Last Updated on March 23, 2024 by Jamie Marshall
If you have just moved to Dubai (or are thinking about moving), there is a lot you will want to know, so here are five fabulous things about Dubai – and five things to be wary of.
Some will apply to you and some may not, as it depends on individual circumstances and family size.
1. You should be able to earn a lot of money in this tax free haven, and save much more than you ever could back home.
Note I say should. Some new arrivals, who have not done their homework beforehand, accept salaries that seem great if they were in their home country, but which don’t work out in Dubai where there are expenses they have not taken into account.
If negotiation is possible, negotiate up when it comes to your salary. Be aware that there is a variation in salary depending on country of origin. The British used to be the most desirable and were offered the highest salaries, but other nationalities, such as Canadians, New Zealanders, and Australians, can do well now if they come to the table with their eyes open.
2. Although temperatures can reach the high 40s celsius day after day in the summer, and is also very humid, most of the time the weather is fabulous.
You might forget how much fun you had during those lovely months of October to April once summer hits, but the cooler months will come as a welcome surprise year after year.
That’s how it has been for me anyway. I rediscover the joys of doing things outdoors as the weather cools down, and it has kept me interested enough to stay here for more than 15 years, even though I originally came for one year.
3. You can easily have a large home, apartment, or villa, with space for all the family and a live-in housekeeper.
Those of us who have come from countries where the housing tends to be on the small and pokey side, will luxuriate in the large, cool rooms available in Dubai. Every space is air-conditioned except the parking levels of buildings and stair wells. If you choose well, you can have space and comfort.
4. You will be able to buy a brand new vehicle with easy repayments.
In fact, most families expect to have two vehicles, at least one of them being a 4×4 (SUV) for transporting kids and shopping.
If you shop sensibly, there are great deals that include 2-5 years of free servicing as part of the purchase price. Some even include insurance for a year or two, which is a significant saving.
If you are more inclined to go for a secondhand vehicle, think this through. Maybe you are not sure you are ready to commit to the expense of a new car at first. Consider hiring until you decide.
The risk of getting a dud 4×4 that some over-indulged young boy has thrashed in the desert is just one reason to go for the new model. However, there are also reliable second-hand outlets that sell late model vehicles with good warrantees. Indulge yourself at whatever level suits you.
5. Dubai is brilliantly situated for travel to most parts of the world and has the best airlines to make this possible.
In addition, Dubai’s International Airports (yes, now there two) are modern, attractive, and efficient.
From Dubai, you can spend a long weekend in the Maldives, the Seychelles, or Sri Lanka. If that doesn’t do it for you, you can drive to Oman and experience what Dubai was like 20 years ago. It is less than six hours‘ flight to Rome and about the same to Bangkok. India is practically next door, and the Himalayas beckon. Two weeks in Iceland or four days in Paris. It is all available.
Now let’s look at some of the less attractive features of life in the UAE. They are not all that bad if you have prepared yourself for them.
6. The cost of living has risen a lot in the last ten years, and is still rising.
For new arrivals, that will not be obvious as it will be the reality you arrive to. However, discuss the provisions for adjusting salaries with your employer to take account of this over time. It is too late to ask about annual adjustments once you are here.
Little is published about the rise in the cost of living, but it is significant. The government has adjusted salaries for Emirati nationals in the public sector, but a lot of expats have been left behind. Housing is one significant expense, but food, too, has risen considerably in price.
This is not surprising when you consider that most of it is shipped or flown in from far-flung parts of the globe. In fact, I still marvel at how reasonable some foodstuffs, such as apples and meat, are considering the journey they have come from France, New Zealand, or Argentina.
Fruit from the USA is expensive as is salad not grown locally, but there are more and more locally grown products. There is also a lot of interest in organic fruit and vegetables – much of it locally grown now.
7. Traffic can be a nightmare.
To be fair, the authorities in Dubai have spent a huge amount of money on improving the roads, so the network of roads that swirls around and crisscrosses Dubai is astounding. Anyone arriving now has missed the nightmare years when this infrastructure was being created.
Despite the introduction of a bus system, a metro, a light railway (in one area only), and bridges to span the creek, the number of cars on the road means that there are traffic jams in certain places at specific times. Driving from Sharjah to Dubai in the morning is an exercise in patience, as is returning in the evening. So, although housing is cheaper in the Emirates north of Dubai, there is another cost to pay – time.
Probably the worst thing about the traffic is that when you have the chance to cruise along the broad, well-constructed roads at the speed limit of 120, you will frequently be aware of two idiots roaring up behind you as they race their massive 4x4s in and out of lanes dodging other cars by millimeters. The remedy is not to look in the rearview mirror too often. Also, don’t flinch. Stick to your lane and hope for the best.
8. If you have children, the expenses mount up.
Schooling is expensive, and you have no option – as there are no government schools for expat children. Also, finding a school that is up to the standard you expect, and has spaces available, is likely to be a concern.
As parents, one of you will be transporting your children everywhere, not that parents let their children walk to school anywhere these days. There are school buses, but using the bus is an extra expense, and means your child has a much longer day than if you do the school run yourself.
9. Suitable medical care can be difficult to find.
Hospitals are either government or private, and the private hospitals are expensive. The government hospitals can sometimes be extremely good, but they may not offer their services in quite the way you are used to.
Staff can be brusque and dismissive. Private hospitals are not usually like this, but as I said, they are expensive. It is important to make sure you have a comprehensive health insurance package. Even with health insurance, maternity costs are not usually covered until a year after taking out the insurance.
Also, if you need, for example, a knee replacement, it can be difficult to find a highly recommended surgeon, and when you do find one, the cost of the actual joint is not likely to be covered by the insurance policy.
10. Finally, the hot months are very hot.
You may have experienced 40°C before, but have you experienced it with high humidity that increases after sunset? Boredom in the hot months is only to be expected as you huddle inside a lot. The children will start to get you down.
One way to minimize this is to make sure you have accommodation with a pool. Even a shared pool is better than no pool – but if it is not chilled, it will not be much comfort in the summer. This leaves you stuck inside watching TV or mall trawling. There is always Ski Dubai, I guess.
How much will you love the good stuff, and how much will the negatives get you down? This is what you need to decide. A lot of people come here for the money, but it is not the money that keeps people here. You have to fall in love with the desert a little to stay on, and plenty of us do.