UAE: 7 in 10 residents 'enjoy dining out' every week, survey reveals

'Work hard, play hard' – this maxim of finding a way to have a good work-life balance is practised by UAE residents, as they get their minds off their work and find time for entertainment and relaxation.

This is shown in a recent survey which revealed “97 per cent of UAE residents like to go out for entertainment at least once a month.”

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More than 1,000 people across the country were polled through YouGov to learn about their entertainment habits. The Entertainment & Sports Report from communications agency duke+mir also revealed that a staggering 81 per cent of UAE residents have at least one paid entertainment subscription. In comparison, 30 per cent of people in the UAE have subscriptions that they rarely use and would consider cancelling.

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Furthermore, as per the study, seven in 10 people dine out every single week.

From Michelin stars to coffee bars, residents love to dine out. Latvian expat and PR professional Vlada Lomova said she loves stepping out over the weekends because Dubai always has something exciting to offer.

She told Khaleej Times: “I go out each weekend and often try to find something exciting – from concerts at Dubai Opera to new coffee places. I love discovering new spots, brands, pop-ups, special events, and projects.”

Lomova added: “I prefer to make the most of my weekends outdoors, especially now that the weather in Dubai is perfect. I do sports in the morning and spend all my day with friends, either at the beach or attending events, concerts, and exhibitions.”

For Sharjah resident Nisrin Arsiwala, weekends are a way to switch off and spend quality time with family. “The best strategy for our family is gathering together and cooking meals at home, watching a movie, or playing board games. We generally step out twice or once a month for movies,” she added.

Jonathan Ivan-Duke, co-founder and partner at duke+mir, noted: “UAE residents enjoy dining out. Around 70 per cent of the residents dine out every week – a huge boost for the booming restaurant scene.

“Dubai is a culinary haven, with around 27,000 restaurants and cafes dotted across the city. So, you never have to travel far to find a great option. That's the reason why it's such a popular pastime,” he added.

Subscription-based economy

Meanwhile, the trend of subscribing to various paid entertainment services is gaining momentum in the UAE. This is part of a broader global shift toward a subscription-based economy, projected to increase to a staggering $1.5 trillion by 2025. The colossal sum would place the subscription economy on par with the gross domestic product (GDP) of some of the world's leading nations and economies, the study revealed.

The study revealed that entertainment subscriptions in the UAE were distributed across streaming giants like Netflix and Amazon to e-books, online fitness, sports streaming, music or podcast streaming, etc.

By 2025, the global online subscription economy is estimated to reach $1.5trillion, duke+mir's report revealed. Just under a third of people have unwanted subscriptions, potentially costing millions of dirhams in dormant and unused accounts.

Other key findings from the report include:

• Nearly 4 in 10 people (37 per cent) like to go out and watch sports, 24 per cent go to the cinema and 23 per cent attend live performances every week.

• Two-thirds (66 per cent) enjoy playing sports every week for entertainment; 75 per cent of young people aged 18-24 take part in some form of sporting activity every week.

• About 73 per cent of young people play video games every week, with 31 per cent of 18–24-year-olds having a paid gaming subscription.

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