As temperatures in Dubai reach 45°C and the Gulf air thickens with humidity, a subtle migration begins:
London. The capital reaches its peak each summer, not just with blooming gardens and longer days, but with traditions dating back centuries. The period from May through August — historically called "the Season" — now celebrates everything from Wimbledon's strawberries and cream to Royal Ascot's pageantry, and the Chelsea Flower Show's horticultural splendour.
For Emiratis and Dubai expatriates, London is more than a pleasant escape — it continues a longstanding connection. Over 240,000 British nationals now live in Dubai, while UAE nationals remain significant investors in London’s property market. In 2024, they were among the top three foreign nationalities purchasing real estate in central London, with investment levels remaining substantial across the city’s high-end neighbourhoods.
This relationship between Dubai and London is deeper than seasonal travel, based on educational ties and business networks that continue to connect the two cities across continents.
The Sporting Calendar
For generations, the English summer has been marked by the satisfying thwack of ball against racquet and the thunder of hooves on turf. Wimbledon remains one of the season’s defining highlights. The All England Club still requires players to dress in white, spectators still queue overnight for ground passes, and Centre Court still falls silent for the occasional gasp or polite applause.
Dubai's tennis goers find particular resonance here. The emirate hosts its own championship each February, but Wimbledon offers something different entirely – tradition in strawberries, Pimm's, and the distinct possibility of summer rain. Debenture tickets sell for eye-watering prices. Gulf visitors typically book the hospitality packages that promise both champagne and somewhere dry to sit if the occasional summer shower arrives.
Royal Ascot presents perhaps the most cultural spectacle of the season. The five-day event maintains its royal procession each afternoon – carriages rolling along the straight mile before racing begins. The dress code remains gloriously faithful to tradition with morning suits and top hats in the Royal Enclosure, and many Dubai residents securing badges through business connections or long-standing membership applications.
Racing purists often slip away from Ascot's social whirl to Newmarket's July Meeting. There's less champagne but more serious horseflesh – the kind that has Gulf connections flying in quietly for bloodstock possibilities rather than photo opportunities. The Jockey Club Rooms, with its portraits of centuries of racing legends, occasionally bends its members-only rules for established Emirates connections.
Less formal but equally significant is Henley Royal Regatta, which takes place each July along the Thames. It's not really about the racing — it's about being seen on the right stretch of river at exactly the right moment. Old boys turn up in blazers that haven't seen daylight since last summer, women navigate the grass in heels, and everyone watches as crews power past. The Stewards' Enclosure rules haven't budged in decades — ladies still can't wear trousers, and men swelter in mandatory jackets despite the heat — creating an atmosphere where time seems wonderfully suspended.
Cultural Highlights
The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition has run since 1769, showcasing works from upcoming artists alongside Royal Academicians. Its distinctive salon-style hanging paintings, stacked sometimes three or four high, create a visual feast that rewards repeated visits. Opening night has become a fixture for art collectors from the UAE, many of whom maintain London apartments specifically for such events.
The musical highlight undoubtedly comes with the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall. The eight-week festival has everything from massive symphonic works to intimate chamber performances. The Last Night's flag-waving and patriotic singing might look ridiculous on paper, but there's something oddly moving about watching Dubai financiers join in with 'Rule, Britannia!' after a summer immersed in London life. Beyond this finale, the programme embraces global influences that reflect the city's international character.
Christie's and Sotheby's conduct their most important business long before auction day. UAE collectors receive discreet calls about private viewings, sometimes in their hotel suites, where art worth millions changes hands with nothing more than a nod. These relationships bypass the performance of public bidding entirely.
Opera connoisseurs skip the tourist-filled Covent Garden in summer, heading instead to Glyndebourne. Performances begin late afternoon, breaking for the famous extended interval where everyone picnics in gardens that seem impossibly perfect. Black tie remains standard despite occasionally muddy conditions. Season memberships remain one of the surest ways to access performances that often sell out months in advance.
Outdoor Life
Perhaps nothing captures the essence of the English summer better than its gardens and outdoor spaces. The RHS Chelsea Flower Show begins the season each May, transforming the Royal Hospital grounds into a horticultural wonderland. Beyond the show gardens that generate headlines, the Great Pavilion houses specialist nurseries displaying plants that would wither within hours in the Gulf climate.
Compared to Dubai’s carefully controlled indoor spaces, London’s green parks feel almost miraculous. Regent's Park Open Air Theatre fills with playgoers clutching picnic blankets and hoping the evening stays dry. Productions pause briefly for summer showers before continuing regardless, creating shared moments of British stoicism that visitors find oddly charming. Hyde Park concerts turn sudden downpours into part of the experience – thousands of ponchos unfurling simultaneously while the music plays on.
Historic London houses open their gardens for summer parties that never appear in event listings. An invitation to Spencer House or Marlborough House carries weight beyond the evening itself. These gatherings – where you might find Emirati diplomats discussing art acquisitions with museum trustees - create connections that last well beyond the summer season.
Even the simplicity of outdoor dining becomes a particular pleasure – something rarely possible in Dubai's summer months. Pavement cafés in Marylebone, riverside terraces along the Thames, and rooftop bars with views across the capital fill with visitors embracing temperatures that rarely go above 25°C. These uncomplicated moments – sitting outside with a glass of wine as evening light stretches toward 10pm – represent luxury of a different sort.
A World Behind Doors
London's highest circles don't advertise. The dining rooms of White's and Brooks's clubs sit above St. James's Street like they have for centuries, unchanged and unchanging. Meanwhile, Annabel's has reinvented members-only glamour entirely – the Berkeley Square club's waiting list reportedly stretches years, though certain Emirates numbers seem to bypass this completely.
July in London means maintenance of particular relationships. Tailors on Savile Row block specific weeks for international clients, appointments where fabrics for winter collections are selected without rush. The same pace plays out in other quarters. Bond Street jewellers contact regular clients when exceptional pieces arrive, and certain workshops accept commissions exclusively through personal introduction.
What distinguishes those who truly know London isn't where they're seen but where they're remembered. The Georgian townhouse in Mayfair with only five tables and no phone number. The mews conversion that serves afternoon tea to just a dozen guests daily. The antique dealer who closes to the public two afternoons weekly to show specific pieces to specific visitors.
As London Slows, Dubai Awaits
As London's season winds down and Dubai's temperatures begin their gradual descent, the annual migration reverses. The Knightsbridge houses close their shutters. Farewells exchanged on terraces still warm from the summer sun. The capital's skies darken earlier each evening, painting skylines in colours that Arabian sunsets would recognise. Yet for those who have experienced the season in all its peculiar glory, the memories remain – waiting to be revisited when the Gulf heat rises once more.
