7 things everyone needs to know before you move to Dubai

If you have found yourself on my page, it means the thought ‘How to move to Dubai’ has come into /crossed your mind. The same idea crossed/came into my mind 6 years ago, after my friend and I decided to visit Dubai for a vacation and absolutely fell in love with the city. It did not take long for us to understand that we wanted to live here. After we returned home I started to Google the information related to life in Dubai, how to find a job, advantages and disadvantages of life here and finally the ways to move to Dubai. Because, as we all know, the picture of the city we see as a tourist can be really different from what we experience living in the same city full time.

Well, we all know that Dubai is an oasis in the desert.

The technological miracle of the Middle East. Google tells us that the country has grown from next to nothing in less that 40 years: from being a poor fishing village , where people earned money by exporting pearls, to a global city and a business hub of the Middle East. There is plenty of talk about how rich the locals and generally most of the people who live here, are.

The majority of people relate Dubai’s economic success to the discovery of oil and gas.

Some people imagine plenty of Lamborghinis and expensive brands when they hear “Dubai”. International culture… Of course, might be one of the most important points to remember – Dubai is officially ranked as one of the most multicultural cities in the world. Shopping of course… It is famous for legendary malls, the biggest malls in the world. Presenting their luxury lifestyle with private jets and yachts. That’s what most of us think about this city and this county and it’s normal. However, there are some things which I didn’t expect to happen to me after I’ve moved to Dubai. Everyone is different and you might not experience all the 7 things. But I guess some of them will be common for you as well. Don’t forget about Sheikhs.

1. Be ready to change when/if you move to Dubai.

It’s hard to track how we change in day-to-day life. It’s also obvious that the environment you live in, will affect you in a certain way. We overcome different obstacles, enjoy happy moments, collect life experiences here, but this IS what happens to everyone regardless of whether they move to a new country or not. I guess a global city such as Dubai, teaches you to rely only on yourself. Do not wait for outside help when you encounter problems. In case you move alone, you have to be ready for the constant feeling that your family and closest people are miles and miles away.

If you are a communicative and open-minded person, it will be much easier for you. Because you can find new friends and acquaintances quickly. But I believe that after we move to Dubai, life here makes us faster and stronger. You will start to react quicker in some situations. If you lose a job, there is no time to relax for one or two months. You have to go and search for a job, as your tourist visa will expire soon. Just my personal advice: get ready to be a slightly different person (frequently tougher) when you go back home from Dubai.

2. Be ready for the fact that it might be even more difficult than you expected it to be.

We all understand the challenge when we decide to change country. We all get outside of our comfort zone, take certain actions (maybe improve your English skills or learn a new software program) in order to succeed in your job interview and sign your contract to work in Dubai.

Be ready and do not underestimate the challenge you will face after you move, like some of my friends and I did. When I had just moved here, I only had one day off per week, and often had to work night shifts. Lots of people work the same number of hours, unfortunately… Some people have A very poor work environment. Which makes you constantly tired and you may forget about the glory of Dubai.

Oppppps…

So generally, the picture you might have painted in your mind of dinners at the Burj Khalifa, crazy nightlife, and beautiful beaches is slowly melting away, once you calculate your salary. No, I an not pushing you to give up. No, I don’t want to sound negative. Not at all. But because starting a new life in a new city is such an important and big step I believe it’s just useful to understand all the pros and cons in advance – you have to be realistic.

3. You will learn a lot about yourself and people around you

Oh boy, when I look back I felt like I was a blind kitten when I moved here… The amount of life experience and knowledge you can acquire after you move to Dubai, is just priceless. In the first couple of months, you will constantly live with a new feeling of adjusting yourself to a new place. Engaging in conversation with a local person or taking a walk to the nearest grocery store… All these types of experiences are something that cannot be learned by searching online or reading a book. As we all know, one of the greatest ways to learn is “by doing”.

After moving abroad, you have to constantly deal with many different situations and people, you will really surprise yourself and the way you handle it. You may encounter individuals that you are not used to, or have never experienced. But each will make you stronger and will lead to your personal growth. There might be not much fun in this, however, emotional growth is really important (essential) for your personal success. If you are ambitious and looking for new growth, you definitely have to move to Dubai.

4. You will start to see the world as “a big picture”

Your best friend now might be from Nigeria and your boyfriend from Australia, your neighbors from South Africa, your manager from Mexico, your colleague from India. So you’ll learn so much and so quickly about the differences between cultures, that the whole world will seem smaller. Some of the life stories I have heard from people living in Dubai shocked me. The life experiences of people from all over the world might be completely different from your native country. After living for a while with other people, traditions of other nations won’t look weird anymore. And it’s not only about traditions, you’ll slowly start to absorb a global culture overall.

The tone of the skin doesn’t really matter, you are used to the different accents and different types of behavior. But it’s completely up to you whether you want to stay with people of your own nationality or make international (connections) friendships. I found it super interesting and exciting to communicate with people from different countries. Because I strongly believe that people should be divided by being polite or rude, arrogant or modest, friendly or hostile. And it’s absolutely amazing (just wonderful) to be free to choose your friends from all over the world.

5. People get spoiled easily after moving to Dubai

Well, you definitely can allow yourself more… Since your salary is most probably higher compared to your hometown. You start to question yourself: “Why do I need to cook if there are tons of delivery services?” It’s pretty affordable, saves you a lot of time and some energy, so why bother yourself?. Why do you need to walk if there are many taxis outside (there could be a separate topic about a public transportation and roads because it’s not really walker friendly)? Why clean if cleaning services are pretty cheap and way more convenient?…. In addition to that, many of your friends here use these services.

We work hard enough to let ourselves relax…

It’s true… Dubai is all about comfortable life, living in the moment, enjoying life, living to the fullest. Probably, one of the reasons for this is because Dubai is a tourist destination, with 12 months of summer. Therefore, after a busy and stressful day at work, you simply want to blend into the happy vibe of vacation mode. And it’s all right to do so from time to time. However, you should balance it. So just be sure to manage your expectations when you find a smaller amount of money in your bank account compared to what you had planned before moving here.

6. Your needs rise every single day

First, you are used to some local brands of milk and yogurt, and then you change it for a more expensive one…. This doesn’t actually mean it’s better quality. But somehow it tastes better Zara is a great brand but you’ve always dreamed of this Michael Kors bag, Chanel sunglasses, Tiffany bracelet…. So why would you say “no“to getting yourself a little gift? You worked so hard to get here so maybe a little treat won’t hurt anyone; we live only once and you deserve this, right?

There are so many unique opportunities in Dubai, such as dinner in the sky, the biggest zip line, 7-star hotel, diving in one of the biggest aquariums, skiing in the desert. So why not try it all? Everything is right, but you need to be careful with your money limits. There is nothing wrong with growing your needs to the level of buying luxury brands or clothes or dining in expensive restaurants. You just have to be careful with how affordable this is for you. Because you can be easily tricked by the richness of the country. Spend smart and just again be sure it’s worth it, and you won’t blame yourself afterward. Read more about what you can do in your spare time here.

7. It’s very hard to save money

As you might understand from the two previous points, it’s really difficult to save up money. Everything around you is so tempting. New restaurants are being opened every day (no joking), music festivals, etc. I know that the majority of us are coming here for a better life plus save up some money for the future. Maybe to travel the world, maybe to buy a property, maybe to invest in your own little business in your country. Some of us come here for a year or two to have fun and don’t plan on saving.

When I had just moved to Dubai, I met a few people who had been living here for around a decade and planned on returning home but have not saved any money. They were so upset about this but told me they could never stick to the budget. So if you want to save money you’ve got to plan ahead. My small piece of advice: receive your first salary, spend it all as you like. Understand how much of it you will need for the essential things. How much you will spend during your day off and etc. Then set up your priorities. If you are planning to save 10% of your salary or maybe 20%, create your own budget and stick to it.

I hope you found this information useful and I have helped you to make the decision to move to Dubai!