The Unity Island in Dubai
The value of live human interaction is paramount for all of us. People who find themselves far from home feel an especially acute need for support, understanding and a sense of belonging. The community in Dubai, founded by Gulya Salikhova, Katya Lebedeva and Masha Kravtsova, has become a true home for Russian-speaking expats. It is a space where everyone can find friends, support and opportunities for self-development. The creators of Bluewaters Community share how initiative and caring can change the lives of individuals and an entire community.
Gulya: Dubai is a city I've seen develop for over 15 years. I remember when the Blue Waters area was being built — huge barges dumping sand to form a new artificial island. I watched the assembly of the famous observation wheel — first the supporting structures appeared, then they were gradually removed, revealing the graceful silhouette of the attraction. It was a mesmerising spectacle.
Katya: My journey in Dubai began in 2021. I had given birth, and my baby was only 3 months old when we moved. My husband and I decided to try living here for the winter — the climate is milder, more comfortable for the little one. My spouse had just opened a branch of his real estate agency in Dubai. Business went unexpectedly well, even better than we anticipated. Oleg managed to carve out his niche before the mass influx of Russians in 2022, which gave the business a noticeable advantage.
Masha: Our family ended up in Dubai in the stream of mass emigration from Russia. We chose the Blue Waters area — it seemed like the ideal place to live. Beautiful, comfortable, with developed infrastructure. At that time, we didn't yet know that such a wonderful community of compatriots would form here.
Gulya: When sales of properties on Blue Waters began, our family was immediately interested in this area. We looked at options and chose a flat. We moved in that September — among the first residents of the new island. I remember the feeling of being pioneers, surrounded by much still under construction, but already sensing the energy of a nascent community.
Katya: Blue Waters attracted us with its atmosphere. It was an already formed place, but not yet overcrowded. We guessed that Russian-speaking families lived here, but the massive community that later developed had not yet taken shape. The area seemed perfect for living with a small child — lots of greenery, playgrounds, proximity to the sea.
Masha: Before moving to Dubai, my life was completely different. I'm a petroleum engineer by training, and 10 years ago I finished my career as a director of a drill bit department. It was a purely male environment where I had to exhibit very different qualities. Now, looking back, I realise how important this step was for me — to leave entrepreneurship, stop competing with men and turn to my feminine side. The decision to leave the oil business was a turning point. It was a serious move — leaving a successful career and stable income. But I felt I wanted to develop in a different direction and devote more time to family.
Gulya: I recall a moment from my youth, when the main factory in our town burned down. I was 18, and suddenly realised that now I would have to take care of my family myself and pay for my sister's education. It was a moment of growing up, when I understood: now everything depends on me. Since then, I've gone through a long transformative journey to become who I am now. I'm engaged in community development, and a large part of my life is dedicated to sports. I'm passionate about triathlon, participating in Ironman competitions. These are extremely challenging events, involving swimming, cycling and a marathon run. “Half Ironmans” are held in Dubai, but I've also managed to complete the full distance. All this between giving birth and breastfeeding children, of which I have four — life doesn't stand still. Our hobby grew into a business. My husband and his partner founded the company Ilovesupersport, Dubai.
Katya: Our community began with a simple neighbours' chat. Gradually, we realised there was great demand for organising social life on the island. This became especially noticeable from February 2022, when the mass influx of Russian speakers to Dubai began. Whereas previously one or two people were added to the chat per week, now it was 5-10 daily. It became clear that people needed something more than just a channel for exchanging information.
Masha: Gulya played a key role in establishing our community. She had already lived in Dubai for 15 years and knew the answers to all questions — from where to buy nappies to the nuances of renting a car. For new expats arriving with a heap of questions and requests, she became a real treasure trove of information and support. If she didn't know the answer to a question, she knew where to ask.
Gulya: Gradually our neighbours' chat grew into something more. We started organising meetups, events, helping each other with everyday issues. A special atmosphere of mutual assistance and friendliness was forming. This was important for all of us — to create a cosy "bubble" in a foreign country where you can feel at home.
Katya: The philosophy of our community is uniting people, creating a friendly atmosphere, filling life with bright events. We strive to make the everyday lives of our compatriots a little happier. We don't have strict restrictions for joining, but life in Dubai itself implies a certain social status. Most participants are settled family people, accomplished professionals, often with children.
Masha: Initially, our community was predominantly female, but over time it became more family oriented. Now we have many male participants. We don't position ourselves as a business community, but rather as a platform for socialising, mutual assistance and shared leisure.
Gulya: The first major event we organised happened spontaneously. It was a children's Halloween celebration. When we opened registration, we unexpectedly gathered nearly 100 kids. It was a real challenge — to organise such a large-scale event with just Katya and me, without experience or a team. But we had a great idea and understanding of why we were doing it.
Katya: That's when the idea was born not just to arrange a traditional "trick-or-treat", but to create a real quest. We came up with a concept: 10 letters in the name Blue Waters — 10 buildings on the island. In each building — a coordinator with a task and a letter. The children split into 10 teams, collecting letters and ultimately spelling out the name of our area. It turned out to be very engaging.
Masha: This first experience showed us how great the demand is for such events. People were grateful for the opportunity to spend time with family, meet neighbours, and feel part of a community. We realised we were moving in the right direction.
Gulya: Now our activities cover many areas. We hold sports events — children's football and gymnastics, and adult group workouts. We organise cultural happenings: lectures, workshops, excursions. We arrange family celebrations and themed parties.
Katya: One of the most popular activities is offsite events. For example, we recently organised a family hiking trip in which almost 50 people took part. It was an incredible adventure: whole families set off to conquer mountain trails, enjoying nature and companionship.
Gulya: We're also developing collaborations with other companies. For instance, together with a bicycle shop, we launched weekly family bike rides. Every Sunday morning, we gather in a big group, ride, and then have breakfast together. It's a great way to start the day actively and in good company.
Masha: An important part of our work is advertising promotion for Russian-language businesses in Dubai. We cooperate with clinics, beauty salons, and restaurants. These are full-fledged advertising integrations that help our compatriots develop their business in a new country.
Katya: During the existence of our community, we've undergone a real transformation. From a small neighbourhood circle, we've grown into a full-fledged officially registered company. Now we have the opportunity to work at a higher level, attract partners, expand our geographical scope.
Masha: We consider one of our main achievements to be the target audience we've managed to gather. These are people with above-average income, who are active and open to new things. Thanks to communicating via WhatsApp, we have direct contact with each participant, which is highly valued by advertisers.
At the same time, we adhere to an important principle when working with partners — careful selection. We are very attentive in choosing companies to collaborate with, to be sure that their values and philosophy resonate with ours. It is critically important for us that our events and advertising campaigns are not only effective from a business point of view, but also carry a positive, inspiring message.
That is why we refuse to cooperate with those who do not share our principles. We are not willing to advertise or promote anything that does not meet our standards of quality and value. We strive to maintain the integrity of our community and prevent anything that could destroy it.
Gulya: Of course, difficulties arise in our work. The main one is bureaucracy. In Dubai, you need to get permission for every event, fill out many documents. Sometimes it turns into a real quest — for example, when the day before an event there are still no necessary papers, and 75 children have registered for the celebration. But we've learned to cope.
Katya: We're learning to overcome these challenges. The key is not to lose enthusiasm and remember why we're doing all this. When you see the happy faces of people at our events, you realise that all the efforts are not in vain.
Masha: Another difficulty is the need to constantly generate new ideas to maintain an atmosphere of intrigue and the audience's unwavering interest. We try to keep abreast of the latest trends, listen to the wishes of participants, experiment with formats.
Gulya: I want to separately talk about the atmosphere that reigns in our community. Social boundaries are erased here.
Katya: It's truly amazing how open and humane communication can be when people are not trying to demonstrate their status. We meet at our events as ordinary people, discussing ordinary topics without judgmental statements.
Masha: Such an atmosphere is very valuable. It allows you to build sincere relationships and find real friends. In Dubai, where many arrive without an established social circle, this is especially important.
Gulya: I remember a case that vividly illustrates the spirit of our community. It was right at the beginning of a difficult time for many. One girl wrote in the chat that she couldn't cope with it alone and asked for support. Literally within five minutes, several people came out to her on the lawn with blankets and tea. We sat and talked to each other. It was a very important moment when we all felt the value of our unity.
Katya: Dubai really has an amazing ability to unite people and erase boundaries. Here it doesn't matter where you came from or what political views you share. What matters is what kind of person you are here and now.
Masha: In our community, there is an unspoken rule: we don't discuss politics, religion, controversial topics like vaccination. This helps avoid conflicts and focus on what unites us, not divides us.
Gulya: If someone still tries to start an argument on a hot topic, we simply close comments for a day. Let people cool down, think. And if someone constantly violates the rules — we have to exclude them from the chat. But that rarely happens.
Katya: Now that our community has grown and strengthened, people come to us from other areas of Dubai. We already have an audience ready to travel to us from different parts of the city.
Masha: In addition, we're opening a branch in Moscow. It will be BluWaters Moscow People — a community built on the same principles as our Dubai one. We want to create a space where people can find support, interesting leisure and opportunities for development. This is especially relevant for those who have returned to Russia after living abroad and are looking for like-minded people.
Gulya: The new season promises to be eventful. We're launching several new areas, attracting interesting experts. For example, we plan to develop a philosophical direction. We already have a book club and intend to hold deeper educational events. At the same time, we will preserve the formats everyone loves — family celebrations, sports events, creative workshops.
Katya: One of our main goals is to make the lives of community members a little happier. We strive to create moments of joy, give people the opportunity to feel part of a big, friendly family. This is especially important in a foreign country, where many feel lonely.
Masha: For me, as a person responsible for business processes, it's a great incentive to see how our project is growing and developing. We started practically from scratch, investing our own funds. Now we have a stable income that allows us not only to recoup costs, but also to plan further development.
Gulya: I am most inspired by people. When I see how, thanks to our efforts, someone has found friends, taken up a new hobby or just started smiling more often — it gives an incredible boost of energy. It's worth overcoming all difficulties for the sake of such moments.
Katya: The feeling that you can positively influence other people's lives is an incredibly powerful stimulus. When people approach us with gratitude after an event, share their impressions, you realise that it's all worthwhile. We strive to give people such moments of happiness. Connect them, inspire them, brighten their lives away from home. Carpe diem, seize the moment — this is what we preach not only in words, but also in deeds.
Gulya: Our motto and life credo is "happinow". There's no need to dwell on the past or worry too much about the future. Value the instant when a child runs to you with a hug, when friends gather around the table, when the sun is reflected in the sea — this is happiness, here and now. And in the meantime, we continue to work, create, build. After all, each day is a new opportunity to make someone happier.
Masha: It's interesting how sometimes random decisions can completely change your life. This once again confirms how important it is to be open to new things, not be afraid to take risks. The stronger the community, the easier it is for everyone to cope with difficulties and find like-minded people. I'm sure we can make the lives of Russians in Dubai and Moscow a little brighter, more interesting and pleasant. This is our common mission.
