Without a doubt, Dubai is a city for entrepreneurs. The self-employed ambitious are most likely seen around the city with their laptops attached to their hips, smart phones in hand, bouncing from spot to spot.
We’ve put together a list of our favorite work spots in Dubai that guarantee productivity, good food and WiFi.
1. The Pavilion
This is the ultimate work spot in the city. With a minimalist chic interior and indoor and outdoor seating areas, it’s rare to find this place without a wave of MacBooks open and keyboards clicking away. The outdoor area offers shisha after 3pm and heaters when it’s chilly at night – which is almost never – with a magnificent view of the Burj Khalifa.
We have to admit, their food used to be better before the change of management, but you’ll have a nice option of healthy smoothies and refreshments to keep you hydrated.
They also have their own parking lot, which if you live in Dubai, you’ll recognize as gold!
2. Make
Located in the busy busy streets of JBR, Make offers an inspirational setting with quotes on the wall, meeting booths and a pin board wall of innovators looking for fellow innovators. They’ve got these cool individual desktops with outlets, so you don’t have to hunt for a plug or politely stare someone down who has been charging for three hours.
Combine that with their good food and WiFi and you could sit there for hours. The one drawback of this place is the parking. They have about five spots in the downstairs garage, which are almost always full. Otherwise, you’re left with the nightmare of JBR street parking. I’ve had clients unable to meet us because they circled for parking for 45 minutes.
3. Impact Hub
This downtown gem is, as they call it, “an ecosystem for entrepreneurs”. This global initiative hosts an impressive community for entrepreneurs to network and collaborate on events.
Besides one-on-one consults, they offer classes, trainings and workshops to help get your startup off the ground. There are 71 Impact Hubs worldwide, so you can imagine the network. It is definitely a must for freelancers and entrepreneurs.
4. Avec
This relatively new cafe is located in Media City near the Media One hotel. It’s huge. They have an indoor work area, an indoor shisha area and an outdoor area. Whether you want to sit at a desk, couch, table or booth, they’ve got you covered.
They’ve got a great menu and their shisha is really good – Egyptian shisha guys really are the best. It’s better to head there early if you want to be productive, because as of the late afternoon, it gets a bit loud in the shisha area with those coming to socialize and watch the latest match.
5. Tom & Serg
Definitely one of my favorite places to work. They’ve got two floors worth of tables and benches to work from, free WiFi and great coffee. The menu is great, too. I recommend their burger, it’s absolutely delicious! It’s located in Al Quoz, so you’re in the middle of Dubai’s hipster haven. They close at 4pm, so get there early.
6. The Magazine Shop
The Magazine shop is located in DIFC. The location is super cute, but not very big. You can definitely get work done there and it’s great for meetings, but it’s not the type of place you can sit for hours at a time. It is covered in quirky independent magazines, hence the name.
We recommend heading there for an afternoon meeting, or some quiet work time with delicious refreshments. They’ve got great coffee!
7. Creekside
Brought to you by the same owners of The Magazine Shop, Creekside is out by, well, the Creek. It’s got a beautiful traditional style to it with tons of art and heritage to keep you inspired.
From pottery to fashion calligraphy, they are always throwing creative events and workshops that you won’t find elsewhere in the city. It’s definitely a must-see cultural hub.
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