Living in Dubai - The Nightlife

For expatriates living in Dubai the nightlife is going to be one of the first things to check out!  It’s after dark that the social scene in Dubai really kicks off and there are such a wide variety of events, attractions and venues offering a very impressive array of nightlife entertainment that it can be hard to know where to start!

This guide to Dubai’s nightlife should give the brand new expat a good starting point for getting out there and finding their particular social niche.

Unlike many other major worldwide capital cities, Dubai doesn’t have a nightlife district, there is no particular entertainment heart to this city, rather there are many varied venues dotted about across the amazing metropolis and it can take a good few nights out to explore them all!

In terms of bars, all the major hotels have a variety of bars and many of them stay open until the wee small hours.  They aren’t just the haunt of the businessman on tour, a lot of expatriates meet up in their favourite hotel bar particularly on a Thursday or Saturday night as these are the biggest nights of the week for socialising - just like in other lively business orientated cities like London or Berlin where Thursday night is the introduction to the weekend for those who like to work hard and party harder!  One of the newest hotel bars is the Blue Bar which is in the Novotel on Sheik Zayed Road.  It’s chic, fashionable and very, very popular.

In recent years there has been a decent flow of independent bars opening and here expatriates meet to watch major sporting events, to chill out or seriously flirt and network!  Try the Irish Village (also known as IV) as your first port of call - Time Out Dubai call it “a Dubai institution” and it is truly one of the most popular venues for expatriates bar none - you have to give it a try!  It’s located along the exterior of the Dubai Tennis Stadium. 

In terms of alcohol - Dubai and the United Arab Emirates are of course Muslim - but expatriates are allowed alcohol licenses to buy and consume alcohol in their homes and bars, restaurants, pubs and clubs also have special licenses allowing them to sell alcohol to non-Muslim clientele over the age of 21.

There are no casinos in Dubai as gambling is totally against the Muslim tradition.  Nightclubs are varied and thankfully now plentiful!  Many cater only to the over 25’s, all have to shut by 3am and most are clearly divided into themes - from international to Arabic to African to Latin American!  Try Amnesia in the Palm Hotel for a fantastic dance scene or maybe try Club Africana in the Rush Inn for something altogether fantastically different.

For those who crave live music keep an eye out on the local listings as there are some seriously talented bands at home in Dubai and many of the international venues and hotels regularly import acts for a season, an event or a one off night of fantastic musical entertainment.

Dubai is a fast paced, hard working, young, pulsating place and the nightlife purely reflects the vibe of the city.  If you’re going to be living in Dubai the nightlife will not let you down and you will have a different venue and a different event to sample every single night of the week for the duration of your stay!  For the latest bar, pub, club and event listings and reviews, look no further than Time Out Dubai http://www.timeoutdubai.com/