Thursday, March 14, 2024

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Living in Dubai

The Top 10 Pros and Cons of Living in Dubai

Dubai is a dream destination for expats and professionals from all over the world. And I am pretty sure that even you have dreamt of working and living in Dubai.

The Dubai city is not only known for its massive shopping malls and exotic infrastructure but is also rich in heritage. It has preserved heritage for millions of years and it attracts the people who prefer to live in historically significant places rather than the ones that are freshly built.

However, the best thing about Dubai is that it didn’t let itself end up merely as a historical place to be visited if you love to witness heritage! Rather, it improved itself and now it is one of the best and most sought-after places to live in. It doesn’t only provides the best residential areas but also opens the chances of making your life more entertaining.

If you are thinking of moving to Dubai permanently, you definitely need to know the pros and cons of living in Dubai!

Top 10 Pros of Living in Dubai

1. Religious Independence
Dubai is basically a Muslim city but people belonging to all religions live and practice their religion freely! You can witness a number of mosques, churches and temples in Dubai. However, during Ramadan it is a bit tough for Non-Muslims to find places to eat during fasting times.

2. Accommodation in Dubai
Buying a house is a little difficult as it requires you to be filthy rich. However, living in apartments is cost effective as well as really fun and with short-term leases you can relocate whenever you want to. Serviced apartments are available everywhere in the city. They are mostly newly built and almost all come furnished and are serviced as part of the rent.

3. Business Opportunities for Entrepreneurs and Professionals
Dubai has an economy that is vastly spreading. Once you start a business and it gets successful, you will be able to earn loads of money through it. As being the business hub of the world there exists a never-ending list of services, goods and expertise needed in Dubai and the UAE.

4. Tax Free Country
If you have a job and live in Dubai, you won’t have to pay any kind of tax on the salary that you receive. That means you won’t have to deal with the nightmare of tax deducted at the source. You can check out the highest paying Jobs in Dubai and compare them with your countries.

5. Multi-Cultural Society
People from different cultural backgrounds live here. If you are a social person, you will get to know various things about various cultures and it will enhance your knowledge manifolds. People are generally very friendly and eager to make new friends and, since it’s an international city, expats will have the opportunity to make friends from all over the world.

6. Dubai is a Fun City
You can never get boredom while living in Dubai as there are more activities, events, services and facilities than you could get around to enjoy in one lifetime. There is always something new to do, try, taste, see, encounter or experience in Dubai. Weekends are the most fun part of living in Dubai. When you live there, you get a number of places to visit to spend your weekends.

7. Luxurious Lifestyle
The quality, luxuriousness, and attention to detail in Dubai make it a comfortable place to live, work and explore. It will color your view of the world too, and when you travel or go back home you will be constantly comparing everything from shoddy service to tatty hotel rooms with what you can get in Dubai.

8. More Liberal than Other Middle-East Countries
Unlike many other cities in the Middle East, Dubai is quite open-minded when it comes to smoking or drinking. As Dubai’s population is consists of more than 70% expats, clubbing, dating, beach parties and open relationships are very common among the expats unlike other countries in the region. Also, you won’t have to deal with the issue of censored TV viewing, unlike other middle-eastern countries. You will be able to watch uncensored TV shows. However, there are still plenty of rules as well you should keep in mind while traveling to Dubai or living in Dubai. Like no revealing clothes, no kissing and touching at public places, going topless on beaches prohibited, un-marital sex, etc.

9. Public Transportation
Public transport is readily available in Dubai all the time and you do not have to pay much for them. Dubai Metro is a nice, clean, affordable way to move around the city. There is a system of feeder buses offered at most of the major stations. Taxis are cheap and plentiful. For air travel, once expats have their residence visa, they can get an e-Passes which expedites clearing customs.

10. Plenty of Outdoor Activities
If you are someone who loves to soak the sunlight, you will get it in maximum amount while living in Dubai. The climate in Dubai remains hot almost the whole year. It allows expats to enjoy outdoor activities for the majority of the year. And even when it’s too hot to do much more than sitting about, you can have plenty of fun at night time. Nightlife in Dubai is lively but doesn’t start until after 9:00 pm and goes on till late at night. Big-name entertainment and parties are advertised all the time. Also, check out our top 10 list of best nightclubs in Dubai. I am pretty sure that you may never find more vibrant nightlife anywhere else in the whole region.

11. Best Place to Raise the Kids
Dubai is one of the best places in the world to raise kids, especially if you are talking about early learning for your child. Though school fees are on the high side, the quality of education the kids are getting is much better than back home. Due to a multi-cultural society, Kids are more culturally aware. You don’t have to worry about kids safety as Dubai is one of the safest city in the world. With high salaries of parents and tax-free benefits, it is comparatively easy for the parents to provide the best environment for the kids.

Top 10 Cons of Living in Dubai

1. Difficult to Understand Addresses and Roads
Learning address is quite difficult and no matter how much you try, the letters won’t reach your house no matter how important they are. If you are new in Dubai, driving a car might be a huge issue for you because the roads are built in quite a weird way. It requires a lot of time to get used to the road infrastructure of Dubai.

2. Internet Censorship
While surfing the internet, there is a possibility that you won’t be able to browse many websites as they would be banned in Dubai due to offensive material.

3. Very Warm Climate
Living in Dubai is like living in hell in terms of the weather. The city is really hot and that too round the year. In the summertime, the temperature can reach as high as 54 Celsius and remain around 45-50 Celsius most of the year. Except from November to March, it is far too hot to walk in Dubai.

4. Filthy and Dirty Public Toilets
At one side, the luxurious hotels provide the best toilets in the world and at the same time, the public toilets available to a common man are extremely filthy and dirty. Recently authorities have started to make the situation better at public toilets but still need a lot of work to be done.

5. Expensive City
Dubai is considered to be one of the most expensive cities in the world and if you are financially week, surviving here won’t be easy for you. Your attractive tax-free salary can quickly be eaten up by rent, luxury goods, school fees and too much socializing if you are not careful. Too many expats get wiped out by Dubai and leave after their assignment with little more than memories.

6. Driving Can Be Stressful and Hazardous
Driving in Dubai is not an easy task because of the abundance of traffic cameras and even if you commit a minor mistake you might end up paying a lot of fines. Despite all this, it is driving hell for most of the drivers. If you pick up any newspaper or surf news on internet you will hear about plenty of accidents on Dubai roads. And with high traffic volume driving can be as stressful as hazardous.

7. Unchallenged Laws
If you have the wrong passport or you are the wrong sex in the wrong place at the wrong time, you may experience hardship and unfair treatment. This reality is generally not talked about, and certainly not challenged – and for some it is unpalatable.

8. Dealing with Real Estates and Landlords can be Tricky
Rents on apartments must be paid in full and up-front. Some companies will cover this for their employees and then deduct amounts monthly from their wages. Real estates can be difficult to work with. It’s better to find a place by word-of-mouth and then go directly to the property or engage a real estate to handle matters thereafter. An agent is required to complete a rental agreement.

9. Red Tape Bureaucracy
Red tape and ever-changing business laws make it difficult for anyone. It takes quite a lot of time to get your legal work done in Dubai. The legal processes are really long and nerve-wracking. It will be important to have a sympathetic and informed employer, as well as expat and local friends who can help you make sense of the red tape you have to unravel.

10. Difficult to find Job in Dubai
Due to large number of expats and very high competition finding a job in Dubai is difficult. The offices are always packed and you do not get to find any vacancy for years. Dubai is usually known for high salaries and high living standards that’s how many expats from all over the world came in Dubai to make their fortune. We have written a guide of the top 10 most in-demand jobs in Dubai. It might help you while searching for a job in the city.

Dubai Explorer

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