Brand new Karama emerges
WIDER ROADS, SWANKY BUILDINGS AND FANCY EATERIES TRANSFORM OLD NEIGHBOURHOOD
Wider roads, swanky buildings and fancy eateries transform old neighbourhood |
Home to Dubai’s earliest low-cost housing facilities like Shaikh Rashid Colony, Hamdan Colony, Pioneer Building and Shaikha Maryam Building, Karama was till recently synonymous with affordable housing.
There is a more modern feel to Karama, one of Dubai’s oldest neighbourhoods, as wider roads, swanky buildings and new hangouts replace old buildings and narrow lanes.
One of the busiest and most sought-after residential areas by expatriates, both for its central location and amenities, Karama has been undergoing a makeover in the last few years.
Home to Dubai’s earliest low-cost housing facilities like Shaikh Rashid Colony, which was popularly known as ‘7000 buildings’, Hamdan Colony, Pioneer Building and Shaikha Maryam Building, Karama was until recently synonymous with affordable housing.
But with just a handful of old buildings left, not only has the look and feel of the neighbourhood changed, it’s no more the low-cost expat haven.
Several old colonies and blocks have been demolished. Shaikh Rashid Colony has been replaced by a sprawling block of buildings called Wasl Hub, which also houses some fancy eateries apart from apartments.
In the last few months, some old buildings behind Sangeetha Restaurant have been pulled down while a few along the now widened Karama Shopping Complex road have been demolished and residents of many other buildings on the same road face eviction.
Although rents are still on the lower side for tenants in old buildings, ranging between Dh30,000 and Dh40,000, most of these are in a dilapidated condition and have few amenities. Current rents range between Dh70,000 and Dh90,000 for one and two-bedroom apartments in the new buildings.
Mixed reactions
Notorious for heavy traffic congestion during peak hours, residents think wider roads and better infrastructure will help, but accept that the place is losing its vintage charm.
“Wider roads will help. All the arterial roads in Karama need to be widened... access and exit points have eased after the Sana interchange was redeveloped,” said Francy Joy Balmores, 38, a Filipina resident of Karama for almost a decade.
“This is a great area to live in. It’s got everything one needs: Supermarkets, restaurants, connectivity and a wonderful atmosphere. However, with all the changes, we are missing the old charm. We no choice, but to move on,” she added.
Mohammad Sajjad, 40, a longtime resident of Pioneer Building, one of the last remaining residential blocks built in the 1970s as low-cost housing for expats, said: “Over the last three decades, Karama has changed completely, but the pace of transformation has picked up in the last few years. Every few weeks, we see old buildings coming down and it’s hard not to think that we could be next.”
Sajjad grew up in the Pioneer Building and has an emotional attachment to the place. “This has been my home for 30 years. The rents are lower than anywhere else in Dubai. I don’t mind the lack of basic facilities such as an elevator or parking; that is just a small negative when compared to the peace I get here,” he said.
Spread across more than 60 blocks, Pioneer is one of the better-looking old buildings.
Mohammad Esmail, 27, a Bangladeshi who has lived in Karama since 2011, works as a delivery boy in a restaurant. He is worried that people like him are running out of affordable housing options.
“I used to live in one of the Shaikh Rashid Colony buildings, but we were evicted to make way for a new building. I moved to another old building which was also demolished last year. Now all of us staying in another old building have received eviction notices again.
“I think our days in Karama are numbered as there are hardly any affordable spaces left. The new buildings aren’t just beyond our budget, the owners won’t allow bachelors to rent an apartment there.”
Although its look and feel have changed considerably, Karama remains a hub for food lovers, with eateries opening up almost every month. Karama’s old charm may still survive the onslaught of modernity.