Compared to many countries that you may have lived in, Dubai is a relatively safe place with a low crime rate.  Many gated communities and apartment complexes have good security protocols and regular security patrols however, this does not mean there are not opportunists ready to take advantage of that unlocked door.

It is a good idea to purchase a safe to keep valuables such as jewelery and important documents including passports.  Make sure you have the safe securely bolted to a floor or wall.  Safes can easily be purchased in shops such as Ace Hardware or Carrefour.

Remember to lock your doors and windows even when you are out for a short time.  Free standing villas have many points of entry and exit and many are quite large so even if you are upstairs you might not be able to hear what is going on downstairs especially when the air-conditioning is running.  If you have sliding patio doors it is worth investing in some dowling rods (or old wooden broom handles) cut to size and placed in the runners so these doors cannot be pushed open.  Anyone with staff working for them it is a good idea to remind them to lock the doors and windows in their own quarters and check that they are not keeping large quantities of cash or gold jewelery in their room.  If they are encourage them to place it in the safe.

Do not keep valuable items such as expensive bikes and golf clubs in the garage especially if you do not have a door on the garage as this could be very tempting for opportunist burglars.

When moving into a new home it is worth getting a set of new keys cut as you will never know how many tradesmen and agents have had a set of these keys.

If you are away for the holidays inform your neighbours and try and ask a friend to check up on your property.  It is also worth noting Dubai Police have a service called Housing Security Program which allows customers to request Dubai Police to monitor their residence while they are abroad. When they return, they notify Dubai Police to stop the monitoring.