New life in Dubai? Advice?
Discussion
To put this into the shortest possible hand, I am 31, have done well financially, however for the last few years have felt lost and down a lot due to a lack of job satisfaction despite the financial rewards. My business is a convenience store (profit circa 6 figures) and on paper worth total of 7 figures (Inc property, shares etc) and have been looking and thinking of a next step in my life before I reach the next age bracket. I have worked since 18 and therefore didn't go to uni. Is this a possibility? Any advice would be appreciated.
ninepoint2 said:
My son has just returned from a holiday in Dubai, based on his pics and what he tells me it was like, I would rather stick rusty nails in my eyes than move there, however I am a self confessed grumpy old git so this advice is probably biased 
Ditto… you’d have to pay me 10x to get me to move out there.I’m not that familiar with Dubai but it does appear to be focussed on consumerism rather than culture based on historical behaviours.
You might want to consider SE Asia for a cultural experience and with the sort of money you would raise from your business sale you could live very comfortably for a long time.
You might want to consider SE Asia for a cultural experience and with the sort of money you would raise from your business sale you could live very comfortably for a long time.
I wish every time there was a post containing Dubai, a mandatory field popped up asking if you had ever actually been.
The modern, tax free place with a booming economy,
gorgeous weather (for half of the year), beaches, no chavs or crime, great nightlife ain’t all bad you know!
To own a business in Dubai I don’t think would be too bad. If you wanted to stay in the convenience store business I imagine it would translate quite well.
I’m less likely to recommend it as an employee. They have a lot of access to cheap labour and the expat packages of old are hard to come by. They’re also quite disorganised.
With regards to Asia you are much closer if you base yourself in Dubai. You could make your money in Dubai and fly out somewhere for the peak summer if you can arrange your life that way.
The modern, tax free place with a booming economy,
gorgeous weather (for half of the year), beaches, no chavs or crime, great nightlife ain’t all bad you know!
To own a business in Dubai I don’t think would be too bad. If you wanted to stay in the convenience store business I imagine it would translate quite well.
I’m less likely to recommend it as an employee. They have a lot of access to cheap labour and the expat packages of old are hard to come by. They’re also quite disorganised.
With regards to Asia you are much closer if you base yourself in Dubai. You could make your money in Dubai and fly out somewhere for the peak summer if you can arrange your life that way.
Edited by muscatdxb on Wednesday 26th June 10:32
I moved to Dubai 18 months ago - I think the people criticising it have no idea what it's like.
What do you want from moving here? I've found a dramatic improvement to our lifestyle since, from the sports facilities to the activities we can do as a family. Our life isn't brunch and selfies (but if that's what you want, it's there for you!). We have a rented villa with access to a community pool and gym which we use quite a lot.
The last two weekends have been between 48 and 50 degrees at the middle of the day, so you need to work around that! You have to adapt to the weather wherever you live though (we're coming back to the UK for a few weeks soon, to beat the heat).
It's a very easy place to gain residency - you either get a job, buy property, setup a business or use one of the freelance or remote worker pathways. I setup a company which gave me a license to issue myself a visa, I could then apply for dependent visas for the rest of my family.
What do you want from moving here? I've found a dramatic improvement to our lifestyle since, from the sports facilities to the activities we can do as a family. Our life isn't brunch and selfies (but if that's what you want, it's there for you!). We have a rented villa with access to a community pool and gym which we use quite a lot.
The last two weekends have been between 48 and 50 degrees at the middle of the day, so you need to work around that! You have to adapt to the weather wherever you live though (we're coming back to the UK for a few weeks soon, to beat the heat).
It's a very easy place to gain residency - you either get a job, buy property, setup a business or use one of the freelance or remote worker pathways. I setup a company which gave me a license to issue myself a visa, I could then apply for dependent visas for the rest of my family.
Agree. I split my time between the UK and Dubai.
Escaping the grey skies, chavs, crumbling public services and high taxes and stagnant economy nets out well vs the downsides of a bit of consumerism and the occasional eye candy posting pictures on Instagram.
I agree the heat and humidity are hellish though and it’s half the year.
Escaping the grey skies, chavs, crumbling public services and high taxes and stagnant economy nets out well vs the downsides of a bit of consumerism and the occasional eye candy posting pictures on Instagram.
I agree the heat and humidity are hellish though and it’s half the year.
My pal was given the opportunity to work out there recently on some fairly big money. He's a UK contractor but the rates to work over there were 3x over here and they gave him free accommodation (that was very nice). He's single and no real UK ties.
He went out there and was home within 10 days. He hated it. Hated the culture (work, human rights, freedom, everything), hated the dryness and the heat, hated the fact everything is fake, everything was really forced.
If you venture away from the shiny fake manufactured parts then you realise you're in a proper 3rd world country with some very very deep issues.
He went out there and was home within 10 days. He hated it. Hated the culture (work, human rights, freedom, everything), hated the dryness and the heat, hated the fact everything is fake, everything was really forced.
If you venture away from the shiny fake manufactured parts then you realise you're in a proper 3rd world country with some very very deep issues.
One of the keys to happiness rather than wealth, status etc is a feeling of purpose IME. And one of the best ways of achieving that is to do something whether as part of your job or outside that involves giving ie charitable work, volunteering etc. Can your business support you in doing something less materially rewarding but which fulfils that need? Why do so many people in finance for example burn out and move on to less materially rewarding careers but say they are happier?
I'd echo what RS says, moving half way round the world to one fo the most materialistic places on Earth populated by people who signal materialism and self-obsession sounds like a really bad idea.
I'd echo what RS says, moving half way round the world to one fo the most materialistic places on Earth populated by people who signal materialism and self-obsession sounds like a really bad idea.
Can you run the business hands off?
Moving 3.5k miles around the world wont make your problems go away. Go and experience some different places and base your decision on that.
Going on holiday somewhere is vastly different to living there. We'd holidayed in Dubai lots of times before moving, we spent our last holiday looking at at different communities and villas to make a go/no-go decision on the whole thing. There were communities which just didn't feel right and you might feel that way about the whole place!
Moving 3.5k miles around the world wont make your problems go away. Go and experience some different places and base your decision on that.
Going on holiday somewhere is vastly different to living there. We'd holidayed in Dubai lots of times before moving, we spent our last holiday looking at at different communities and villas to make a go/no-go decision on the whole thing. There were communities which just didn't feel right and you might feel that way about the whole place!
muscatdxb said:
I agree the heat and humidity are hellish though and it’s half the year.
This is why I couldn't do it. My brother lives and works in Dubai, and my father spent 25 years in the middle east. The hot months areas you say hellish. It's like that heat when you open an oven and get a lung full of hot air, except its everywhere (outside).
Following. I am curious about this as I love the hotter weather and although I've never been to Dubai the earning potential, and lifestyle does appeal.
I'm a standard employee (cybersecurity consultant) and lucky to be paid really well in the UK. However, I can't stand the weather (except today when it's about 29c!).
I'm a standard employee (cybersecurity consultant) and lucky to be paid really well in the UK. However, I can't stand the weather (except today when it's about 29c!).
RSTurboPaul said:
I think speaking to someone to help work out exactly why you feel down would be a good starting point before moving halfway round the world and potentially finding yourself feeling the same but in a different land.
This is the most important post of the thread.What exactly are you feeling down about?
I've had friends in a similar position to the OP where they just felt fed up with life, wanted to get away from everything and start again, wanted a change, all that sort of thing, and they moved to New Zealand, one moved to Canada, got good jobs, got themselves a nice place to live.... and then felt exactly the same as they did in the UK.
Turned out they had underlying issues the needed to deal with. Depression in one case.
Moving countries won't help you with any mental state you may be in.
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