Dubai Forums Dubai Expat Forums Accommodation in Dubai

I'm thinking about a villa in Satwa as a possible place to live. I'm in my mid-thirties, will be coming to Dubai with my wife and baby. I have a couple of friends who absolutely love living in Satwa, rave about it having a nice mix of families, good restaurants etc. On the other hand, I have other friends in Dubai who are appalled at the thought of living in Satwa, say that it's dodgy and (by Dubai standards) crime-ridden. One guy I know calls it an "urban ghetto".

What do people on this forum think? I've looked at the archive and views here seem to be mixed as well. We're looking for somewhere that needs to be family-friendly and affordable, but not too sterile and suburban. Does Satwa fit the bill?

I'd prefer some other location rather than Satwa. If it fits your budget then Jumeirah is heaps better and only a couple of minutes away from Satwa