Long-time UAE residents struggle with health and financial challenges while prioritising their daughter’s education.
Dubai: A long-time expatriate family in Dubai is appealing for support to help their daughter continue her education in the UAE while also seeking employment opportunities to regain financial stability during a difficult period marked by serious health challenges.
At the heart of the family’s concerns is their daughter’s education. She is currently sitting for her GCSE examinations in Dubai and hopes to continue her A-level studies in the emirate before pursuing university opportunities through scholarships.
The family said their daughter has consistently excelled academically without private tutoring or outside assistance and has always dreamed of graduating in Dubai. Ensuring she can continue her education locally remains their highest priority.
“We hope to find guidance and assistance during this very difficult period for our family and our daughter’s future,” the family said.
Health challenges and financial strain
Arun Kumar Narayan, an Indian national, first moved to the Gulf in 1995 and spent nearly three decades working with a multinational retail franchise operator, eventually rising to the position of director of internal audit.
His wife, a French national, also worked for the same company, serving as a regional operations manager.
However, when the pandemic struck in 2020, she was made redundant. In 2024, Arun Kumar Narayan also lost his job as part of the same economic fallout.
As the family struggled to adjust to life without a stable income, they faced another major setback. In June 2025, Narayan was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer that had spread to the lymph nodes, and he is currently undergoing androgen deprivation therapy.
Narayan’s former employer initially extended his medical insurance coverage after his redundancy and later renewed it through September this year. The renewal reportedly cost Dh35,000 due to the high expenses associated with cancer treatment.
The family said medical expenses, combined with school fees, rent, and everyday living costs, are currently being covered through savings and end-of-service benefits, which are steadily being depleted to meet essential needs.
‘Dubai has been our home’
The family stressed that the United Arab Emirates has played a defining role in their lives for more than two decades, shaping both their personal and professional journey.
“Dubai has been our home for more than 20 years. We met here, worked here, built our life here, and welcomed our daughter here,” the family said.
Despite the many challenges they have faced over the years, they said they have always viewed the UAE as their long-term home.
“This city has given us so much and will always remain close to our hearts,” the family said.
For now, their primary focus remains securing support for their daughter’s education, maintaining ongoing medical treatment, and finding employment opportunities that would allow them to continue building their lives in the United Arab Emirates they call home.
