If you are looking for a vastu consultant GCC residents can reach without travelling, an online consultation works like this: you send a floor plan, a compass reading and photos of your villa or apartment, and we review the layout together on a video call. Afterwards you receive written, practical suggestions on placement and room use.
I'm Dr S Pujah, and I work with clients in person in Dubai, and online across the GCC, Abu Dhabi and Singapore. Most of the people who write to me from Riyadh, Doha, Muscat, Kuwait City or Manama ask the same thing first: can vastu really be done without someone walking through the house? In my experience it can, provided the information you send is accurate and the conversation is unhurried.
Why an online consultation suits homes in the Gulf
Vastu is a traditional Indian practice concerned with direction, proportion and the way a space is used. Almost everything it looks at can be read from a scaled drawing and a reliable north point: where the entrance sits, which rooms occupy which zones, where the kitchen, bedrooms and water areas fall.
Homes in this region also share features that make remote work straightforward. Villas in gated communities usually come with developer floor plans. Apartments in towers have standard layouts that the building management can often supply. With those documents and a set of clear photos, I can see your home in more detail than a quick walk-through would give me.
Working online has one more quiet advantage. You are the one holding the camera, so you notice your own home as you show it to me, and that attention is often where good changes begin.
What a vastu consultant GCC clients work with online will ask you to send
Before we speak, I ask for three things. None of them needs special equipment.
- A floor plan. The developer's or landlord's drawing is ideal. If you do not have one, a neat hand sketch with approximate measurements for each room works well. For a villa, include every floor and the plot outline with the garden, parking and any outbuildings.
- A compass reading. I need to know which way the main door faces and where north falls on the plan. The next section explains how to take it.
- Photos or a short video. One wide photo from each corner of every room, plus the entrance from outside and inside, the kitchen counter and hob, the beds, and your desk if you work from home.
I also ask a few simple questions: who lives in the home, how each room is used at the moment, whether you own or rent, and what prompted you to get in touch. The last answer shapes the whole session.
How to take a compass reading you can rely on
The compass reading is the one piece people worry about, and it is easier than it sounds.
- Use a phone compass app or a simple hand compass. Calibrate the phone first by moving it in a figure of eight.
- Stand inside the home at the main door, facing out, with the phone flat in your palm.
- Step away from metal door frames, lifts, cars and large appliances, which can pull the needle.
- Note the degree reading, then repeat it at two other spots, such as the centre of the living room and a balcony or garden.
- Send me all three numbers. If they roughly agree, we have a dependable direction.
A screenshot of your building on a satellite map is a helpful cross-check, especially in towers where steel can affect a compass.
What the session covers for villas
A villa gives us more to look at, because the plot matters as much as the building. In a villa session we usually go through:
- the shape of the plot and where the house sits within it
- the main gate and the front door, and how you actually arrive home each day
- the garden, pool, water features and outdoor seating
- the majlis or formal living room, and the family living area
- the kitchen, including any outdoor or second kitchen
- bedrooms on each floor, with attention to where each person sleeps
- staff rooms, storage, the garage and the roof
- a study, prayer or meditation space if you have or want one
Many families here live in villas they rent or in communities with strict rules on external changes. I keep that in mind. Most of what I suggest involves how rooms are assigned, where furniture faces, what is stored where, and how light and movement flow through the house.
What the session covers for apartments
In an apartment the structure is fixed, so the work becomes more precise. We look at:
- the direction of the entrance door and what you see as you step in
- the position of the kitchen and the direction you face while cooking
- the placement of beds and the direction of the head while sleeping
- desk position if you work or study at home
- balconies, large glazed walls and the strong afternoon sun many west-facing flats receive
- bathrooms, laundry areas and storage
- the centre of the home, which tradition prefers to keep open and uncluttered
I am often asked whether a flat that does not match the classical ideal is a problem. I do not see it that way. Vastu is a set of principles for arranging a space thoughtfully, and every home has room for sensible adjustment within its walls.
What you receive afterwards
After the call I send a written summary so nothing depends on memory. It normally includes:
- your floor plan marked with the directions and zones we discussed
- a room-by-room list of suggestions, in order of priority
- notes on colours, lighting and materials where they are relevant
- simple routines for the home, such as keeping the entrance clear or airing certain rooms in the morning
- a short list of things that are fine as they are, which people find just as useful
I want to be plain about what this is. Vastu is a tradition and a reflective practice about space, placement and routine. I offer it as a way to make a home feel more ordered and comfortable to live in. I do not promise particular results in finances, relationships or any other area of life, and I would be cautious of anyone who does.
How to prepare, and questions worth asking
A little preparation makes the conversation far richer. Before the session:
- Walk through your home slowly and note where you feel settled and where you tend not to linger.
- Write down the two or three changes you are already considering, such as swapping bedrooms or setting up a home office.
- Check what your tenancy or community rules allow, so we stay within them.
- Choose a time when you can move around the home with your camera in daylight.
It is also reasonable to ask any consultant a few direct questions before you commit:
- What exactly do you need from me, and in what format?
- Will I receive written recommendations, and can I ask follow-up questions?
- Do your suggestions respect a rented home and a realistic budget?
- How do you handle a layout that cannot be changed?
Clear answers to these tell you a great deal about how someone works.
Your next step
From Dubai I meet clients face to face; everywhere else in the GCC, including Abu Dhabi, and in Singapore, we meet online. If you would like me to look at your villa or apartment, gather your floor plan and compass reading and book an online vastu consultation for your home. I will let you know if I need anything further before we speak.