Money matters: A costly affair

Students at Dubai Inter-national Academic City (DIAC) say they think twice before buying something to eat or drink because the prices are too high.

Soft drinks, for instance, are charged double – Dh2 – at 24 Seven, the only grocery shop there, while a vegetable samosa costs three times its usual Dh1 price. A comb sells for Dh60. Meanwhile, value meals, such as a pizza with a side order and a soft drink, average around Dh30 at DIAC, while regular coffee goes for Dh13.

"It’s deplorable that there aren’t many stores or food outlets in Academic City. Students have no choice but to purchase items from the only store there. We can’t afford to pay such high prices," said a student, requesting anonymity.

Over 8,000 students study at the 25-million-square-feet-DIAC campus, built in the desert around the Dubai-Al Ain Road.

Abhishek Padhi, 21, said he sometimes drives to Dubai Outlet Mall for lunch. "A spaghetti plate here [DIAC] is almost Dh20. We don’t have time to drive around for a reasonably priced meal. We can’t live on vending machines."

Alefiyah Hussain, an undergraduate, said, "Not everyone is rich – businessmen should understand that. But they just want to take advantage of the situation and squeeze us."