It is open for visitors to read, write, paint, or engage in any other activity they like. They can even just talk to random people.
This Sunday, September 22, Dubai is going to have its first meetup without a phone. Visitors will be encouraged to disconnect from their phones and reestablish relationships with people in a non-digital setting by turning a Jumeirah café into a no-device zone.
Offline Club, a thriving offline community movement from The Netherlands, has teamed up with Seva Café to offer its concept of a digital detox to Dubai.Phones would be checked when entering the café and returned only at the conclusion of the visit. Visitors are free to read a book, paint, write, or engage in any other activity they prefer without being interrupted by digital devices. They can even just start a conversation with a complete stranger.
There will be time for solo involvement during the first portion of the meetup, which will be followed by an engaging social session and a sound healing session in the café garden.
One of The Offline Club’s co-founders, Andrea Stefanelli, told Khaleej Times that the evening will be “unique, where individuals can go back in time and experience the simple pleasure of being fully present – no phones, no screens, just excellent company and a relaxing setting.”
First hangout without a phone
The club held its first gathering of this kind in February 2024, some seven months ago, at an Amsterdam café, and it quickly became very popular.
Strangely enough, though, it was their Instagram reel that gained widespread attention, and the club’s founders received a ton of requests to hold these gatherings all over the world. Visitors in the offline conference were seen journaling, knitting, and doodling in the reel that received one million likes. This picture provided a glimpse into a much-needed haven for people to undergo a digital detox from the virtual world in today’s tech-heavy society.
The way people now interact with their phones has a lot of drawbacks, and we aim to change that. The group wants to have an international impact because everyone has too much screen time, according to Stefanelli, a resident of Dubai who attended a conference in Utrecht in May 2024 and became so enthused about the subject that he joined the team as an organizer.
He went on, “Dubai’s inhabitants feel the need to unplug and recharge because the city is extremely connected and has a fast-paced lifestyle. And Dubai residents may also learn about the benefits of living offline thanks to this innovative program.
expansion of movement offline
The offline movement has expanded to London, Aarhus, Milan, Paris, and Barcelona in addition to Dubai and the Netherlands.
It should be noted that the club’s three late-20th-century founders were raised in the digital age. One of the club’s co-founders, 28-year-old Dutch Jordy Van Bennekom, spent a weekend away from technology in a home in the Netherlands that was surrounded by nature in the summer of 2021, which is when the club’s idea was first planted.
