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I grew up in Dubai and moved to New York 2 years ago. Here are 5 things I miss — and 5 I love about my new home.

October 2, 20240
Sheikh Zayed Road, or E11, is one of the longest roads in the UAE. It passes through six of the seven emirates — states — connecting all major cities in the country.

Rasto SK/Shutterstock

After I got my driver’s license in 2018, I loved driving around town, partly because of how liberating it felt to go places without having to ask my parents for a ride or to navigate different bus and metro routes, and partly because of how smooth driving in Dubai felt.

The eight-lane Sheikh Zayed Road, named after the UAE‘s former president and ruler, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, connects the whole country, making it convenient to drive and visit different parts of the city and country.

For those of us who’ve lived in Dubai long enough, we’ve seen the landscape surrounding SZR change drastically every year. In 2004, I could tell where a certain neighborhood in Dubai began by looking at the buildings we passed on the road.

The fact that it’s a single-long highway also means you only have to remember specific exits for your desired destination — you don’t even need Google Maps to navigate.

The joke among residents in Dubai is that as long as you’re on Sheikh Zayed Road, you will find your way home and never be completely lost.

But the biggest appeal, for me at least, is that, until 2020, traffic was light, and one could get from uptown Dubai — think North Harlem — to downtown Dubai — think Wall Street — in less than 20 minutes, barring any road accidents.

But I love how easily I can get around anywhere in New York City with the swipe of a MetroCard.
Dubai experiences sweltering heat for at least half the year, so its many beaches offer a much-needed cooling respite.

Priyanka Rajput/Business Insider

My earliest memories of Dubai are of weekends spent at public beaches or, when the weather was right in December, at beach parks.

Ask anyone who grew up in Dubai, and they’ll tell you that heading to the beach every weekend was routine, and never elaborately planned.

In my family, Fridays — until 2022, the weekend in Dubai was on Friday and Saturday — meant packing up our beach clothes and towel, stocking up on Oman Chips — a really popular brand of chips in the Middle East — and then spending all day swimming and lounging by the Arabian Sea shore.

This was usually followed by feasting on a spread of Indian food at a nearby restaurant or, on some days, a McDonald’s drive-thru dinner.

Dubai beaches have fun, kid-friendly activities and spaces like beach volleyball courts, mini-waterslides, and toddler-friendly play areas, offering everyone something they can enjoy.

But public parks here in the Big Apple have filled the beach void for me.
I miss my mom’s home-cooked meals the most.

tastytravels/Shutterstock

Being a 12-hour plane ride from my family and friends means I see them only once a year or sometimes every two years.

On most days, I am swept up by my everyday routine, but I miss waking up to the familiar whiff of my mom’s home-cooked meals and the morning chaos — which, even though annoying, was comforting, too.

In New York, my roommate and I have tried to replicate the dishes our mothers made back home, but our dishes are no match for theirs.

However, I’ve also learned to love my quiet mornings partly because of the spectacular sunrises and the momentary stillness in this fast-paced city.
Until 2018, when the value-added tax was introduced to Dubai, there were no taxes.

Chiociolla/Shutterstock

People are always surprised when I say this, but growing up, I never watched my family fill out tax forms or run to the nearest post office to file their taxes come April.

And having been part of two tax cycles now, I’ve got to admit, I miss when life was simple like that.

I wish I could say I knew all about filing my taxes correctly by now, but I don’t, and every March, I find myself searching for answers to the same questions on Google or sending panicked texts to friends, asking for help.

I especially miss Dubai’s pleasant winters and end-of-year festivities.
Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in 2018.

PhotoSof/Shutterstock

If you grew up in hot, sweaty Dubai, it’s hard to find any joy in the gray, dull winters of New York City.

My only sources of happiness come layering season are all the wonderful festive-themed musicals, markets, and street lights.

Still, as soon as January arrives, all traces of the festive spirit are wiped away … and so is the joy from my life.

Around this time of year, I’m constantly plotting ways to escape the harsh cold by wishing I could temporarily move back home or head to the West Coast, but so far, I haven’t been successful in my attempts.

Finally, I miss my go-to shawarma spots back home. But I’ve found equally good wraps at halal trucks in New York.
A plate of fresh falafels served with pickled onions, hummus, tahini, and a chicken shawarma wrap from one of my favorite spots, Al BaalBaaki in Dubai.

Priyanka Rajput/Business Insider

New York City and Dubai’s culture and food scene are heavily influenced by its expat populations.

I’ve been privileged to experience some of the world’s most well-known cuisines at the best restaurants while also relishing local street specialties on both sides of the world.

While I miss my go-to night haunts like Antar Cafeteria and Al Reef Bakery, which I would visit with my friends, I’ve found the same joy and love in a bite of the chicken gyros sold across halal carts in New York City.

Even though I sometimes feel as though I may always be mentally longing for one place while living in another, I’ve realized that both Dubai and New York City are cultural melting pots with distinctly different yet very similar characteristics.