With summer holidays in full swing, community management bodies in the UAE are advising residents and expats heading on vacation to take important safety measures before leaving.
Emaar, a prominent community management entity, has issued a circular detailing essential home security tips for travelers. They have also placed boards at community entrance gates outlining key dos and don’ts.
Springs resident Arijit Nandi emphasized the importance of precautions: “Ideally, if someone stays back that is best, but that can not always happen. I also feel that if the house is empty, one light should be kept on and the locks need to be checked thoroughly. Particularly, the doors of the backyard must be locked and residents should ensure that there are no water leakages. It is always wise to keep an extra pair of keys with someone staying back in the Emirate. In case of an emergency related to your unit, when you are out of the country, then that person can come and open your apartment or villa.”
Nandi recounted an incident from a few years ago when his two cars parked in the home garage were damaged while he was on vacation. “We have open car ports and upon our return from a long vacation, we realised that someone had accidentally hit our cars while reversing. But the compound’s security personnel could not get in touch with us because they did not have our phone numbers. Therefore, I now prefer informing our neighbours while away, so that they can keep an eye out and get in touch with us in case of emergencies.”
Authorities have warned against sharing travel details and photos on social media, highlighting cases where residents were robbed after posting their travel plans online. In March 2024, an Irish family experienced a burglary at their villa in Al Furjan while they were away.
Nandi prefers sharing travel photos privately: “Irrespective of whether pictures are gram-worthy or not, we prefer sharing it with our family and friends on WhatsApp only, particularly when we are travelling. I don’t feel the need to become obsessed about everything looking like a Pinterest mood board.” He added, “Many social media platforms allow you to tag your location when you post a photo and people often do it. But this reveals your current whereabouts, indicating that you are away from home. I would not want to take that risk, no matter how safe the city or neighbourhood is.”
Other residents, like Filipino expat Felizze Faye Navarro, use Instagram’s close friends feature to limit who sees their updates. “I ensure my privacy settings are configured to limit who can see my posts. People must consider making their profile private. I refrain from mentioning exact travel dates or specific locations that could indicate my absence. We also try and implement security measures at home, such as asking a trusted relative or neighbour to keep an eye on our property and using smart home security systems like cameras.”
Syrian expat Leen Haffar, who lives in Business Bay, said, “Although I live in an apartment and the building has security cameras, as a rule, I always post pictures on Instagram only once I am back from a trip. Dubai is a very safe city but stray incidents can happen. It’s better to be safe than sorry.” Regular posting from a different location can create a pattern that indicates one is not at home, which could be exploited by individuals with malicious intent.
Al Ghadeer resident Shylou Canuel Lim shared a balanced approach: “I do post photos of me and my family while we are away on vacation but provide minimal information such as location and duration and don’t mention when I will be coming back home for multiple reasons. Even though there have been burglary incidents in the past, I always ensure that I do what I need to do to ensure the security of my house and belongings.” She ensures her home security cameras are working properly and all doors and windows are locked.
Meanwhile, JLT resident Neenu Kamarudin does not refrain from posting in real time. “I don’t refrain from posting at all because I am quite active on socials. Wherever I travel I keep posting; my pictures go up in real time. The question about security did not really cross my mind purely because in the UAE you feel safe and also because I live high up on the 14th floor.” She emphasized that sharing her travel experiences is essential for connecting with her audience and motivating single moms like herself.
As residents prepare for their vacations, taking these precautions can help ensure the safety of their homes and personal belongings.