My Own Home takes you inside a reader-owned property to ask how much they paid, why they decided to buy and what they have done with it since moving in
Tuleke “Tilek” Djaichiev, a Dubai expat from Kyrgyzstan, has been in the UAE 15 years and laid down roots here not only by buying a property but also opening his own business.
Despite working in the real estate field, he only bought his first property here three years ago, an off-plan three-bedroom apartment in a new development called Luma22 by TownX.
Since moving in, he's not even thought about living anywhere else, as he quickly settled in.
The National takes a look around.
Please tell us about your home.
It’s a three-bedroom apartment and all the bedrooms have their own shower room and toilet. I have a guest toilet as well, so four bathrooms overall.
The layout and quality are very nice. The kitchen is well equipped. The apartment has one balcony.
I live here by myself, but my wife and children come during school holidays, like four or five times a year.
Size-wise it’s perfect for me.
What renovations have you done?
None, because the building is still new. I've done my furnishing only.
How would you describe your interior design style?
I would describe this as very modern. The interior design is very simple, but it’s good quality. The kitchen is equipped with Siemens equipment. I really like my kitchen.
I like all the building materials they’ve used from the developer. It’s very minimalistic and good quality, very bright with high ceilings. It’s about 3.3 metres to the ceiling, which is what I love about the layout.
How much did you buy your property for?
I got it for Dh1.6 million ($436,000) total. Right now I think it’s about Dh2.4 million to Dh2.5 million.
Why did you decide to buy three years ago?
I spent a long time renting properties and then I realised it’s better to own a house. My business was doing well and I was thinking to buy through a mortgage, but since I had cash in my hand, I decided to buy it off-plan and covered the cost.
Why did you choose this neighbourhood?
I like JVC because of the location and this building because I like the developer. The location first, the developer second.
It’s very central, close to shopping malls like Mall of the Emirates and Dubai Mall, and you can go easily through to Al Khail Road. If you want to go to Palm Jumeirah or you want to go to Dubai Marina, you can easily get on to Hessa Street. It’s very convenient for me.
It’s very rare I go out to the parks or for walks – I’m usually coming by car. I’m about 10 to 15 minutes away from my workplace in Media City, even with traffic. With no traffic, it takes only nine minutes.
What facilities do you have?
In my building there are two swimming pools – one for ladies and a communal one. We also have two gyms, well equipped with TechnoGym equipment, which I like. Again, it’s separate for ladies and one for men − which both women and men can use. I had never heard about other developers doing separate facilities for men and women in Dubai.
How long do you plan to stay in this property?
I'm planning to stay as long as I can. I’m planning to stay in Dubai for as long as I have a job here.
I don't know if I will find some other property to move to. I'm very happy to stay here. I haven’t even thought about it.
For me, most important is the quality of the building and the layout of the property. I know there are so many areas in Dubai, maybe better than JVC, but I cannot find buildings in those areas with the same size properties and layouts for the same price.
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SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2014%20PRO%20MAX
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Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
Company%20profile
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Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Points classification after Stage 4
1. Arnaud Demare (France / FDJ) 124
2. Marcel Kittel (Germany / Quick-Step) 81
3. Michael Matthews (Australia / Sunweb) 66
4. Andre Greipel (Germany / Lotto) 63
5. Alexander Kristoff (Norway / Katusha) 43
ILT20%20UAE%20stars
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Rock in a Hard Place: Music and Mayhem in the Middle East
Orlando Crowcroft
Zed Books
Company profile
Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space
Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)
Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)
Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution)
Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space
Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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