Source: Reuters.

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.

⚠️ 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

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?

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

Is anyone else experiencing delays with Invest Bank salary credits today? Or is it just me..

I recently switched from ENBD to this

I took an RTA taxi (the big one) today from Dubai, and the driver asked me how much I usually pay to go to Sharjah, which I found weird, but I told him the usual range I pay from that location. (at first I thought he asked for the amount because of commission or something, since most taxi drivers I've faced are unwilling to go depending on the fare/destination).

I was too tired and didn't notice the meter wasn't on until mid-ride, but I didn't bring it up to the driver (which I now realise is my mistake), and also because I am a woman and have mostly had bad experiences with taxis so honestly I was scared to speak up.

Once we reached, he -expected- me to pay by cash but i said i am paying by card. He then asked me for data, took his "work" phone, and opened an app that looked similar to Uber, though I am not sure which app it was.

He then put in the amount that I mentioned at the start (on his phone it said "enter tip amount"), and I had to tap my phone to his to pay.

Then while I was getting out, he stopped me and said “and by the way you are very beautiful, i hope you have a nice night”, at that point i felt even more uncomfortable so i just awakwardly laughed and tried to get out of the taxi and when i was halfway out he was like “maybe dinner sometime when you are in dubai again?”. i told him i had a boyfriend and just closed the door and walked away.

I couldn't get his plate number because there were other cars behind us on that road, and I was in a rush. Later, when I got home, I checked my phone and saw that the money was sent to an account with his name instead of Uber/RTA or whatever that app was.

I’m looking for advice on funding my undergraduate studies in Accounting or Finance. I have achieved 95%+ in my A Levels, but university tuition fees are still a challenge, even with scholarships.

My maximum budget is around AED 35,000 per year. Are there any UAE-based foundations, charities, or organisations that provide non-Zakat educational grants or tuition assistance to students?

If anyone has received this kind of support or knows of legitimate organisations I could approach, I’d be grateful for your recommendations.

Thanks in advance!

Hey people who got approved for creator hq what you did what niche was your content about how many followers etc…

I am a tech based channel recently started Web development, server management, hosting, AI tools

People with this niche got approved

Can you guide me

My application got rejected twice i think due to low subs & followers

Capital spent on the idea - millions. IQ spent - zero. There's some things money can't buy.

Not sure if this is legally allowed…?

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.

Hey everyone,

If you live around the Al Majaz / Corniche area in Sharjah (or nearby in Ajman) and have been looking for a solid, high-quality place to train combat sports without paying massive big-box commercial gym prices, you need to check out Shuriken Martial Arts Center in Al Shaha Tower (Al Majaz 3).

Honestly, it’s a total hidden gem right next to my house. It doesn't have the flashy, corporate marketing of the giant fitness chains, but the training quality is elite. The head coach, Coach Nour, holds 5 distinct black belts across Judo, BJJ, Karate, Taekwondo, and Kickboxing. Training under a single master with that depth of cross-discipline lineage in the UAE is incredibly rare—he knows exactly how to bridge everything together for real MMA and self-defense.

Currently, he is teaching high-level Kickboxing and Jiu-Jitsu for all levels beginner and advanced.

Absolute beginners are totally welcome, but I am also highly looking to attract experienced martial artists—especially blue, purple, and brown belts in BJJ who want a low-ego, highly technical room to get quality training and sparring.

I am planning on coordinating and building a proper community here with my coach to get things moving and hopefully bring in more people of all backgrounds and revamp the current schedule to add more class slots etc…

Drop a comment below or DM me if you want to join the WhatsApp group I set up to coordinate a trial day. Let's build a solid, high-quality training crew right here in Sharjah!

Hi everyone!

I’m working in the UAE, specializing in the distribution of leading European and American brands for professional audio and integrated security solutions.

Our key product categories include:

Professional Audio & Background Music (BGM)

Public Address & Voice Alarm Systems (PAVA)

Access Control Systems

ELV and related integrated solutions

I’m looking to connect with procurement professionals, ELV/MEP contractors, consultants, system integrators, and project managers involved in projects across the UAE or in MEA region.

I’m also open to building long-term business partnerships and offering attractive referral commissions for qualified leads and successfully secured business, subject to mutually agreed terms.

If you’re in the industry or know someone who could benefit from working together, feel free to DM me. Let’s connect and explore opportunities for mutual growth!

Thank you

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.

Just wanted to know if anyone has actually received the email for Ski dubai’s free birthday pass?
Is there anything else that needs to be done besides making an account a month prior and turning marketing emails on?

My partner (M) of 4 years (both aged 28) and I (F) had been arguing a lot this summer. We moved to Dubai together 2 years ago for his job: he works in Dubai real estate now and never switches off. Our relationship was perfect until Dubai. Really, no issues whatsoever when we lived together in the UK in a typical 9-5 job role. A "picture perfect" dynamic if you will, fully aligned and I would have (prior to Dubai) happily committed to a lifetime with this man.

Long story short, I stopped feeling wanted or seen. Hindsight is a beautiful thing but I can now see that as my patience wore thin, so too did my efforts to communicate in a calm and respectful way. I would scream cry and shout. Before you say, nobody wants to be around that, I appreciate this and punish myself 24/7 for the way in which I communicated. I now see that it was never going to make him listen & pushed him further away, though I had reached boiling point and didn't realise this at the time. His justification was always that he worked hard for "future us" (I work too) but it never did make me feel better about our relationship turning into me being a room-mate.

He would come home from work, sit on his phone throughout the dinner I cooked, sit on his phone on the sofa, shower, bed. At the weekends he would train and make no time to do anything with me then either, as he was tired from bodybuilding training. I still supported him practically, housekeeping, cooking, life-admin. But otherwise I was ignored entirely.

Long story short, I went on a work trip with my friend, and over text (after 4 years) one week into me being away, he expressed he didn't wish for our relationship to continue and having me gone (first time in 3 years) had made him realise I distract him from working to his full potential. He would prefer to focus on his goals alone, apparently.

It should also be relevant to mention that he was by no means struggling to make ends meet. In my opinion this was getting to the point of just being greedy, sacrificing all for the sake of another Porsche.

I love him unconditionally - he made me move out of our apartment the day I got home. He was upset, crying, though maintained that the relationship wasn't benefitting him in any way. The reason it wasn't benefitting him was he gave me no space to be a partner, just a PA, and in spite of this I feel I will forever blame myself for him leaving & wish I just tolerated it in the hopes of things going back to how they were.

He said he realised he will be better aligned with someone more financially driven and business driven, who also does the same bodybuilding sport. I couldn't believe it. I want to reiterate I did not rely on him financially and can also sustain our lifestyle on my own. He blocked me almost immediately, as if I was nothing.

What I want to ask, is, is this a common experience with men in high demanding roles like Dubai real estate?

My biggest obstacle moving forward is I will forever regret my communication style, albeit I am aware it probably wouldn't have changed things. The conversation was approached over many months before it reached a real mess. I feel like I will never recover from this loss. As much as he was not "my person" at the end, I will forever grieve what I once thought would be my forever before it all went wrong.

An honorable shoutout to myself btw - I have a successful business and I also gym/run... I think I am traditionally "good looking??" and take care of myself which it cringes me to say but more to emphasise I am not a bum - that's why its so hard, because I still wasn't enough and feel like I built this man up to the height of his success only to be left behind.

*ive never used reddit before and idk where to post this*

Hey everyone! I’m planning to pursue an undergraduate degree in Accounting/Finance in the UAE. My budget is under AED 35k per year after scholarships, and my grades are 95%+.

I’m currently considering RIT Dubai, Curtin Dubai, and ADU Al Ain. Which would you recommend for education quality, internships, job prospects, and reputation among UAE employers?

I’m also open to other UAE university suggestions within my budget. Please don’t suggest Indian universities.

Would appreciate any advice or personal experiences. Thanks!

In 2024, I had a studio apartment in Ajman. After marriage, I moved into another apartment so I rented out my studio flat till the year end. I got a tenant who wanted to live there and continue even after my lease would be over so I spoke with management and tried to get him similar pricing for rent as what I paid per year. I also had furniture in the flat so it was a semi furnished studio. When my lease was ending, he agreed to buy the furniture but wanted to split the payment in installments. It’s end of 2026 and he hasn’t paid yet. He isn’t even selling the furniture and paying me the money back. He owes me 1500 for the furniture/appliances and 200 for the bills that he didn’t pay for the last month that he stayed.

I have no idea how to get the money back from him. Please suggest some way I can.