Middle East Archives

I moved to Dubai from California in March 2020, right before the pandemic escalated. Honestly, I did not anticipate leaving California when I did. I left because I was in need of a job, and the contract I was working on came to an unexpected end. According to the annual Expat Explorer survey released by HSBC, the UAE is one of the top countries for Expats to live and work. Leaving California was a hard decision to pass on other opportunities that I had in California. The quality of life, lower income taxes, and ability to travel made the opportunity that I had in Dubai extremely attractive. California has a lot to offer in terms of work opportunities, weather, interesting people, and things to do. The cons of living in California, were the cost to rent or purchase a home, high taxes, and many other issues that I won't get into. Dubai during covid lockdown My plan to move to Dubai was to spend a couple of years working on a challenging and interesting project and eventually return to California. I lived in California two separate times due to work, for nearly 10 years of my life. I've become familiar with California and enjoyed living there, despite its cons. Many people in Dubai have asked me "What made you move to Dubai from California?" I haven't met many Americans living in Dubai. Most Americans that I've met in Dubai were tourists. I remember calling my bank in the U.S., and the representative asked me "I apologize, but which country is Dubai in?" Dubai is far from the U.S., it's a 15-hour flight. Another reason Dubai may not be attractive to Americans is that we still have to pay some taxes abroad. Since moving to Dubai, I've made some really good friends and had the chance to explore other Emirates. There are all kinds of activities to spend time in such as going to the beach, going to all kinds of restaurants, going to all kinds of events, etc. It's a bit of a challenge to travel at the moment due to the pandemic, but my goal is to travel through Asia, Africa, and Europe once the pandemic settles down. There are many exotic locations within a few hours flying time of Dubai. In just a few hours you can be in exotic locations such as Zanzibar, Phuket, The Maldives, Seychelles, or Cyprus to name a few. Snoopy Island - Fujairah, UAE I've made friends from all over the world. I've made friends from Africa, Asia, Europe, and The Americas all living and working in Dubai. I enjoy sharing my culture and way of life and also enjoy learning about theirs. There is a misperception that everyone in Dubai is rich, not true. You'll meet people here living under all kinds of circumstances, some more fortunate than others. The UAE is a fairly young country, Dubai is a new city, and it's a melting pot of cultures building an identity. I've heard people mention Dubai lacks a soul and is a fake city, ultimately the city is what you make it and what you contribute. If you are selfless and giving, hopefully, you'll get something out of the experience.