Thinking of moving to Dubai? We know, its lavish lifestyle including dream jobs and world-class healthcare facilities and safe status are what appeal to people. Dubai is hot, it has beaches, concrete jungle and everything charming. It makes people excited, like it’s calling their name. However, right after touching down in Dubai and before throwing down your bags, do yourself a favour and update yourself with local knowledge. Yes! There is so much you need to know before making this move.
We have conducted some research to help you make your stay as swift and stress-free as possible.
What to expect from Dubai?
With excellent employment opportunities, viable Dubai real estate investment options, improved educational institutions, and reasonable cost of living – Dubai is one of the most favourite places to move to. Besides offering all premium facilities, Dubai is renowned for its culture, rich maritime history, warm hospitality and rich heritage. It is one of the richest cities in the Middle East and tourism accounts for almost 12 per cent of Dubai’s total GDP. Notably, Dubai has historically been a popular destination for tourism, starting a business and settling your family.
Dubai is a melting pot of culture and you can expect to find a large number of people from your community in this new city. Dubai has a competitive job market and if you are sure about your skills and experience, you can expect a high salary that will allow you to enjoy several luxuries of life. However, keep in mind that UAE is a Muslim country and laws and customs are according to the Islamic religion. In order to fully immerse yourself in Dubai’s lifestyle, you should respect local traditions and customs.
Note: Three are serious penalties for doing and being involved in illegal activities.
Things to watch out for while moving to Dubai
Dubai is a large bustling city – home to around 3.5 million people who belong to different nationalities. Initially, you may think it will be hard to find them but it is easier to meet them and know them, when you live in one of the top housing communities in Dubai such as Downtown Dubai, Dubai Marina, and Dubai Creek Harbour. A few things that you must consider before moving to Dubai:
Moving-to-Dubai checklist
- Is your passport valid for a period of at least six more months to even enter Dubai?
- Do you have an offer of employment? In this case, your employer will ask you for a few documents and you won’t have to do anything in this regard. The company will do this in advance and all you need is to sign a few documents.
- Have you cancelled all the subscriptions at your current place of residence, before moving to Dubai?
- Get all your documents attested including your educational credentials, and marriage and birth certificates.
- Have you searched properties in Dubai to stay in?
- Will your company provide you with a place to stay?
- Have you sourced your tenancy agreement as proof of address before moving?
- Whether you are moving with or without family but you must have an idea of the budget to spend a comfortable life. Have you calculated your budget?
- In most cases, the employer will keep your passport with him. It may sound odd and make you uncomfortable – but it is a common practice in Dubai.
Have you found a property in Dubai?
Yes, this is the most important question. No matter, when you are coming and from where you are coming but you need to be sure about your accommodation – way before moving to Dubai. You can start your search at HFRE, if you are sure about your preferred option, as you can get all types of properties in Dubai including villas, apartments, townhouses, beachfront properties and penthouses. You must start searching for properties in advance, especially when you have made up your point to move to Dubai.
You should also be sure about your budget, type of properties in Dubai that you want, and amenities you want in your Dubai home. A few other pointers that you must consider include the proximity to schools (if you are moving with family), and distance to your workplace.
Things to consider before finalizing a property in Dubai
- If your employer is not providing you with a place to stay, you will have to arrange it yourself. If you are not willing to move into shared accommodation and want one of the rental properties in Dubai, you need to have a copy of your residence visa. In this case, you will have to wait until your employer gets it processed.
- Though Dubai is a well-connected metropolitan city but the location is the most important consideration when it comes to choosing certain properties in Dubai. You must be sure about the distance from one location to another, especially the distance from your home to the workplace before finalizing a property.
Brace the heat
You must have heard about hotels, parks, shopping centres, schools and properties in Dubai and summers in Dubai. However, without personally experiencing and moving here, you will probably never know how hot this city can be. Summers are fierce here and with temperatures just hitting the high 40Cs – it can actually feel a lot hotter than the figure on a thermometer.
However, there are numerous ways to cope with the heat. Every development and every public facility is centrally air conditioned – even the bus stops. Moreover, there is no power outage (unless there is no technical issue) so a gush of cool breeze is never far away.
Dubai offers an almost tax-free lifestyle
To your delight – the UAE government does not levy taxes on your personal income or capital gains taxes!
It means you get to keep all the money you earn in form of a salary. Moreover, if you intend to invest in properties in Dubai, you will not have to pay any tax. You can also get a residence visa by investing in properties in Dubai worth AED10 million, AED5 million and even AED2 million.
VAT is charged on all purchases including grocery shopping, furniture, clothes and all other purchases.
Cost of living
Though everyone will tell you that Dubai is expensive but the cost of living depends upon several factors including the type of lifestyle you want, the community you choose, the properties you pick and the schools you find for your kids. Rental prices are fairly high in the most prime areas of the city but if you want to save on your accommodation costs, you can move to reasonably priced areas. Day-to-day life in Dubai can be as costly or as budgeted as you want to make it. You can find almost everything in the budget at supermarkets like Carrefour and Nesto.
For other things like clothes and accessories, you can choose brands that offer reasonably priced items. You can also wait for sale, when things are cheap.
This is all for now – and we hope, we have made the move to Dubai easier for you. Everything glitzy and everything charming is waiting for you. Just pack your bags, book your flight, pick a property in Dubai and move!
Welcome to Dubai!
