirah, which was once a sleepy fishing village, retains much of its charm over the decades. By addressing the spartan, vegan and earth-loving influx of yoga and meditation practitioners, Jumeirah classifies itself as a centre for well-being and spiritual harmony. It's a natural progression from a flurry of comfortable villas that house a bevvy of restive health spas and wellness clinics along Wasl Road.

Now, they're a familiar sight across Jumeirah, along with corner shops, cafes, fashion houses and stylish community malls that continue to embrace themes of dark and light. If you've watched The Lake House, a film where a mantra delivered by a veteran and passionate architect played by Christopher Plummer (age 89) grips the scene, as a father who passes his final words of wisdom to his son by saying, "Always, the light".

Fresh and innovative are buzzwords for Jumeirah - a leafy locale that etched the city onto the global map for luxury lifestyle par excellence at the turn of the millennium. After that, there's been no looking back for Jumeirah's ambitious drive to line up its beachfront with world-class venues and highly televised firework displays.

Massive resorts with opulent fountain driveways and chandelier lobbies are central to Dubai's calendar of prestigious and thrilling events. The Canal Walk, built in 2016, is the city's latest attractive eyeful to sparkle beside the blue waterway. It's a new haven for superyachts and floating mansions. Everything from pivotal industry events such as Dubai International Boat Show to Art Dubai, to musical concerts and exclusive live shows held in and around the iconic Palm Jumeirah, have taken the City of Gold to raging heights of international popularity.

Everyone's invited: Mohammed Abdulla Al Sahlawi

Community events are a popular fixture around Jumeirah - a proverbial piece of cake to organise in the era of the smartphone. Emirati rally driver Mohammed Abdulla Al Sahlawi, who is a long-time resident of Jumeirah uses Instagram profile @flat.12 as a tool to gather all the automotive fans. He keeps them updated with the latest news and events meticulously organised for a turnout of over 300 car enthusiasts.
"As a young boy, I would film videos of car parades that passed in front of my home, using large camera recorders with VHS tapes. Those were the mid-1990s," recalls the vintage car collector, whose passion started from the age of 12 and evolved to a rally driver and a car community organiser.
"I soon started racing in Abu Dhabi racing team representing the country in several rallies around the Middle East and European countries. I was then assigned as an ambassador for road and safety campaign that aimed to spread awareness, driving at the right roads and racing in the right place and not on public streets," informed Mohammed.
Living in Jumeirah, which was an area of Dubai that installed large garages in family villas to park their impressive fleet of cars, Mohammed recollects the thrill of annual car parades that passed through the street beside his home.
"My uncles owned and drove these renowned cars which fuelled my fascination for motors. I couldn't wait to get my licence and jump behind the wheel," he beamed.
Today, that idea has snowballed into Flat Twelve - a community of car lovers that meet around the city to congregate and celebrate these magnificent machines in one place. The 'car meets' bring over 300 cars to a moveable feast, and encourages adults and children to join the event. The cafes and nearby eateries get a boost to their image when Flat Twelve take the party to their neck of the woods.
"I have seen the car meets grow by almost 100 per cent, as people get a feel of what I felt as a child - the absolute joy of cars driving across the iconic 2nd  December Street and the beautiful open highways around UAE," expressed Mohammed.

Cars in the matrix: Daniel Price

Daniel Price, a car collector of rare JDMs, will testify that there's a formidable car culture in Jumeirah. It high-five's his beastly trio imported from the US and Japan in both left-hand drive and right-hand drive models.
"All three of my cars are highly modified, one of which was manufactured in the 1970s. I drive them anywhere, even to the office when I feel like it. All were built locally," affirmed Daniel.
"Most people drive on Jumeirah road for attention. I'm rarely on there, but will use it when I need to," he added, and referenced nearby café venues like RAW Coffee. "Their new outfit with ample parking outside the entrance could become a regular automotive hotspot in town, especially on a Friday morning," notes Daniel.

Connect the dots: Andrew Scanlan

Having lived in Dubai for almost 25 years, cellular artist Andrew Scanlan feels that the city has grown around him - a bit like those time-lapse videos. "My aghast face blinking in amazement as towers grew floor by floor higher and higher and roads and bridges and waterways snaked between them. To be amongst that explosion and not be influenced as an artist would be impossible.
"I lived in Jumeirah for several years during the late 1990s and early 2000s, and it remains to this day my favourite part of the city. It was always attractive with low rise clean fronted buildings and the long beach road along the seafront. I still love that beautiful drive from the Madinat down to the magnificent Jumeirah Mosque. The evolution of the properties, shops and restaurant is impressive, yet managing to hold on to the trendy chic atmosphere it always enjoyed. I enjoy Shakespeare and the Hamptons where  I often sit with a coffee and people watch.
"Many of my ideas for my artworks are born from watching Dubai's multicultural populous pass by. I have fond memories of a small antique shop that used to be above one of the older shopping malls near to Jumeirah mosque. It was owned by a wonderful elderly Lebanese lady and packed to the rafters with curiosities.
I would visit here often and drink tea and listen to her stories about the various antiques in her shop. That was about 20 years ago, and the shop has long since gone, but I often think of her - one of the many characters that have given Jumeirah its distinctive personality.
"With my history with Jumeirah, I am quite excited to have some of my paintings on display at Jumeirah Beach, behind Sunset Mall. To describe my art. I like to play around with the idea that there is order within chaos.
"I have always been fascinated by the way our brains perceive the world around us. Everything we see is represented by countless cells of colour. The closer we view these cells, the more random they appear. Then when we pull away, the brain stitches these cells together to generate an image. It is this phenomenon that I use to create my paintings.
"I design my paintings to work on two levels. Firstly, as an abstract. A myriad of coloured cells that only hint at the image they are trying to portray. Then secondly a detailed image that reveals itsself with startling clarity as one steps back from the canvas."

Melissa Randhawa is a UAE-based journalist with over 20 years of experience. Born and raised in Dubai, she enjoys research writing about its multicultural community, and the people who shape the nation.

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