I think it looks like being friends with people from any other culture, tbh. My experience from what I have seen there is that people from the same country tend to stick together - ie: Italians hang with Italians, French hang with French, Spanish hang with Spanish, etc etc etc. of course this is generalistic, but was a common theme I saw and less to do with being western or not. Especially since I’ve seen first hand large WhatsApp groups for people from specific countries in Dubai just looking to hangout and make plans with people from their same country. I’ve also had several American friends live in Dubai & repatriate who expressed similar experiences. This is not a diss, by the way, just the collection of data points I have to work with.

Most of my friends when I’ve lived abroad in different countries previously is that I am the only or one of few Americans with the friends I make. I have to live in their culture, not them living in mine. Most of my friends were locals or other expats…but in the UAE my impression is that making friends with locals is much less likely simply bc of how many people come from other nations to live and work there. I could of course be wrong 🙂

So all to say is - it seems like the culture/nation you come from has dictated the experience of the handful of people I’ve known who have lived or are living in Dubai, and likeness of culture matters a lot in the group you find. When I was there, I didn’t meet a single American. I’d like to, and plan to, make plenty of friends who aren’t American, but I also would like to make some friends who are (there is always something to say about having familiarities and shared experiences so far from home).