What is it Like to Live in Dubai for an Expat?
The short answer: pretty good. It must be. I came to Dubai on an open-ended “try it and see” contract that was to last about four months, and almost sixteen years later, even though I’ve changed jobs a couple of times, I’m still here.
In my work, I meet people who have lived the nomadic expatriate life even longer than I have and others for whom their new posting to Dubai is their first experience of being a global citizen.
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The Money
Let’s get right down to it: very few of us are here to avoid earning too much money in our homelands. In Dubai, on any given day, you’ll rub shoulders with people who earn more or less the same monthly salary as you do, people who earn an awful lot more, and people who earn substantially less – far less than basic labor laws in most western democracies would allow.
But no matter how many UAE dirhams end up in our monthly pay packets, or how good our benefits packages are, we almost certainly wouldn’t be here, in many cases, separated from extended families, lifelong networks of friends, and the comfort of the homeland nest unless there were fairly compelling financial reasons to stay.
The Lifestyle
Cars, big villas, maids to clean up after you, club memberships, extravagant Friday brunches, wonderful five-star holidays in exotic locations: Dubai will give you all of these if you stay long enough.
It’s all a matter of degree. Some people can have the lot instantly; others have to budget for it and eke it out a bit: the Maldives this year, new Nissan Armada next year, Friday brunches no more than once a month – that sort of thing.
A lot of expats, particularly people in the finance and construction sectors, found out in 2008 (to their cost) just how quickly things can change here. Suddenly, the jobs just weren’t there, but the banks still wanted monthly car loan payments, as did the credit card companies, and the landlords wanted their rent cheques.
So there’s plenty to enjoy, but keep your eyes on the big prize. Budget sensibly and allocate a hefty whack of your salary each month to savings. We are all going to leave one day, and there are too many tales of people who have spent as long as I have working here, yet left with almost nothing.
Your Place in Dubai
I said above that eventually, we will all leave. Unlike Singapore which has, to a very large extent, provided the model for so much of Dubai’s development path and strategies, permanent residency leading to eventual citizenship is not an option in the UAE.
So, it’s a good idea to have your exit strategy ready and waiting in the wings – whether you stay as long as you anticipated, longer, or get your marching orders with just thirty days to pack and leave because your job is going to be done by a local hire.
Friendships and Networks
Earlier, I remarked that we leave our extended families and friends behind us when we choose the expatriate life. For some, families are just six to seven hours flying time away. For others, they’re on the opposite side of the globe.
In time, people began leaving. By the end of 2005, pretty much all of the 1999 intakes, apart from myself and my immediate family were gone. Sadly, although there are 10 million people in the UAE now (not the three million there were when I arrived), it seems to be harder to make close friendships.
Finally…
The expatriate life in Dubai is, on the whole, going to be a very positive and rewarding experience if you can manage to stay positive. You’ll meet your share of people who are always looking at the one centimeter of the glass that is empty, but there are others who can see the humor and irony in every little situation, whether it be wo
