Moving to Dubai with all the family can be a big upheaval.  Two of the biggest concerns for expats moving to Dubai are finding school places and finding the right home to live in.  I always recommend when relocating to Dubai that you find the school place first then choose the location for the home but for many expats when they talk about the ‘whole’ family moving that also includes the DOG!  So, the other big question is where is the best place to live in Dubai with a dog?

In truth, Dubai isn’t the most dog-friendly place in the world with dogs being banned from the majority of  public beaches and parks.  Also, dogs must be kept on a leash and/or in an appropriate muzzle in public and it goes without saying that owners have to clean up the animal’s waste when taking their dogs out. Furthermore, dogs must be vaccinated and registered, and are not allowed to become stray.  However, even with restricted areas to walk your dog and extreme summer heat one only has to look at social media with it’s various local pet groups to see there are many dog owners in Dubai.

To help you choose the best area to live in with a dog Expat Echo Dubai have put together a list of some areas that are popular with expats who have  recently been relocated with Move One Relocations and their dogs with Move One Pet Transportation.

Arabian Ranches/Victory Heights/The Green Community
These areas are gated communities located within the heart of the desert just off Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed road (Emirates Road) leading to Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Dubai.  These are very popular communities for people with dogs as there are many paths around and in between each of the developments plus in some areas there are man-made lakes where people can walk their dogs. Dogs must be on the lead at all times in the community however, a  bonus is the location of the desert which is just a quick 2 minute drive away.

Meadows/Springs/Lakes
Again, these areas are gated villa communities.   Located next to Emirates Hills on Sheikh Zayed Road. The community is close to neighbouring Dubai Marina, Emirates Hills, Dubai Internet City, Media City, the American University in Dubai, beaches, shopping malls and luxury hotels. There are many pretty walks around lakes and parks and dogs must be on the lead at all times.

Jumeirah Islands
Jumeirah Islands is a gated community that contains over 700 three, four and five bedroom villas arranged in 50 clusters, surrounded by lakes, water features, and greenery. Each villa has its own swimming pool and garden.  Community facilities include play areas, cycling and jogging trails. As with the above areas there are many pretty walks around lakes and parks and dogs must be on the lead at all times.

Jumeirah/Umm Seqeim
This is one of the coastal residential areas in Dubai. The residential properties range from large detached villas to smaller town homes. Both these areas are of the more exclusive areas in Dubai. The area is popular with expats and visitors as there are many entertainment venues in close proximity including: The Jumeirah Beach Hotel, The Madinat Jumeirah and The Burj Al Arab hotel.

These areas are also popular for dog owners but generally you are walking the dogs in streets rather than around lakes etc.  There are quite a few open patches of land but never been tempted to take your dog off the lead as the municipality will soon be presenting you with a hefty fine.

Jumeirah Village Triangle & Circle
Jumeirah Village is becoming a very popular area with many of our readers who are dog owners.  It is a newer community development located near Dubai Sports City off Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed road (Emirates Road). Jumeirah Village consists of two main communities: Jumeirah Village Circle and Jumeirah Village Triangle. Jumeirah Village Triangle is a residential area consisting of primarily smaller two bedroom town-homes suited for couples or smaller families with larger garden areas. Jumeirah Village Circle is a community with larger villas though this community is under development with heavy construction around the area.

Apartment living is not ideal for pet owners and many developments have banned owners from keeping pets such as Jumeirah Beach Residence, Marina Residences/Marina Promenade and Oceana Palm Jumeirah, Limestone House DIFC.

The Greens and Views
The Greens is one of Dubai’s popular free-standing apartment developments. The Greens is located next to Emirates Golf Club and is close in proximity to Dubai Media and Internet Cities, Dubai Marina, American University of Dubai and Sheikh Zayed Road.  The Greens offers 10 different low rise apartment towers featuring apartments ranging from studios to 4 bedrooms. This is apartment living with attractive shaded walk ways round parks and lakes for you to walk your dog.

As mentioned one of the big rules in Dubai is that dogs should be kept on the lead at all times however, if you want your dogs to have a run around you could always consider the Paws Pet Planet Dog Park .   An area dedicated to indoor and outdoor parks for plenty of space to frolic off-leash. There are splash pools,  bridges, tunnels and obstacles . You and your dog will enjoy our climate controlled indoor dog friendly park. The result is an always clean, fresh-smelling environment that’s easy on dogs’ paws. There’s plenty of seating in all the parks so you can hang-out with your dog in comfort. And with separate dog park areas for different sizes and temperaments, you can rest assured your dogs’ play with appropriate companions.

For information on Transportation of your pet to and from Dubai please contact Move One Pet Transportation