Love and Dating in Dubai | by Mayowa Adegoke

Dubai is possibly the second city of love, with thousands of couples choosing the middle eastern city as a destination for bae-cations, proposals and the likes. Being single here cannot be easy. In a YouTube video titled African Celebrities Talk About Love & Dating In Dubai, I got talking to DJ Don’t Touch My Hair, Dj Mneddy and Alice Waweru, founder of Ankara Prints Design, about love, relationships and dating.

What’s love like in Dubai?  

‘‘The guys are sleeping!” DJ Don’t Touch My Hair gets the conversation going on a high. She had found love in Dubai, only for it to have a return ticket back home. A fleeting love. ‘‘People who travel to Dubai are here for a short amount of time, to travel and sightsee, with very limited time.’’ 

Having been here for about 10 years, DJ Mneddy carries similar sentiments: short and beautiful stories that don’t last.  

‘‘It’s such a mixture of different cultures, different people in and out constantly. It’s easier to find someone back home as compared to here. Formulating a relationship with all these differences is the challenge,’ says DJ Don’t Touch My Hair.’ 

Are dating standards in Dubai too high? 

Having been single for 8 years before tying the knot, I had set her standards from the word go. If it doesn’t lead to marriage, I don’t want it. So what does the scene look like now? Are dating standards the same? 

‘‘Two words: character development.” These are the first words from Alice Waweru, founder of Ankara Prints Design. She hasn’t found love yet, but she has been found in what she calls ‘entanglements’. 

‘‘I’ve been in situations where l mistook love for lust. People are with you for what you have to offer.’’ 

DJ Mneddy interjects claiming what men give is often never enough for the ladies here. Their expectations are too high. Does that mean the ladies have a certain man they’re looking for? One who has, perhaps, been made.  

From previous interactions with her male friends, Alice points out, there are women that do come with certain expectations, making it difficult for other women out here. She quickly notes, ‘‘It’s not about setting our standards too high. I work and run my own business. Not all women are about the high life. However, before we show what we have to offer, there’s a scarlet letter on our foreheads eliminating our seriousness from the get go.’’ 

What the dating scene is like for Africans

Dubai is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world with up to 200 different nationalities. Culture versus a global city. Is there any cultural conflict in dating? 

‘’Absolutely!’’ They all chime in. 

“My first relationship in the UAE was with a Scottish. As an African (man), we bring in the masculine energy; I want to call the shots in the relationship. However, the girl was a bit too demanding.’’ Says DJ Mneddy. This was a big turn off for him. 

Typically, dating is some sort of taboo, for DJ Don’t Touch My Hair, who is part Omani and Tanzanian. ‘‘It takes a lot to break from the society,’’ she attributes her expression in her career as a DJ, a photographer and a model to her very open-minded family. She had to put her foot down and follow her dreams despite her culture’s norms and has applied the same mentality to her love life.   

Alice Waweru, on the other hand, has had quite an interesting dating experience. Having given Tinder a chance, she found Mr. tall, dark and handsome. 

‘‘He showed up, picked me up with flowers, we had candle-lit dinner, the ambience was good, and the company was great. I think he is the one! I am already thinking about our future.” Unfortunately, this love affair was not to be. The gentleman is convinced Alice is ‘high maintenance’ and he cannot afford it.  

When it comes to matters of love, could it be that values are what tie us together? Is there genuinity in finding love in Dubai? Dubai’s lifestyle might make great for Instagram snaps, but the city’s dating for these three is yet to give them #HappyEverAfter.

All three guests seem to agree that clear communication is important. Openness about what each party has to offer from the on-set should be highlighted, even if it means assessing their social media presence before the first date.  

Cheers to finding or not finding love in this “city of love”.

Watch the full video here:

 ***

Mayowa Adegoke, popularly known as The Lady Mayowa, is an award winning media personality, Dubai based journalist, event host and content creator. She works with Channels TV Nigeria as – foreign correspondent – and creates Dubai-inspired lifestyle content on her YouTube – The Lady Mayowa. She won the Lovin Dubai Media Personality of the Year Award 2021.