In recent times, the “Land of Opportunity” title has certainly shifted from the USA over to the UAE, specifically Dubai. Every year, hundreds of people from all over the world flock to Dubai in search of a better quality of life backed by a tax free income. If this is where you are at right now, you may have many questions about what life is like in Dubai. You’d want to know if you are making the right choice by moving to this Gulf State. We’ve compiled a quick list of a few things you should know which will ultimately help you answer the question you have in your mind. Read on to find out more!

Great weather

For the most part, the weather in Dubai is excellent especially during the months from October to March. However, during the summer months, it can get really hot in Dubai. A lot of expats tend to go back home during the summer months as it can get a little unbearable if you’re from a cold country. Apart from the summer months, moving to Dubai will change your life purely based on the weather because you can go outside, go to cafes, work outside, go to beaches, etc. So, the weather is excellent and that was definitely a big plus when it comes to life here.

Efficiency and convenience

In Dubai, you can order anything online and it will be at your door in 12 hours. As an entrepreneur, you don’t have to go out shopping; everything will just be delivered right to your door within a couple hours. Dubai has an app called Kareem, and Kareem is like the everything app for Dubai. It has taxis, groceries, pharmacies, ordering food like Uber. You can call someone to drop something off across the other side of the city. A friend left his charger with you? No problem! It’s really convenient that everything can be taken to your door and that’s a special thing about Dubai because you do need a certain size of city for that to be economically viable

Productivity

Dubai is very conducive to productivity. When you first move here, you wouldn’t have as many distractions as you would anywhere else. Picture 6:30 a.m mornings, work until 10:30pm every day for weeks on end. This will lead to an enormous explosion of growth in your career.

Motivation

Depending on the kind of person you are, seeing wealth everywhere can be motivating. Picture yourself lying in bed at night in your first apartment and you hear the roar of a Lamborghini Huracan V10 engine ripping up and down the highway. Wealth really is in your face, and it will make you feel like a small fish in a big pond, ultimately pushing you to do better

Safety

Dubai is one of the safest places in the world. It’s basically the only place in the world where you can wear your watches or jewelry and not worry about getting robbed, and you kind of take that for granted. You realize that whenever you go anywhere else, Dubai is just like an unreasonably safe place.

Networking

There are some very high-level businessmen and people that you can make friends with depending on your circles and the networks you get into, who can be great friends and great mentors and people that you want in your life as well. So, there is a huge potential for networking as it is such a global hub because there’s people coming in all the time from the States, from Europe, on the way through to Bali, etc. People come to Dubai a lot as a stopover

Lack of community

You don’t really have a strong sense of community in Dubai. Back home, you might be used to everyone knowing each other, spending time together and celebrating the important moments as one. In many places around the world, you still have a sense of community where you have your little group of people. This isn’t the case in Dubai, so be aware that you’re going to feel very isolated if you’re not careful and if you don’t find a good group of friends. 

Concrete and glass jungle

Dubai rose from the desert. There’s not much greenery, and if there is, it’s artificially watered grass. So, if you are a person that gets a lot of energy out of being in nature, Dubai is probably not for you, and it has been a deal breaker for a lot of people. 

Income Tax

Many people do not realize how powerful 0% income tax is, especially if you’re from a country which taxes you quite highly. Now, of course, they do have some taxes here and there, but your income tax is 0%. So if you earn $1,000,000, you take home $1,000,000. So you can imagine that is super powerful because if you’re someone who is a high earner, you could potentially be doubling your income just by moving to a country that has 0% income tax.

Friendly people

You won’t have any issues with people being rude to you in Dubai. People do generally keep to themselves, but if you want to speak to someone, they do open up. The most common question people always ask is, “Hey, where are you from?” Because obviously over 90% of people in Dubai are also expats, they’re people who have moved to Dubai for work or for something else. So people are always interested in trying to just understand where you’re from and what you’re doing there.

Cost of living

Cost of living when compared to major Western cities is a lot less in Dubai when you take into consideration the overall cost of living, like rent, groceries, utilities etc. It can seem expensive in some ways, but then it’s also cheaper in other ways. Especially if you’re not paying any income tax. It can really make a difference. So for example, for the amount you pay per square foot, for an apartment or a house or whatever it might be, it’s definitely cheaper in Dubai. But some things can be more expensive, like when you go to buy groceries, some meats, some fish like salmon, and tuna can be more expensive.

How can SetHub help?

We’ve helped countless expats make the move and settle in Dubai for a prosperous life ahead of them. So it is safe to say that we are well versed on all the thoughts, questions and concerns you may have about this life changing decision. If you want to know more, or if you have any specific questions about life in Dubai, one of our experts will certainly be able to assist you. From your visa, to potential company setup and Emirates IDs, SetHub can help streamline the entire process for you. Schedule a call now to hear back from one of our experts in just one business hour.