So you’ve made it to Dubai, the land of staggering skyscrapers, superb shopping, and insanely luxurious living. The sunshine is a much-needed improvement from the terrible weather back home, the food is fabulous, your family life is right where you want it to be, and you’re (finally) getting some well-earned respect in your job.

But whether you’re just passing through the emirate, staying for one year or five, for work or for play, one thing is certain: you’re definitely going to run into the legendary expatriate community flooding in from every corner of the planet.

Only in Dubai: An Essential Guide to the Emirate’s Expats is a collection of Dubai’s one-of-a-kind expats: from the classic Jumeirah Janes and prolific Palm Posers to the vaguely lost Third Culture Kids. The Yo-Yo Dieters desperately trying to resist the all-you-can-eat buffets, while the constantly travelling Transients are never around long enough to pull up a pew at sundowners.

You know them. You love them. You see them every day. No Dubai experience is complete without them, and they don’t come like this anywhere else…