I visited two very different homes in Abu Dhabi this week. The first, a traditional home belonging to and designed by an Emirati family, was ornate, sprawling and featured numerous majlis’ (rooms used to entertain family and guests), some for men and some for women, as well as outdoor living areas. The other was an Australian family’s expat villa, which the couple had renovated to make it open-plan and create a sense of flow.

Despite the differences in taste, culture and background, both homeowners had designed their space for their families. ‘If the kids are running around screaming and making a mess then that’s home,’ the Australian homeowner said.
‘Home is… Family,’ the Emirati homeowner said simply.

I’ve previously blogged about how we define home in our modern, unstable times. When you’re living in a city where expats outnumber the locals, I’ve discovered that plenty of advice and help is on offer – perhaps because the memories of dealing with bureaucracy are still fresh and the local culture is so hospitable.

I have somewhere to live while I wait for my Emirates ID card and am generally helped out by near-strangers on a near-daily basis. This week an American carried my shopping and walked me home when I was lost; while a Lebanese colleague spent an hour in traffic to rescue me from the office when I forgot my key so I couldn’t lock up. As travel writer Bill Bryson said, ‘I can’t think of anything that excites a greater sense of childlike wonder than to be in a country where you are ignorant of almost everything.’

If you would like to stay up to date with WLG’s blog, subscribe to our weekly e-newsletter.