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Rest to Resist

Men play cricket on one of the few open spaces in Jumeirah with the Dubai skyline in the backdrop. Sports facilities while in abundance in Dubai are inaccessible to the working class and there are very few open, public spaces for sports which leads to improvised and DIY cricket pitches for a game when the opportunity arises.

Cricket

Men play cricket on one of the few open spaces in Jumeirah with the Dubai skyline in the backdrop. Sports facilities while in abundance in Dubai are inaccessible to the working class and there are very few open, public spaces for sports which leads to improvised and DIY cricket pitches for a game when the opportunity arises.

© Mohamed Somji

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Members of the Balle Balle Dubai dance group perform a bhangra dance in the Al Qudra desert area of Dubai. The group’s members host workshops open to all and every Friday morning in the winter months, they perform new dance routines in different public spaces of Dubai - parking lots, parks and beaches.

Balle Balle Dubai dance

Members of the Balle Balle Dubai dance group perform a bhangra dance in the Al Qudra desert area of Dubai. The group’s members host workshops open to all and every Friday morning in the winter months, they perform new dance routines in different public spaces of Dubai - parking lots, parks and beaches.

© Mohamed Somji

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Young women from the Bohri community play badminton improvised by attaching a net using the lamppost in one of the few public spaces in a park in Deira. The urban park dates back to the late 80s when the area was one of the most affluent and luxurious areas of Dubai.

Badminton

Young women from the Bohri community play badminton improvised by attaching a net using the lamppost in one of the few public spaces in a park in Deira. The urban park dates back to the late 80s when the area was one of the most affluent and luxurious areas of Dubai.

© Mohamed Somji

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One of the handful of spots where people gather unofficially to catch fish off the edge of the Jaddaf creek area.

Fishing at Jaddaf Creek

One of the handful of spots where people gather unofficially to catch fish off the edge of the Jaddaf creek area.

© Mohamed Somji

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The Metro Garden as it is commonly referred to that surrounds the Union Metro station in Deira. One of the few green spaces in Deira, the Metro Garden is a wonderful melange of people from different communities that come to rest, play, worship, meet friends and meet lovers.

Metro Garden

The Metro Garden as it is commonly referred to that surrounds the Union Metro station in Deira. One of the few green spaces in Deira, the Metro Garden is a wonderful melange of people from different communities that come to rest, play, worship, meet friends and meet lovers.

© Mohamed Somji

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An empty patch of land repurposed for improvised sports pitches. In the foreground, men mainly from the African diaspora play football while South Asian community members play cricket in the empty parking lot tarmac.

Football

An empty patch of land repurposed for improvised sports pitches. In the foreground, men mainly from the African diaspora play football while South Asian community members play cricket in the empty parking lot tarmac.

© Mohamed Somji

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An empty parking lot in Sonapur (officially called Muhaisnah) becomes a makeshift cinema/theatre when a group of friends screen music videos that are projected on the side of a bus.

Muhaisnah

An empty parking lot in Sonapur (officially called Muhaisnah) becomes a makeshift cinema/theatre when a group of friends screen music videos that are projected on the side of a bus.

© Mohamed Somji

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In the centre of Deira and minutes away from the Union Metro Station, a large and bustling area that houses recreational activities, independent restaurants and small retail kiosks serve the residents of the area mainly from the Filipino community.

Deira

In the centre of Deira and minutes away from the Union Metro Station, a large and bustling area that houses recreational activities, independent restaurants and small retail kiosks serve the residents of the area mainly from the Filipino community.

© Mohamed Somji

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Owing to the lack of public spaces in some areas, especially dense residential neighborhoods that serve many of the working class communities, its residents improvise to interact and engage with each other like in this instance in Abu Hail.

Abu Hail

Owing to the lack of public spaces in some areas, especially dense residential neighborhoods that serve many of the working class communities, its residents improvise to interact and engage with each other like in this instance in Abu Hail.

© Mohamed Somji

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The Al Ghubaiba area on weekends draws many of the Nepali community who use the public area to congregate and also many dress up for the occasion and make TikTok videos.

Al Ghubaiba area

The Al Ghubaiba area on weekends draws many of the Nepali community who use the public area to congregate and also many dress up for the occasion and make TikTok videos.

© Mohamed Somji

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