Dubai stands out as the true city of expats, and the changes introduced since 2023 have opened up even more opportunities. Let's take a look at what it’s really like living in Dubai.
A new life in Dubai could well be one of the most exciting experiences you’ll ever enjoy. However, living in Dubai like any new country can be daunting, especially if you lack practical knowledge of how things are done locally.
In 2023 the UAE and Dubai, in particular, introduced exciting changes aimed at expat residents. We’re going to take a look at the pros and cons of living in Dubai, with practical tips on residency, taxes, education, health and plenty more, including the recent changes.
With our Dubai tips and you will know what to expect, so you can plan beforehand and make the very most of everything that the Dubai lifestyle has to offer.
Living in Dubai – the pros and cons that might surprise you
Like any other place in the world, Dubai has a lot going for it as well as some major drawbacks. When moving to a new place it is essential you know what both bad and good things you can expect from your new home.
The pros of living in Dubai
Dubai is an exciting and happening destination that cannot be ignored! It is, therefore, the place to be if you want to enjoy your social life and your working life in the fast lane.
The climate in the emirate for 8 months of the year is perfect. Long hot days are dominated by cloudless blue skies and enhanced with beautiful warm seawaters.
The social side of life is fantastic and diverse. Many expats join a hotel or private beach club when they arrive and spend much of their downtime enjoying the facilities.
There are more sports and sports clubs closely concentrated together within the emirate than anywhere else in the world!
Dining out is exceptional. Dubai’s bars, clubs and restaurants play host to as wide a range of tastes as is probably possible!
The cons of living in Dubai
Dubai is a bit of a bureaucratic headache, especially for newly arrived expatriates who have to have licenses and permits for everything. You need a permit to work and a permit to reside in Dubai of course. Get advice and assistance supplied and agreed on upfront from your employer to ease this initial period of adjustment that can actually put some people off staying in the emirate!
The summer months from June to September are almost unbearably hot and many expats take holiday time off during this period to return home. It can make it worse if you have children as for most of the day they will really need to stay indoors in air-conditioned rooms.
The traffic situation in Dubai can be untenable and impact on the lives of those who have to commute or take children to school etc. The government’s programme of investment into public transport systems is easing the problem, but if you want to take a drive in Dubai, it can become a lengthy journey.
Things to know before you move to Dubai
Dubai is one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is also the name of the main city within the emirate of Dubai.
Dubai’s wealth has been built on its oil industry, but it has successfully diversified its economy so that today it has multiple strands supporting its fiscal strength – including tourism, real estate, financial services, health and education.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum is the ruler of Dubai, and together with Abu Dhabi, the emirate has veto power over certain matters of national importance in the country’s legislature.
As a result of this, foreign buyers are allowed to own the freehold title to certain properties in Dubai for example – this is not the case in all other emirates within the UAE.
Dubai has become an exceptionally popular choice for relocation with expatriates for a number of key reasons.
Firstly, despite the emirate’s economic contraction which hit the world in 2008, Dubai now is still a boo-ming economy where there was an abundance of employment prospects, and opportunity for strong speculation in the local property market abounded.
The other key reason why living in Dubai is so appealing to expats is because the lifestyle locally is exce-ptionally good, particularly for Western expats who benefit from a largely excellent climate, wonderful leisure facilities, a relatively laid back pace of life and good education and healthcare standards.
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