Aywa, if you’re looking for a place to live in Dubai as a Filipino, then look no further than Al Satwa, most commonly known as Satwa. There’s a reason why Satwa is one of the go-to places for Filipinos or Asians living in the UAE.
It’s a bustling community day to night, there are countless places to shop, and it feels like a home away from home. Here are the best 9 reasons you should live in Satwa as a Filipino, whether you’re a newcomer in the city or not.
Contents
- 1. It’s accessible to different places
- 2. Home to many supermarkets, stores, salons, and more
- 3. Mini Manila in Dubai
- 4. You can walk around Satwa late at night
- 5. The cost of living is affordable in Satwa
- 6. Affordable place to stay
- 7. You’ll feel less homesick with the city life
- 8. You’ll find it easier to find friends
- 9. Accessible to hospitals, dental clinics, or medical clinics
1. It’s accessible to different places
One of the best reasons to live in Satwa is that there are bus stations and taxis waiting for passengers on every corner. You don’t have to worry about going to a job interview or to tourist attractions easily since Satwa is conveniently adjacent to Sheikh Zayed Road, southwest of Bur Dubai.
Dubai is a small city, but when you’re living in Satwa, it’s easy to travel anywhere since the place is already strategically situated near Sheikh Zayed Road; therefore, you can easily go to Jumeirah beach for fresh air or go to La Mer.
If you ever need to ride the metro, it is accessible by riding a bus. Satwa is close to Dubai’s tourist spots, such as Dubai Mall, City Walk, Burjuman Mall, and more. Satwa is known for its famous landmarks like the Satwa Grand Mosque, Satwa Bus Station, and the Iranian Hospital. It’s essential to have access to different transportation, especially if you don’t have a car; it will make traveling and your lifestyle easier.
2. Home to many supermarkets, stores, salons, and more
You don’t have to worry about running out of groceries since in Satwa, groceries and supermarkets are always on sale to help you stock some essentials from Nesto, the famous West Zone and Almaya Supermarket, and more. You can do your grocery runs on the weekends during your off or on weekdays after shift easily since there’s numerous stores scattered all over Satwa.
You can easily buy grocery-prepped meals when you’re lazy to cook or buy fresh produce last minute. Aside from supermarkets, there’s also countless stores such as bicycle stores, thrift shops, jewelry stores, stationery shops, and beauty salons in Satwa that you can window shop whenever you feel like it. You can easily find whatever you need in Satwa, making it enticing for OFWs to live in.
3. Mini Manila in Dubai
If you ever miss Manila in the Philippines, you’ll feel like you’re in the capital of the Philippines; whenever you’re in Satwa, you’ll see kabayans or fellow Filipinos everywhere. You’ll hear the cacophony of laughter along with Tagalog words or different Filipino dialects everywhere in this community since it’s home to many OFWs. Not to mention there’s also a Jollibee restaurant located below Manila Building.
You can eat Chicken Joy happily in Satwa with your newfound Filipino friends or loved ones. Everywhere you’ll go in Satwa, there are Filipino named cafeterias or Filipino restaurants ready to famish your homesickness for Filipino cuisines, such as Luneta Restaurant to Chic Boy Inasal Restaurant; they also offer budol fight-styled food for a group of people- whether you want to dine in solo and enjoy your heartwarming Goto or eat Pancit bihon when in a rush, Satwa is ready to satisfy your Filipino cravings.
You’ll also see in groceries like West Zone, there are Filipino desserts like Cassava cake or Bibingka, or Filipino exports to add to your ingredients like Magic Sarap or more. If you’re a massive fan of Ukay-Ukay in the Philippines, then you’ll definitely love living in Satwa since thrift shops are everywhere, from 1 AED deals to 10 AED deals, to the ultimate fashion lover, living in Satwa is like a dream come true for those who want to save money for buying workwear clothes or want to shop for fun.
4. You can walk around Satwa late at night
If you’re fond of walking at night or hang out with your friends in cafeterias after dinner then you should live in Satwa since the night is still a young in this place, since it’s always crowded in Satwa you don’t have to worry about your safety since there’s always lights from shops, and buildings or accommodations are always near to one another, so you can safely walk home.
5. The cost of living is affordable in Satwa
Since Satwa has many stores or groceries on sale, thrift shops everywhere, and affordable restaurants or cafeterias at every corner, so you can easily save money. Dubai is one of the cities that has a high cost of living; therefore, living in Satwa seems like an excellent choice to live in for Filipinos who are newcomers. Of course, there are cons to staying in Satwa; resist the temptation to be a shopaholic or go on retail therapy whenever life gets to you!
6. Affordable place to stay
Whenever you’re in Satwa, it’s no secret that you’ll see plenty of posters or signboards announcing bed space, partitions or villas co-living for Filipinos in the community. Everything is not what it seems living in Dubai, but as a newcomer, Satwa is home to Filipinos for a reason; there’s no harm in aspiring to one day live in Dubai Marina or Sustainable city, but Satwa is cozy enough to accommodate newcomers as they start their journey in Dubai.
7. You’ll feel less homesick with the city life
Homesickness is one of the everyday struggles every OFWs face, and it’s never easy; however, living in Satwa with the bustling city life, you’ll find it distracting and inspiring at the same time. In Satwa, people from all walks of life live there, and you’ll feel less lonely as you meet new people or discover new restaurants in the community.
8. You’ll find it easier to find friends
Since Satwa is home to many Filipinos in Dubai, making friends wouldn’t be a problem since you’ll meet plenty of Kabayans with the same interests. You’ll never know you might meet lifelong friends in Satwa that can help you through thick or thin!
9. Accessible to hospitals, dental clinics, or medical clinics
You don’t have to worry about your health if you’re living in Dubai since there are plenty of competent and high-quality medical services in the city. In Satwa, you can quickly go to any hospital in case of emergencies if you have insurance from the Iranian Hospital to GSM Medical Centre near the roundabout.