“Are you really staying in Dubai all summer?”

Yes. We are. Well, aside from our August family holiday, we’ll be here.

And honestly? We’re more than okay with it.

This Is Just Our Way

Jack was born here. This is home. We’re not escaping summer; we’re living it, just like families everywhere live with whatever weather they have. In the UK, when it’s grey and drizzly for months, people don’t pack up and leave. In Canada, when it’s -30°C, families don’t relocate for the season. They adapt. They find indoor activities. They make it work.

That’s exactly what we do here.

Our summer will be sweaty pool walks, football camps (indoors, thankfully), screen time (yes, it happens), Fortnite sessions, Minecraft builds, and plenty of days where Jack joins me in the office, creating Canva posters or learning CapCut while I work nearby.

We live here. Our routines are here. Our business is here. Sure, we could work from anywhere, but as we’re still building things out and need to be online and accessible, it’s just a series of logistics we’re not ready to add to the to-do list right now. I can’t exactly schlep my big monitor around the Mediterranean, much as that would be an interesting challenge.

This isn’t about missing out or making do. This is simply our way. You do you, we’ll do us.

The “Dubai Empties Out” Myth Needs Updating

I keep seeing posts from business owners claiming “Dubai’s empty in summer” – and honestly, that narrative feels outdated.

Yes, some relatively affluent stay-at-home mums take extended family trips. Yes, teachers have their holidays. Yes, some really wealthy families go on lengthy, lovely getaways. But the majority? They’re here.

I’ve seen the polls in the mum groups. My WhatsApp business networks are pinging off with event invites and collaboration requests. The roads are quieter, sure, but the city isn’t abandoned.

Dubai has a huge population of middle-income families, young professionals, singles, and couples who don’t – and can’t – disappear for months. They’re taking holidays just like people do in any other country, but they’re not relocating their entire lives for the season.

The Business Opportunity Everyone’s Missing

If you’re a business owner panicking about summer, let me offer a different perspective: this is actually a golden window.

Unless you sell exclusively to affluent stay-at-home mums (and even then, they’re probably sitting poolside somewhere scrolling more than usual), your market is still here. They still need supplies, treats, new clothes, experiences, solutions to their problems.

I’ve had clients run incredibly successful clearance sales this time of year. Others have seen engagement spike because their audience – whether here or away – has more time to scroll, plan, save, and think about what they want.

The key? Meet your customers where they are. If they’re on a sunbed in another country, they still want your content. If they’re here saving money, they might be looking for that perfect bargain. If they’re here because of work commitments, they still want all the things they’d want any other time of year – candles, experiences, solutions, treats.

Events are still happening. Networking continues. Business doesn’t stop just because it’s 45°C outside.

Making Summer Work for Us

For founders, this quieter period is perfect for mid-year resets. Time to refine strategies, plan for autumn momentum, and get ahead while others are convinced the city has emptied.

For families like ours, it’s about embracing what we have. Easier playdates. Day-out discounts that appear like little summer gifts. Quieter pools. More quality time without the usual social calendar pressure.

Jack gets his football camps, his screen time, his pool days, and those lovely moments where we share my desk while we both “do Canva.” Our rhythm doesn’t need to be disrupted by living out of suitcases or trying to maintain routines in spare bedrooms.

Home Is Where We Make It

Don’t get me wrong – I see those glossy Instagram feeds of “blissful summers back home”, the photos of glorious days spent outside in the sunshine, paddling in streams, surrounded by family and friends and making all the memories, and they give me allllll guilty feels. I also see the anonymous posts in mum groups about family dramas, overtired kids, no air conditioning, and the slow realisation that six weeks away might be six weeks too long…

A perfect summer isn’t defined by location. It’s defined by what we choose to make of it, where we choose to make it, and how we choose to show up for it.

We’re showing up here, in our home, for our summer. And, it’s going to be brilliant.

Whatever your plans are, I hope you just focus on you doing you and make the absolute most of it!