There is a notion that any Bachelor living alone who has a little bit of money to throw around must be bit of a “player”. It seems this attitude which is most prevalent in the Western world is staring to cloud Dubai Municipality’s judgement. Dubai has banned bachelor’s from living in 16 communities in Dubai, focusing on Villas especially. Anyone who is already living there has most likely already received their eviction notice as I write this. What has brought about this rather strange decision?. Marwan Abdullah, head of the municipality’s Building Section explains “Our aim is not to make labourers or bachelors homeless but to create secure and clean environment in residential areas. They are free to stay in flats in any area of Dubai”.

Thinking what he could mean by “secure and clean environment” thoughts were rushing around my head. Does he mean that bachelor’s are the opposite of secure and clean , i.e. Insecure (criminals) and dirty ?. Or was this a metaphorical statement meaning that what the bachelor’s get up to is not conducive for a secure and clean environment. Opting for the latter although the first one seemed funnier I came to the following conclusion . He seems to think that any single Male living alone in a Villa will be using it for what is known as a “Bachelor Pad”. You know the kind of place you bring your young lady friend for some coffee and shisha late at night. You are not discreet you are not ashamed and you are quite flashy with the cash. It could also be where you bring your little Russian friend who you paid some money to become your friend for the night. So this doesn’t make a welcoming area for people with families to live in. I am guessing this is what he means.

Although this kind of incident may occur occasionally and disrupt the calm of suburban Dubai I doubt this is a common practice, and even so the way to solve something which you see as a social ill isn’t to effectively create Ghettos for a segment of the society. The descion by Dubai Municipality has given a chance for the now infamously greedy landlords of Dubai to make another killing. There have been several reports of cases where landlords are evicting tenants citing the new law and then allowing them to stay on for a rent hike. So everyone is a winner unless you are single and wanting to live alone, maybe in a Villa because your financial situation allows you to the enjoy the calm of a Villa environment.

The whole situation is aptly summed up by Roshan Khan, a sales person, said: “We are unable to get even a single room at reasonable prices. We tried to get a flat in apartment buildings but real estate agents say that landlords do not permit bachelors. I don’t know where to go.”

May I suggest getting arrested for a minor offence and spending the night in a Police cell, a man needs a place to rest his head after all.

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