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The world is not enough

In curating some of the finest experiences, the UAE has brought the world right here at our doorstep

For the past five years, my home — and my world — has been the UAE. To set the context, in 2020, my parent began to sink deeper into the void that Alzheimer’s creates for those it claims. Belonging to a nuclear family meant that I had to show up for her from time to time to relieve my sibling of the round-the-clock responsibility of taking care of her. Suddenly, leisure travel became a thing of the past, and holidays began to mean heading to India to fix things that were — at times — unfixable.

As someone wanting to see more of the world, being in one pace could have felt restrictive had it not been for the UAE and all that it has come to stand for.

In the five years, as the country took on the challenge that was the pandemic, sent an astronaut to space, staged global events such as the Expo 2020 and COP 28, its appetite for finding a prominent place in the world grew manifold. To an everyman who has not travelled the world, the world has come to them.

Nowhere is this ethos more evident in the arts and culture space where the country is taking gigantic leaps. It is bringing the experiences that we read about, that we fantasise about participating in, right in our backyard. As someone writing on entertainment and lifestyle, the realisation hit me harder this year as I saw the Oscars of Bollywood aka IIFA being celebrated on the same stage that was set on fire by singer Diljit Dosanjh’s electrifying performance. For the South Asian community that resides here, it couldn’t have got bigger.

The Western expats, on the other hand, have been spoilt for choice with premiere of Hollywood blockbuster Dune 2 or the robust anticipation currently building around the Coldplay concert in January. Come to think of it, living in the UAE largely erases that distinction of East and West to reflect on what being a citizen of a globalised world truly means. You can belong to any part of the world and yet be interested in the offerings from a different region altogether, thus allowing us to truly blend in. This year, more than any other year, it has become evident that the UAE will play a definitive role in bringing top notch entertainment experiences. In doing so, it has also allowed its residents to aspire to participate in these experiences that are otherwise not easily accessible.

Entertainment, however, is also a part of the macrocosm that is lifestyle. But what exactly do you talk about when you talk about lifestyle in the UAE? Opulence? Extravagance? Everything larger-than-life?

In the Western world, there is an image of the UAE as a shiny gateway to the Middle East. But cut through the glitter, and you will find just how carefully experiences are curated in this part of the world for anyone and everyone. While the Michelin star ups the stakes for the F&B sector in the region, there are a plenty of hole-in-the-wall outlets that cater to different palates. If food is a reflection of the cultures we come from, the UAE does not let us forget where we come from while giving us that gentle nudge to experience more. Add to it, whipping up our appetites by constantly innovating. A simple kunafa chocolate that captures the imagination of those who reside here and tickles that of the world.

The accomplishments are not limited to food alone. The new law on mental health puts it at the centre of drawing room conversations, prioritising psychological wellbeing. A month-long fitness challenge that focuses on improving one’s health. A content creators’ summit that takes social media storytelling to another level. A definitive policy on artificial intelligence that maps the road to the future. Lifestyle in the UAE opens doors to possibilities that you did not think existed before.

The world is not enough — this is what we talk about when we talk about lifestyle in the UAE. In curating and bringing some of the finest experiences of the world here, the UAE has shown what luxe living — or for that matter, simply living in comfort — can actually mean. In making everyday life so effortless, it has allowed us to dream big and dream vicariously. Because in the UAE, they do, in fact, come true.

— anamika@khaleejtimes.com