Dubai is the fastest-growing city globally and no wonder why people across the world are coming to the city to make it their new home! But like any other place, there are both some good and bad of living in Dubai. Today we take a deep look into each of these parameters, one by one.
Before you choose to move into this cosmopolitan city, it’s wise to know the pros and cons of living in Dubai. In today’s blog, we’ve wrapped up all that you need to know.
The Pros of Living in Dubai
1. Diverse Multinational Community
The land of Dubai is highly diverse, consisting of people from different corners of the world. People have flowed in from different parts of the globe to establish their lives in this emerging city. Almost every turn you take around the corner of its street, you will meet some other people from a different continent.
Even a survey, done in 2019, revealed that out of its 9.2 million population, only 1.4 million were indigenous. So, it makes up just 15% of the whole population. Dubai has employed a massive number of Asian workers coming from India and Pakistan in the construction and hospitality sectors. Westerners make up about 5% of the whole population. It’s a smaller but nevertheless growing community in Dubai.
2. Your Income is Tax-Free
Another remarkable feature of Dubai is the nullified amount of income tax that you have to pay on your earnings. No matter how much you earn in the land of the UAE, you can keep all that to yourself.
However, you have to pay tax on goods, alcohol, and other commodities or any other benefits that you enjoy in Dubai. So, ultimately it boils down to the fact that you need to pay less tax than any other country.
3. Festivity Round the Year
Once you start living in Dubai, you will be exposed to people from almost all cultures. Dubai’s expat community is made of people coming from different cultural and religious backgrounds. When you get to see so many international communities in Dubai, you get to experience their festivities too!
You get to enjoy not just their festivities but also their food, cultural practices and some amazing dressing ideas from completely different strata. So, are you excited to adapt to a diversified way of life? Then Dubai is your place and the world awaits you there.
4. Religious Independence
UAE is a Muslim country and ruled by Sharia Laws. Being a part of the UAE, Dubai also reflects a similar status. But surprisingly, Dubai never throws any hindrance to following your religious beliefs and practices. Irrespective of the origin you came from, you are free in Dubai to go with your religion and culture.
Dubai shows immense religious independence and respect towards its multinational expat community. In return, all you will be possibly asked for is to treat their religion and culture with equal respect. Nothing more! Of course, Dubai is dotted with an impressive number of mosques but there are enough churches, temples and gurdwaras too.
5. Lots of Sunrays During the Daytime
Dubai is blessed with long and bright days throughout the year. The climate of Dubai is warm and sunny due to its position near the line of the Tropic of Cancer. Even the winter seasons record an average daytime temperature of 25 °C.
For people who are not very fond of extreme colds or snowfalls, Dubai is ideal to spend a lifetime. But wait. You can still face some problems due to excessive heat during the summer months. The good news is City of Dubai predominantly relies on uninterrupted air-conditioning throughout the year.
6. Life with Loads of Glitz & Glamour
Living, studying or working in Dubai comes with lots of glitz and glamour. Thanks to the quality, luxuriousness and attention to detail that Dubai always strives for; life is comfortable there. The people in Dubai earn money not just to build a superior future but to make everyday count!
Life in Dubai is backed by everything expensive and top-notch when you are ready to live life king-size. You just need a heart that doesn’t hesitate to spend money on world-class services and facilities that the city has to offer.
7. Pulsating Nightlife
Seeing Dubai being a Muslim city, are you scared of having trouble enjoying the nightlife? No worry. You can have plenty of fun at night. Nightlife in Dubai is lively and it gears up after 9 pm. It goes strong till the late night hours and enough to make you go breathless dancing, singing and screaming your lungs out.
Big night entertainment events and parties are advertised all across the city round the year. Picking a spot to match your mood and budget is not at all tough when you are exploring Dubai’s night scene. Party hoppers will be more than happy to be in Dubai rather than anywhere else in the Middle East.
For more information on Nightlife in Dubai, we have a useful post for you. Take a look.
8. More Liberal Than Any Other Middle East Country
Unlike any other Middle East city, Dubai is very broad-minded when it comes to a bunch of social etiquette that is majorly practiced in Western countries. Smoking and drinking are strictly prohibited for the Islamic community of the town but it’s tolerated when you are non-Muslim.
Clubbing, beach parties, dating, and hugging are well-accepted in the city. Having an expat community with more than 70% of the whole population, Dubai takes so many things with immense tolerance. Social rules and regulations are quite strict in any other Middle East city.
9. A Good Place to Raise Kids
People with kids moving to Dubai can have an immense opportunity to raise their little munchkins in a better place with better facilities. Dubai is especially good for kids who are in the early learning phase. Though education cost is on the higher side, the quality of education is exceptional!
As Dubai’s schools harbour a multicultural student clan where every kid becomes more aware culturally. School premises in the city are highly secured and offer the utmost safety to all kids. With high salaries and income tax exemption, parents can easily afford to send their kids to reputed schools in Dubai.
Apart from education, the city has hundreds of interesting places and things to explore with kids. As they say, “Happy Kids Are The Best Kids In The World”, Dubai takes this quite seriously so that little ones can have the best childhood days in the city!
10. Excellent Public Transport System
Dubai is the land of expats, and thus public transport connecting different corners of the city is quite famous among people. There is a wide availability of trains, buses, cabs and even metro transport across the city.
Taxis are cheaper and plentiful in Dubai than most other major worldwide cities too. Feeder buses are available in most of the stations of Dubai. Alternatively, you can travel around the city on the metro for a fast and safer ride.
You will be cutting down a fat amount of expenses if you are using public transport instead of your car in Dubai. We would highly recommend expats to use public transport to keep control over their costs as well as the traffic congestion on the roads.
11. Accommodation Facilities are Impressive
To start to live in Dubai, you need proper accommodation facilities. And Dubai never fails to keep up your expectations regarding places of residence.
Apartments in Dubai are primarily new and furnished with the best available amenities. These apartments are given on short-term leases or rent, which is very convenient for expats.
The places of residence in Dubai mainly involve Dubai Marina which can be considered the ‘bubble of expats‘. However, you can choose traditional localities like Deira as the place of residence in Dubai. There are many more localities like Jumeirah, The Green Community, Arabian Ranches, Al Wasl, Al Safa and Umm Suqeim too, which are some of the famous places of residence among expats.
12. Career Developing Opportunities
Dubai is a fast-growing city and you can have a bright future here. The city excels in aspects of technology, communication and manpower, and that is all you need to set up your business in Dubai.
Expats have poured in from different countries, making it easier for you to get international relationships with all the corners of the world. To set up a bright, glamorous career, when are you shifting to Dubai?
13. Absolutely Safe and Sound
Unlike most other Arabian countries, Dubai is a highly safe city in the heart of the UAE. You need not trust our words, as we have done enough research to prove our statistical reality.
96% of expats living here have claimed that they feel safe on the streets of Dubai. And surprisingly, almost half of these people are women. Are you feeling assured now?
If you are a solo woman who wishes to shift to Dubai and start living there, you may find the blog below interesting and useful. We have listed out all that you need to know before making your final decision.
Being a woman, if safety is the only parameter that is stopping you from moving into Dubai, then our suggestion would be to ditch all worries and fly off to this beautiful city to live your life.
14. Lots of Things to Do & Experience
Anyone living in Dubai will tell you that there’s never a dull day, and we aren’t just talking about sunshine!
When the weather is warm head to any of the amazing beaches. Alternatively when it’s too hot, there’s a whole host of air conditioned indoor activities to choose from in the city.
If money is tight, also do not worry, there are so many free things to do in Dubai too!
Cons of Living in Dubai
No place on earth comes without at least a few cons. In Dubai, there aren’t too many things we can list as a disadvantage, but nevertheless we’ve listed six of them.
1. Religious Principles and Rules
Although Dubai is a city of different cultures, the basic societal rules and norms are all based on Islamic culture. This can be a little difficult to adjust to at first, but once you’ve settled in, you will realize there really isn’t too much to it.
Apart from being careful with the way you dress, you have to follow other religious attitudes. For example, you cannot live with another person of the same gender legally unless the person directly belongs to your family.
Live-in couples are not openly accepted to continue their journey under the same roof unless they got legally married. But if you are just holidaying in Dubai, all hotels and resorts will be fine with your status. It’s kind of a “Don’t ask, don’t tell” scenario in Dubai.
2. Bureaucracy
When you are moving into Dubai from across international borders, you will undoubtedly have to deal with paperwork, document validation, SIM card activation and a lot more.
Completing all these formalities can sometimes be a little frustrating because of the language barrier. It may sound surprising that even in the 21st century, all official documents are available only in Urdu. So, you must consult an excellent bureaucratic agency to help you out through these procedures.
3. Blazing Heat
Dubai is extremely hot. With a temperature of something around 40 degrees Celsius throughout the summer months of May to September, this can be very uncomfortable for expats hailing from cold countries.
As a Dubai resident, be prepared to stay inside air-conditioned rooms most of the day. The summer is intolerably hot, with dust storms at frequent intervals.
Winters are pleasant and you will love to be outside during those cooler months. Once you adapt to the Dubai heat, everything will get better though. This is probably the most difficult challenge you will face.
4. Roads and Addresses Can Be Confusing
Understanding the addresses of landmarks, buildings and roads can be really confusing in your initial days in Dubai. If you are self-driving across the city, this may give you serious trouble because roads are built in a somewhat “weird” way. It requires a lot of time to get accustomed to the road infrastructure in Dubai.
5. Driving Can Be Stressful
Driving in Dubai is not an easy task. Traffic rules are pretty strict and there are zillions of CCTV cameras placed across the city to keep a tight eye on you. Even a minor mistake on road can lead you to pay a hefty fine in Dubai.
Surprisingly, all these stringent traffic rules failed to make Dubai driving-friendly. Every now and then, you will see or hear of road accidents and that’s because of that “need” for “extra” speed and confusing road infrastructure. Rush hour traffic is horrific in Dubai.
6. PDA? A Big NO
When you are in Dubai, mind your gesture, particularly in public places. Holding hands and a short hug are the things we can call “safe” in Dubai. Kissing or too much cuddling can land you in serious trouble. Public Display of Affection (PDA) is frowned upon by locals and we will strongly suggest you not get involved in any such action.
Conclusion
Clearly, the pros overrule the cons. So, are you ready to shift to Dubai to live the next best years of your life? Hopefully, the answer will be a big ‘YES’. Just like any other global city, Dubai has its negative sides but that is too insignificant to change your decision to shift your base to Dubai.
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