Moving to a new country and leaving family and friends behind can be daunting, but rest assured here in Dubai there is a great community of expats all in the same boat! To help take the stress out of the idea of making new friends, we’ve made it easy and compiled a useful guide to get you socialising.

Dubai is a melting pot of activity and can sometimes feel hugely overwhelming with trying to find something ‘to do’ as there is so much choice! Use this as a benefit and start to work out your hobbies and interests to make it easier to meet new people. There are groups and meet-ups for all types of activities and sports, from crochet to paddle boarding, so there is something suitable for everyone to get socialising.

Meeting new people can seem daunting but the great thing is that most mums feel the same and with many in Dubai away from family gives great opportunities to make genuine long-lasting friendships. Here are some places to start:

BRITISH MUMS EVENTS

The British Mums Events page is a great way to keep up to date with events for the British Mums community. There’s everything from new baby mornings and health & wellness to new to Dubai and cooking events, so there is something for every interest. Keep an eye out on the upcoming events and avoid disappointment by RSVPing as soon as possible as they tend to fill up quickly!

BRITISH MUMS BOOK CLUB

British Mums have created a Book Club to help mums get together and discuss our favourite reads. These are always popular, and they run twice a month at the popular hotspot, The Hillhouse Brasserie. Book clubs are a great way to meet new faces and give a good excuse to spend more time with our nose in a book (not that we need one!)

NETBALL

Everyone has dabbled in netball and even if you haven’t played since school it’s always a fun way to mix with others and burn a few calories! There are plenty of netball clubs from social through to competitive that meet regularly across Dubai throughout the week so there is sure to be a team that suits the busiest of schedules!

RUNNING CLUBS

If netball isn’t your thing, running clubs are also a great way to meet new people and keep active! Running is a great sociable activity and there are a range of groups available to meet regularly for all different levels too, even if you are a beginner! Desert Road Runners and Dubai Creek Striders are two of the biggest clubs here and welcome new recruits!

GYMS

We all need a little bit of ‘me’ time and for some of us that’s through exercise, but the idea of stepping foot in a new gym can be terrifying. Fear aside, they’re actually a great place to meet new people. Most gyms here in Dubai offer a wide variety of classes, with everything from yoga to CrossFit. With so many gyms available simply look up local gyms to you and you’ll be sure to find the perfect one for you.

VOLUNTEERING

So physical activity isn’t your thing, that’s ok! But have you tried volunteering? There are so many wonderful organisations here in Dubai that are always needing extra pairs of hands so why not do good and feel good and meet some new faces along the way!

Our friends at Thrift for Good, Dubai Drama Group and K9 Friends are always on the lookout for volunteers.

This is just a selection of popular ways to meet new people here in Dubai. There are lots of people in a similar situation so why not pluck up the courage and get sociable. If you haven’t already, join the British Mums Facebook group which is always brimming with tips, advice, and support for expat life here in Dubai or send us a WhatsApp on 058 560 4862 and we’ll make sure we keep you up to date with all our community events.

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