Making friends in Dubai in summer is harder than at any other time of year, not because the city is quiet, but because your existing circle probably isn't in it. June to September is when most residents fly home, and a friend group that carried you through winter can shrink to two or three people almost overnight.

Residents who stay tend to build new circles rather than wait for the old one to come back:

• Smaller, recurring meetups (a weekly padel game, a Pilates class, a Sunday brunch table) work better than one-off events in summer, because they build familiarity over weeks
• Community spaces, from co-working lounges to members' communities, are often busiest in summer precisely because everyone there has chosen to stay
• Interest-based groups, run clubs, book clubs, early hiking meetups, tend to see a summer bump as people look for a reason to leave the house
• Saying yes to plans with acquaintances rather than waiting for closer friends to be free is the fastest way to widen a thin summer circle

Summer rewards people who treat it as a reset rather than a gap in their social life. The people you meet at a quiet Tuesday padel session or a summer pop-up often become closer friends once Dubai fills back up in October, simply because you had more room and less competition for their time.

The Endless Club runs community events through the summer months for exactly this reason, giving residents a reliable, recurring reason to get out and meet people while the city is quieter. See what's on at The Endless Club.