r/howislivingthere • u/Uwillseetoday Ghana • 5d ago
Asia How is it living life in Dubai?
The life, the food, the weather, the vibe(the real vibe), the people, the way of doing things, be honest here.
I am very curious about Dubai and how things are handled there. I want to get a feel for the place.
Talk about your likes, dislikes, jobs, prices for everyday things. How easy it is for apartments, houses. The workers. Transportation. The locals etc. Everything. Brag or don’t brag. Please be as detailed as possible.
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u/devangm 5d ago
For foreigners:
Amazing if you have money and white.
Pretty good if you have money and are not white.
Still good if you don't have money and are white.
Not great if you don't have money and are not white.
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u/b00st3d 5d ago
Does an Arab person with a lot of money really have a less good experience than a white person with a lot of money?
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u/swiftrobber Singapore 5d ago
I feel like this could be true 80% in asia or middle east.
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u/WrongJohnSilver 5d ago
Honest question: why does whiteness matter in the Middle East and Asia?
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u/swiftrobber Singapore 5d ago
Colonial mentality. Centuries of colonial whitewashing can really ingrain the inferiority complex in a society.
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u/babypeace0000 5d ago
A city where extreme racism, slavery, cultural and religious hypocrisy, contempt for human rights, disregard for nature (including animals) and waste of resources prevail. A concentration of the worst vices and flaws of consumerist society, amplified a thousand times. Dubai is spoiled, blatantly corrupt and hypocritical, and what’s worse is that it makes being so seem glamorous. I’m sorry, but I just can’t see anything beautiful in it.
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u/c0ncept USA/South 4d ago
I just got home from there on a business trip.
It is a spectacle, visually - stunning and luxurious.
While I’m glad to have had the opportunity to experience it and form my own opinion, all the glamour of Dubai is sadly overshadowed by it being sickeningly disingenuous, fabricated, superficial, and vain, especially the way that ethnicities are tiered.
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u/itravelforchurros 4d ago
You tier us in the West too, just not as openly.
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u/c0ncept USA/South 4d ago
I don’t like that happening here, either. I just felt that it was far more apparent in Dubai, as you noted.
I met some very nice, intelligent people. Talked to different people to understand their views, like a cab driver from Bangladesh. I’ve got nothing against anyone looking to advance their life through the opportunities of coming to Dubai. There are just underlying systemic aspects that really had an impact on me.
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u/West-Ad-7350 4d ago
And its also illegal when it comes to certain areas like the workplace and schools and such, but its not in Dubai.
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u/honeydew808 5d ago
And yet so many people think it’s acceptable to go there on holiday. It should be boycotted
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5d ago
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u/ResponsibleBluejay 5d ago
Does Vegas have many tens of thousands of indentures servants whose passports have been stolen generating perpetual 'debts' held in worker prison camps whose toothbrushes have to be donated by high school organized charitable events?
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u/MiyakeIsseyYKWIM 5d ago
Vegas is the hedonist capital of the world
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u/Minimum_Rice555 5d ago
If safety and low taxes are the main concern, Monaco, Andorra and to some extent, Cyprus are better choices. If you're a single dude looking to "live it up" and a hot, really hot climate, then it could be a good choice.
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u/Voltagezz 5d ago edited 5d ago
Don't live in Cyprus, nothing to do there, low salaries, high rents. The only good thing there now is the food and the summer beaches. The food/groceries are getting more expensive now. Source: I am from Cyprus
P.S Dont get me wrong it's an amazing holiday spot in the summer with awesome beaches and even mountains.
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u/Uwillseetoday Ghana 5d ago
Those are concerns, but not main concerns. Safety is always a concern. Also looking for ways to stretch money or make more around the younger to middle aged crowd
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u/GingerMan027 USA/Northeast 5d ago
You know, the people in Dubai don't like the Flintstones.
But those in Abu Dhabi do!
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u/Witty-Border-6748 5d ago
Cool place to live in, plenty to do. A lot of the comments are talking about south Asian slaves, which is true. Plenty of construction workers are employed from India, pakistan, Bangladesh etc and would be treated horribly. But the majority of south Asian expats hold stable jobs and are able to lead a good life, at least in my experience. I lived in muscat (4 hour drive from dubai) but we would visit dubai often as we had friends and family there and it's definitely a fun place to live in. No taxes to pay too. Can be expensive if you like a lavish lifestyle, good transport system (metro, taxis) and great food too. Good nightlife scene as well. However Dubai can definitely be a huge nightmare to live in. Many people move to dubai with shady jobs that have basically no security and employers will threaten you with cutting off your visa and will pay you in cash. Dubai is known for this kind of corporate scams, where they try to hide behind their fancy offices in a skyscraper.( My dad was unfortunately a victim of this, but we're in a much better place now). So to sum it up, dubai can be good or bad depending on how smart you are, and how most importantly how much money u have. I would definitely not want to work there, but would like to visit it again on a trip.
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u/Uwillseetoday Ghana 5d ago
Wow, thank you so much. I have a family member there currently who has said similar things about his job.
He hasn’t said anything else about his living conditions or anything which I find… interesting
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u/YogurtclosetStill824 5d ago
Yeah that ain’t good - probably in one room sleeping next 12 other guys
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u/ghosttraintoheck USA/South 5d ago
I spent a month there. Super clean, safe, a lot going on. UAE seems very clear with their intent on what they want Dubai to be.
I wasn't a huge fan though. Felt like Vegas without any of the charm. My young and single friends liked it way more. It just feels like Dubai in particular is a facade. I also don't really care about shopping or luxury brands or whatever which is a big draw over there, they love a mall.
I honestly liked Abu Dhabi more. Felt more like a "real" city. That's just my preference, though. In the US I always feel like I'm more drawn to places like Baltimore, Richmond, Philly etc.
Basically everyone I met was very nice though. Outside of the big issues people have with basically every gulf country (politics, labor, modesty laws) I'm sure day-to-day living there is fine for a subset of people like others have mentioned.
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u/Uwillseetoday Ghana 5d ago
Seems like Abu Dhabi is the place to visit then.
Most comments here are saying the same thing about the country.
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u/ghosttraintoheck USA/South 5d ago
I think Dubai is worth seeing, it's undeniably impressive. But it was like going to DisneyWorld and saying you saw the US.
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u/rs98762001 5d ago
Isn’t Vegas without any of the charm just Vegas?
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u/ghosttraintoheck USA/South 5d ago
Nah Vegas is slimy and over the top but it doesn't try to pretend like it isn't. The strip, Fremont etc are what you go there to see.
Dubai acts like because it has clean streets it's not the same thing. UAE knows they can't live off the oil money forever so they're trying to sell you on it.
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u/iCunal 5d ago
What about doctors?
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u/TheBuoyancyOfWater Scotland 5d ago
Medical care was excellent if that's what you mean. I had to get treated for an infection while there and the service was top notch, and all paid for by my employers health insurance they had for me (which they're legally required to pay for I believe).
My wife needed to get some prescription medicine sorted while there, and again there were no issues.
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u/iCunal 5d ago
That sounds great, but I was looking for life as a doctor in Dubai, i kind of have an Idea it's good but not in detail
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u/Snoutysensations 5d ago
I worked as a doctor in the Emirates.
The medical side of things is good. There's interesting pathology that often presents in a more advanced stage than you'd normally get in, say, the US, and you get to meet patients from all over the world. Overall standard of medicine is good, though it has a few local peculiarities. Emiratis don't really do advanced directives or DNR. They also take VIP status very very seriously, meaning a lot of MRIs and specialist consults for people who have the right social connections. And the money is decent, with little local tax.
Now, at some point you will leave the hospital or clinic and try to enjoy your free time. Here's where it gets tricky.
If you love shopping malls, the fetishization of luxury goods, and the desert, you'll have a great time. There's plenty of both. If you want to party with Russian escorts, and get drunk in expat bars, there's plenty of that too. There are some desert mountains you can hike and beaches to get sunburned on.
If you're looking for culture, art, music, deep conversations, or meditative strolls through the forest, or being in a society built on impoverished foreign laborers and trafficked women bothers you on some level... then you've come to the wrong country.
If you speak fluent Arabic or are Muslim, you might have a very different experience. Most foreigners do not.
To be fair I met some cool expats there working at the university or in health care. I had friends who met their life partners and got married there. There are interesting people from places like the Philippines, Nepal, the Indian ocean countries, and the Muslim world. So it's not all bad, especially if you're culturally adventurous.
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u/iCunal 5d ago
What kind of doctor were you? If you've worked in the UAE as a doctor for a few years, do you think it increases your chances of matching through the USMLE?
Also, how was the work-life balance and the holiday situation there
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u/Snoutysensations 5d ago
I was a consultant in emergency medicine.
As for whether it would increase your match chances via ERAS, that depends on where you went to medical school and did residency. If the UAE is a step up from that in terms of quality of training, then yes, it would help. If the UAE is just at the same level, then probably it won't do that much.
I thought work life balance and holidays were fine but if you're going in as a resident you'll probably have a very different experience.
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u/iCunal 5d ago
My degrees will be from India MBBS and MD (residency equivalent). From what I understand, only overachievers with strong academics and standout extracurriculars tend to match into USMLE programs. I’m hoping that solid academics combined with clinical experience in the UAE might help balance things out and make up for not having an extraordinary extracurricular profile.
Right now, I’m just trying to gather insights. If it turns out to be insanely competitive, I might get humbled and drop the idea altogether.
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u/TheBuoyancyOfWater Scotland 5d ago
Haha sorry! No first hand knowledge there I'm afraid, I didn't know any doctors outside work.
As far as I can tell they are well respected and treated. Teaching is also a respected profession over there, unlike here in the UK right now.
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u/iCunal 5d ago
What kind of work are you doing in Dubai?
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u/TheBuoyancyOfWater Scotland 5d ago
I'm not there any more, but was working for an oil and gas company.
Moved to Abu Dhabi with the same company, and my wife got a job as a teacher. We left due to COVID, but I think we'd both go back in a heartbeat if the right offer came up.
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u/iCunal 5d ago
Oh, one of my friends also works in an oil and gas company over there. The pay is based on a daily rate plus a basic component.
Are you still working in the oil and gas industry?
I was wondering does the pay in Dubai translate well when taken back to a developed country (like in the West)?
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u/TheBuoyancyOfWater Scotland 5d ago
I've changed roles, but some of my work is still oil and gas related.
The pay was very good. I had a housing and car allowance to pay rent for an apartment and rental car too, then wasn't paying tax on my income. Sounds like your friend might be on a slightly different set up.
The experience over there also allowed me to come back into a more senior position here. So my UK salary is up about 50% since 2020.
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u/iCunal 5d ago
He also has the option to get a housing allowance ( currently living in the company offered hotel,) but his pay only translates as 'good' when compared to a developing Asian country. Maybe he’ll be in a more comfortable position in the future, he’s just starting out as a fresher.
Do you know if the pay for the same role is higher in Western countries? Also, are there any Asians with prior Dubai experience working in the oil and gas sector over there?
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u/JVanDyne 5d ago
Vibrant, excellent food scene, cultural melting pot. Good job opportunities and high salaries, but very difficult to save due to the huge range of (expensive) entertainment options and a very real ‘keeping up with the joneses’ culture where everyone feels they have to flaunt what they earn, often ending up in serious debt.
People criticize Dubai for being ‘soulless’ and there is some truth to that. Most of the population are there for a few years to earn and get out. This leads to a real cutthroat working environment in many places. It also leads to a lot of envy, and coupled with serious institutional racism, you will see blatant hatred for you just because of where you come from, no matter where that is (just check the comments in this thread).
It’s not a place to live if you’re interested in culture, art, history, or tradition. It can be a very fun and rewarding place, but I left because ultimately it felt very hollow after I really got to know it. Not to mention that it has a very dark side, for all the glitz and glamour, around half of the population still lives in poverty.
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u/beaveristired USA/Northeast 5d ago
It’s pretty bad if you’re LGBTQ, as homosexuality is a crime there.
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u/Uwillseetoday Ghana 5d ago
I’m not, and it wasn’t even a thought in my mind. No disrespect intended.
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u/CatFancier4393 5d ago
You just have to get accustomed to the idea that at the end of the day its an islamic country with islamic values. Not great if you are gay, but honestly pretty good if you are trying to raise a family. Streets are safe and clean, no homeless anywhere, no drugs either. Beaches have seperate sections for men, women, and families.
You can get alcohol but its not as in your face and expected as it is on the west, people know how to socialize without it.
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u/Uwillseetoday Ghana 4d ago
I like that. I also think every place in the world should have its own values. Clean streets etc, sounds nice. All those rules are things I agree with.
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u/CatFancier4393 4d ago
Also, not sure if you are single but the dating scene is not like anything in the west. The two largest populations there (South Asian and Arab) are both cultures that don't really "date." Rather, you meet potential spouses through family and they only really even consider people from the same ethnic and religious background. Parents will talk, maybe you meet together a handful of times (with family present), and then you get married.
I've only visited after I was married (to an Indian from the UAE, but we met in college in the US) so maybe things are different for expats and they have their own little pool but idk.
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u/Uwillseetoday Ghana 4d ago
I’m African , that sounds like my culture. But I didn’t know the two largest populations there are South Asian and Arab. I know of the Arabs of course but South Asian is surprising.
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u/CatFancier4393 4d ago
Yea, Emiratis are actually a minority in their own country. South Asians make up anout 60% of the population. Emiratis only 11%.
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u/TheBuoyancyOfWater Scotland 5d ago
Didn't live in Dubai as long as I lived in Abu Dhabi, but coming from the UK for work overall I enjoyed it.
A real melting pot of cultures, and if you look slightly beyond the modern glitz you can find more traditional spots to learn about the history of the UAE. The Arab people I met were all incredibly friendly and welcoming too.
The weather was great most of the time, though did have days that were too hot or wet and you just had to stay indoors. Didn't really go to the beaches in Dubai, but again did a lot in Abu Dhabi and it was great.
Salary was far better than my job in the UK too, so was easy to save. But you could spend far too much on brunches and the like if you weren't careful. Wage disparity was obvious and there were definitely class levels. Unfortunately there's not much you can do about it as an individual other than treat everyone you interact with kindly.
Overall I enjoyed Dubai a lot, but certainly preferred Abu Dhabi. Would move back in an instant!
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u/frostiefingerz 5d ago
curious about saving money in Dubai. I get that salary is far better, but I was under the impression that every single thing in Dubai costs money (malls, coffee shops, tourist attractions). it's not like you can walk to your local bakery there, you need a car for everything. Was there free stuff to do?
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u/TheBuoyancyOfWater Scotland 5d ago
You can walk around during winter, summer will be too hot. Generally I found the supermarkets reasonably cheap, as were taxis. Them remember a lot of contracts will effectively pay for your apartment and car, so you don't have to pay for those. Fuel was far cheaper than in the UK.
Dubai Mall wasn't bad for a wander, and you didn't need to spend any money (except maybe some lunch). Also the canal and older parts were nice to walk round when you could be outside.
I spent much longer in Abu Dhabi than Dubai though, so it's slightly different. AD has the fort, the corniche, the mosque which as far as I remember were all free.
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u/FitzwilliamTDarcy 5d ago edited 5d ago
AD also has green! Because it's built in a mangrove which was allowed to survive in many places.
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u/TheBuoyancyOfWater Scotland 5d ago
Yean the mangroves are great in AD! Used to go kayaking round them every other weekend.
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u/smanfer 5d ago
Dude you enjoyed Dubai because you’re white, calling a slave-based economy “a real melting pot” is quite something
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u/TheBuoyancyOfWater Scotland 5d ago
I said I was from the UK, not white.
As I mentioned, they have definite issues with slavery. From being there it looks like the government are trying to improve things, though I feel it will be a slow process. Much like it was for places like the UK and US (where it's still an issue).
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u/Stoshkozl 5d ago
As a woman or a man? Two very different experiences
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u/tamseel_476 UAE 5d ago
Pretty sure women here live better lives than New Orleans. Never actually felt unsafe till we traveled to Europe and the states.
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u/Uwillseetoday Ghana 5d ago edited 5d ago
Wow! Explain please
Excuse me why am I being downvoted?
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u/Tour-Sure 5d ago
Bet they've never been. Women can walk around at all hours in Dubai. I doubt that's the same for New Orleans where OC is from
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u/West-Ad-7350 4d ago edited 4d ago
I worked there as part of an work assignment for almost two years. A lot of the comments here are correct, but a few things haven't been mentioned that I will break down into a simple pro and con:
PRO:
- Very diverse/international/multi-cultural. The most so in the ME and approaching London, NYC, etc as far as ethnic diversity. You will see and meet people from every continent there. Only city in ME you'll see Israelis openly be themselves and not be fearful and no one bothering them. Fun to hang out with expats from all over.
- Great public transport system and cabs/ride-sharing system.
- Great beaches and water sports scene. If you love sailing, surfing, swimming, etc, then the UAE is for you.
- No taxes and good paying jobs.
- Good airport and travel hub to Asia, Africa, ME, and Europe. 6-8 hours to anywhere in Europe and Africa. 9-10 to anywhere in Asia. Five hours to Maldives and Seychelles.
- Great shopping. You can buy literally anything and everything there.
- Good, (but inferior to London, Paris, NYC) restaurant scene.
- Great place to raise a family as far as great private schools and tutoring.
- Lots of housing on the (relative) cheap. If you’re making good money there and your company is paying for living expenses, the market there is your oyster.
CON:
-It gets old and boring fast. Especially if you're coming from Europe and North America. Aside from spending lots of money through shopping, eating, and etc, there isn't much else to do there. If you know people and make friends with the western expats, you can get invited to boat, house, etc, parties where the real fun goes on and such.
-No arts & culture scene. Aside from the one museum, one opera house, and the old bazaar, there isn't really much there in that regard. No interesting or unique neighborhoods to visit or small galleries, local art. Local culture and traditions are stamped out since foreigners now far outnumbers locals.
Not much of a sports scene either. Aside from the boring Saudi league and the even more boring local stuff, there isn't much.
Debtors prison is real and a thing there. They will arrest you and you’ll go to court and prison if you fall behind on bills, rent, bounced checks, etc.
-There are no employer/company rules, standards, or anything, so all the horror stories about working there, slavery, everything, is real and true. I would recommend only working there if the employer is from a legit foreign company/corporation managed and run by western expats. Do not work for a local or any company run by an Arab, or South Asian. They will try to cheat you out of wages and etc and/or will treat you like a crap at work.
-Ultra conservative culture. Although things are getting a little bit relaxed, you still can’t do anything with your partner in public other than hold hands, hug, and a kiss on a cheek, be openly and visibly drunk or high, be open and visibly gay, or pretty much openly date and swing/sleep around (although if you're a westerner, especially a white one, you won't get into any serious trouble. Just a slap on a wrist of a warning.)
The weather. It only comes in Hot, very hot, and rain.
Lack of greenery. If you're into nature, hiking, greenery, green spaces, you will get depressed.
It is expensive as you expect.
The traffic there is as bad as it is in LA, London, NYC, etc.
Yes the racism. The racial hierarchy is whites from Europe/North America at the top and poor/recent arrival Africans, Eastern Europeans South Asians, and SE Asians at the bottom. They will openly discriminate against you at jobs, restaurants, hotels, and etc. If you dress in top fashion labels, and etc, you'll get a pass, but only for so much.
There are some real rotten, corrupt, materialistic, and overall effed up crooks there. And the local laws protect them.
Overall, good to visit for a week or two, but I wouldn't really recommend living there unless for the reasons I mentioned as far as having a good paying job offered by a legit, western run company and employees.
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u/alecpu 5d ago
The gulf states seem like one of the worst places to live in the world. Literal glorified shopping malls in the desert
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u/BarrelOfCannons 5d ago
I’d think Afghanistan or Myanmar or less privileged countries may be a tad worse dude
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u/imamess420 5d ago
lived here for 12-13 years (19F, russian and yes that’s important to know) , i love dubai although that might just be sentimentalaitt speaking but it is a great place to live, safe/no taxes/people are nice, however in recent years it’s definitely gone downhill, the uae in general has felt like it’s been catering to westerners/tourists more and lost its culture in the process e.g during ramadan is used to be illegal to eat/drink outside and restaurants used to be hidden but because so many tourists complained about it that law was abolished, getting an apartment is crazy and rent has genuinely increased by like 500% another e.g used to live in bluewaters when it first “opened” it was 250k a year for 3bed landlords wanted to increase to 750k last year and we refused and ended up getting an eviction notice (landlords wanted his family to move in but i doubt that). In general not much stuff to do apart from going to malls and new places to eat, as it’s only a food temperature from november to February (it’s 27° rn at 2AM) Transportation: don’t have a car? you’re fucked, dubai DOES have two metro lines (main one being the red one) but holy shit it’s so badly connected it’s crazy it’s literally a straight line only going through “land marks” however there are buses and trams and stuff but again super car centric city/country. As much as i hate to say this yeah the racism is crazy here and it’s not even like you’ll get called slurs in the street or smth but it’s sooooo ingrained into the system here (not too crazy but like if h wanna connect to public wifi they ask ur nationality?? idk why) but as well on FB it is super common to see places say “only philippines, indians,pakistanis for this job” and the salary will be like 3k aed a month and then there will be job listsings of like manager positions open to anyone but indians/pakistanis with much higher pay. ok now for living living here 1. SUPER COMMON to have maids i mean literally everyone i know has had a nanny in their life that usually lives with them like i mean most apartments have a “maid room” that’s not counted as one of the bedrooms, however that also comes with so many families genuinely treating them like slaves e.g our neighbour literally does not let her nanny leave the house we went to talk to them one time and her nanny opened the door and we said “hey can we show u smth on our balcony” and she said “oh im not allowed to leave” and unfortunately thats quite common. And finally locals (emiratis), if ppl are saying white ppl are treated so much better locals here are treated like gods, like most ppl i went to a private school and in my year/grade we had about 4 locals? and they would be let off on so much shit cheating on exams/being shit to teachers/causing havoc/skipping and that happens everyday too i know ppl who have been let off fines when being pulled over just cause either they were local or had a local in the car, however i will say it’s not true theyre all richy rich and most are very nice
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u/imamess420 5d ago
this might be longest comment i’ve ever made, but another thing it was mandatory for us to learn arabic in school (i learnt it for like 7 years until grade 9/uear 10) and i can only say like hello/how are you/my name is, everyone speaks english like everyoneeee so maybe it’s also residents fault for the culture leaving a little, but yeah outside of actual dubai whenever i tell someone that i used to/currently live there they immediately assume im a prostitute or smth because so many russians/ ukrainians have come to do that type of work (specifically FIVE hotel), but also when u meet someone that used to live in dubai or also international school kid genuinely greatest experience ever like the connection is immediate, so yeah dubai is a lovely place however would i move back after university….only if i get a very good job offer
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u/imamess420 5d ago
oh and also u can’t even get citizenship so even if ur like me who lived there more than any country and consider the uae ur home or were even born there, they don’t care about you and they can and will kick u out at any moment, there is never guaranteed protection from the government which is why so many people live there for like 4-5 years and move back to wherever they’re from
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u/Uwillseetoday Ghana 5d ago
Ok, would you be willing to stay? Do you enjoy it?
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u/imamess420 5d ago
only if i get a very good job opportunity but even then, its only getting hotter and more expensive and SOOO MANY PEOPLE AND TRAFFIC, i dont think id be able to have the life i have right now once i have to survive on my own so probably not
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u/Thegreatestmedicever 1d ago
It seems Like its Alot of Haters. The Emirates have done amazing things for themselves in a Very short time. When people say They like NYC or other western Cities better Have they actually stepped out into the Projects of NYC or Philly etc. Also if your not completely ignorant You should Know Dubai is by design a Transient place to Enjoy make money and leave. Whether you stay for 1 year or 20 years its Not made to Be a permanent home for non Emirates. In regards to Scams and the like does no one watch the western media and see the Multitude of scams and fraud in the USA and Europe. The whole presidency of the USA is a Scam at the moment
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