What living in Dubai is actually like

Summary

In this video, the creator shares his experience of moving to Dubai, highlighting the ease of relocation through company establishment and visa approval. He emphasizes the significant financial benefits of the 0% income tax and the straightforward process of opening a business and bank accounts. The creator also discusses lifestyle adjustments, the cost of living, and the city's safety, comparing them to his life in the UK. He touches on the social scene, making friends, and the misconceptions about Dubai's party-centric image, painting a picture of a city that's both a business hub and a family-oriented environment.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker moved to Dubai from the UK and found the process of setting up a company and obtaining a visa straightforward due to hiring a professional service.
• 💼 Dubai offers a 0% income tax rate, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax countries like the UK.
• 🏦 Opening a company and a business bank account in Dubai was simple for the speaker, who values the ease of handling multiple currencies.
• 🌐 The speaker uses WorldFirst for managing global business finances, appreciating its features like same-day payments in multiple currencies and low FX fees.
• 🏡 The cost of living in Dubai is generally cheaper than in major Western cities, especially considering the absence of income tax.
• 🛋️ Furniture and white goods are notably affordable in Dubai, which was a pleasant surprise for the speaker.
• 🏠 The speaker chose to rent a spacious villa in a family-oriented community, despite the high rent, for the quality of life and security it offers.
• 🔐 Dubai is considered very safe, with strict laws and a low crime rate, allowing for a carefree lifestyle.
• 🌡️ The heat is a significant adjustment for someone from a cooler climate like the UK, but air conditioning is ubiquitous.
• 🤝 Making friends in Dubai is easier for the speaker due to his social media presence, allowing him to connect with like-minded individuals.

Q & A

Why did the speaker move to Dubai?

The speaker moved to Dubai for a change of lifestyle, to experience living in a different country, and to take advantage of the 0% income tax.

How did the speaker establish residency in Dubai?

The speaker opened up a company in Dubai, which then submitted a visa application for them, allowing them to move to Dubai.

What was the speaker's experience with the process of moving to Dubai?

The speaker found the process of moving to Dubai fairly simple, as they had someone else handle the company setup and visa process for them.

What is the impact of 0% income tax on high earners in Dubai?

The 0% income tax in Dubai can potentially double the income of high earners compared to what they would take home in countries with high tax rates, like the UK.

How does the speaker manage their finances with multiple currencies?

The speaker uses WorldFirst's one world business accounts to manage multiple currencies, which allows for same day payment arrival in over 90 different currencies.

What are some lifestyle differences the speaker has noticed between the UK and Dubai?

The speaker's lifestyle hasn't changed much, but they've noticed that people in Dubai are very friendly and the cost of living is generally cheaper compared to major Western cities.

How did the speaker move their belongings from the UK to Dubai?

The speaker used a company called Pickfords to move some tech items and gadgets, but mostly started fresh in Dubai by buying new items.

What is the speaker's opinion on the safety in Dubai?

The speaker finds Dubai to be extremely safe, with very low crime rates and strict laws that contribute to the overall sense of security.

How does the speaker feel about the Westernization of Dubai?

The speaker is pleasantly surprised by the Western feel of Dubai, with familiar brands and services, which makes the transition easier for someone coming from a Western country.

What are the speaker's thoughts on the cost of living in Dubai?

The speaker believes that the cost of living in Dubai is cheaper than in major Western cities, especially when considering the absence of income tax.

What is the speaker's strategy for dealing with Dubai's hot climate?

The speaker plans to travel during the hottest summer months to avoid the extreme heat and take advantage of the quieter period in Dubai.

Outlines

00:00

🌍 Moving to Dubai: Initial Experiences and Logistics

The speaker shares their personal journey of relocating to Dubai, highlighting the simplicity of the process facilitated by a company that handled their business setup and visa application. They emphasize the stark contrast of a 0% income tax rate in Dubai compared to the high taxation in the UK, which can significantly impact high earners. The speaker also touches on the ease of opening a company and a business bank account, mentioning the benefits of having a multi-currency account for their global financial management. They introduce WorldFirst as a service tailored for businesses operating in multiple currencies, praising its features like same-day payment arrival and competitive FX fees.

05:00

🏡 Life Transitions and Practicalities in Dubai

The speaker discusses the lifestyle changes upon moving to Dubai, noting that despite the significant move, their routine remained largely the same. They address common inquiries about moving personal belongings, opting to use a company called Pickfords for a hassle-free transition. The cost of living in Dubai is compared to Western cities, with the speaker finding it cheaper overall, especially considering the absence of income tax. They share their experience of furnishing a new home, finding local prices for interior design surprisingly affordable. The speaker also details their housing choice, opting for a spacious villa in a family-oriented community, and mentions the expedited process of finding and moving into a place in Dubai.

10:01

🔐 Safety and Western Influences in Dubai

The speaker praises Dubai's high safety standards, drawing comparisons with their experiences in London and noting the rarity of crime. They comment on the city's Westernized feel, with familiar brands and services like Careem, which offers a range of conveniences from transportation to home services. The speaker also touches on the prevalence of English speakers in Dubai, making it accessible for English-speaking expats. They observe the American-style reliance on cars for transportation and note the city's infrastructure, which includes facilities for outdoor activities despite the heat. The speaker also reflects on the ease of making friends in Dubai,得益于他们的社交媒体影响力，他们能够轻松地结识志同道合的人。

15:01

🌡 Adjusting to Dubai's Climate and Societal Misconceptions

The speaker expresses their struggle with Dubai's extreme heat, a significant adjustment from the UK's milder climate. They outline their strategy to travel during the hottest months to avoid the discomfort. The speaker dispels the myth of Dubai being solely a playground for the wealthy, emphasizing the family-oriented and professional aspects of the city. They discuss the work-hard, play-hard mentality prevalent among residents and their own motivation to succeed in this environment. The speaker also contemplates the transient nature of expat life in Dubai, where many people eventually return to their home countries after working for a period.

20:02

🏋️‍♂️ Health and Wellness in Dubai

In the final paragraph, the speaker notes Dubai's health-conscious culture, with a plethora of gyms, health clubs, and accessible healthy food options. They conclude the video by reflecting on their initial experiences in Dubai, hinting at the possibility of future updates as their time in the city progresses. The speaker invites viewers to follow their social media for more insights and subscribe for continued content.

Keywords

💡Dubai

Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates known for its luxury shopping, modern architecture, and vibrant nightlife scene. In the video, the speaker discusses their personal experience of moving to Dubai, highlighting aspects such as the ease of company setup, the benefits of a 0% income tax rate, and the city's safety and Westernized lifestyle. Dubai serves as the central theme of the video, as the speaker shares insights into living and working in this cosmopolitan city.

💡Income Tax

Income tax refers to the tax imposed on individuals or entities in respect of the income earned by them. The video emphasizes the 0% income tax rate in Dubai, which is a significant draw for high earners or those looking to avoid high tax burdens. The speaker contrasts this with the UK's progressive tax system, where high earners can be taxed at rates up to 45%, illustrating the potential financial benefits of living in Dubai.

💡Company Setup

Company setup refers to the process of establishing a new business entity. In the context of the video, the speaker mentions the simplicity of opening a company in Dubai, which involves submitting a visa application through the company. This process is part of the speaker's narrative of relocating and highlights the business-friendly environment in Dubai.

💡Visa Process

The visa process involves obtaining the necessary permissions to live and work in a foreign country. The speaker in the video describes how their company facilitated the visa process, making it seamless for them to move to Dubai. This keyword is crucial as it forms part of the practical advice the speaker shares about moving to Dubai.

💡WorldFirst

WorldFirst is a financial service mentioned in the video that specializes in foreign exchange and cross-border payments. The speaker uses WorldFirst as an example of a service that helps manage multiple currency accounts, which is essential for their global business operations. This keyword is relevant as it ties into the broader discussion about financial management and business operations in Dubai.

💡Cost of Living

Cost of living refers to the amount of money needed to sustain a certain standard of living in a particular city or country. The video discusses the cost of living in Dubai compared to Western cities, noting that while some aspects like rent can be cheaper, other items like groceries might be more expensive. This keyword is important as it provides viewers with a realistic expectation of the financial aspects of living in Dubai.

💡Expat Community

An expat community consists of individuals living outside their home country. The speaker mentions that Dubai has a large expat community, which contributes to the city's diverse and multicultural environment. This keyword is significant as it underscores the ease of integration and the social dynamics for newcomers in Dubai.

💡Safety

Safety in the context of the video refers to the security and lack of crime in Dubai. The speaker emphasizes Dubai's high safety standards, which are attributed to strict laws and effective policing. This keyword is integral to the video's message as it addresses a common concern for those considering moving to a new country.

💡Westernized

Westernized describes the adoption of Western culture, values, and practices. The video mentions that Dubai feels very Westernized, with familiar brands and services, making it easier for Western expats to adapt to life in the city. This keyword is important as it highlights the city's cosmopolitan nature and its appeal to a global audience.

💡Work-Life Balance

Work-life balance refers to the equilibrium between an individual's work and personal life. The speaker reflects on the work-life balance in Dubai, noting that despite a culture of hard work and ambition, there is also a strong emphasis on enjoying life and leisure. This keyword is relevant as it speaks to the overall quality of life and lifestyle choices available in Dubai.

💡Health-Oriented

Health-oriented implies a focus on maintaining or improving one's health through various activities and practices. The video describes Dubai as a health-conscious city with numerous gyms, health clubs, and availability of healthy food options. This keyword is significant as it reflects the city's facilities and the lifestyle preferences of its residents.

Highlights

The speaker has returned to the UK temporarily for personal events.

Dubai's high temperature is a notable difference from the UK's climate.

The move to Dubai was facilitated by establishing a company and obtaining a visa.

A professional service was used to handle the company setup and visa process.

The advantages of 0% income tax in Dubai for high earners are highlighted.

Corporation tax in Dubai varies by company type and source of income.

Opening a company and business bank account in Dubai was a straightforward process.

WorldFirst is recommended for its multi-currency business accounts and low FX fees.

The transition from the UK to Dubai was eased by financial means and existing business success.

Dubai's lifestyle differences are subjective and vary from person to person.

The speaker moved only essential tech items from the UK to Dubai using Pickfords.

Dubai's friendly and open culture is emphasized, contrasting with more reserved Western cities.

Cost of living in Dubai is generally cheaper than major Western cities, especially considering the lack of income tax.

Home furniture and white goods are notably affordable in Dubai.

The speaker chose a villa in a family-oriented community with high safety standards.

Dubai's property market allows for quick moves, with the speaker moving in just seven days after viewing.

The speaker is considering the long-term prospect of buying property in Dubai.

Dubai is praised for its high safety standards and strict laws.

Dubai feels Westernized with familiar brands and services, including Careem and Noon.

English is widely spoken in Dubai, facilitating social and business interactions.

Dubai's infrastructure and lifestyle are compared to an American city, with a focus on driving and large roads.

Making friends in Dubai is discussed, with the speaker's experience being influenced by his social media presence.

The heat in Dubai is identified as a significant challenge, especially for those not accustomed to high temperatures.

Dubai is not solely a party and luxury destination; it also offers a family-oriented and peaceful lifestyle.

The work culture in Dubai is characterized by a focus on financial improvement and career advancement.

Dubai is also recognized for its health-oriented community with numerous gyms and health clubs.

Transcripts

Right, so my experience moving to Dubai

a few months later.

So as you can see, I am back in the UK right now.

Came back to the UK just for a little bit,

for a few days, for a few weeks,

because I have weddings and stuff to go to,

and it's really hot in Dubai.

But anyway, Dubai a few months later,

I have written down a lot of notes here

because I just wanted to make sure I cover everything,

and share my experience of what it's been like

because this has been a big, big move for me.

Moving country,

I've never even really moved.

I've moved area a little bit I guess.

I moved from my parents' house to my own place,

but it's not that far.

But moving country, that's a big deal,

that's something I never thought I would even do.

So I have already done a video on why I moved to Dubai.

But just quickly recapping,

I moved to Dubai in March.

The way I moved to Dubai was fairly simple.

I opened up a company.

My company then submits a visa for me,

and then I'm approved to move to Dubai,

which is fairly simple.

It sounds simple, of course,

and the reason why it sounds simple

in the way I'm saying it

is because I didn't actually do anything.

I actually had someone else handle my whole company setup,

my whole visa process, stuff like that.

You can do it yourself.

But I didn't wanna spend the time

of having to learn all that process

and do the paperwork and stuff.

So I would much prefer paying someone else.

If anyone is interested

in also moving to Dubai,

I will leave a link to the contact form

to that person,

so that you can figure out

if you wanna move to Dubai or UAE in general.

You can move to like Abu Dhabi or some other city in the UAE.

And yeah, that person can basically

just handle the whole process.

They're amazing.

They've done an amazing job just making my life a lot easier.

So some of the thoughts, experiences, and learnings.

I don't think people realise how powerful 0% income tax is,

especially if you're from a country which taxes you quite highly.

So in the UK,

once you earn a certain amount of money,

if you're a high earner,

someone who's earning six figures,

seven figures, anything like that,

you start getting taxed 40-45%.

But that's your income tax.

Then you're also taxed on other things like fuel, food,

things you buy, sort of property taxes,

council taxes, things like that.

So taxes can really add up if you're in a high tax country.

But Dubai is very much the opposite.

Now, of course, they do have some taxes here in there,

but your income tax is 0%.

So if you earn $1,000,000,

you take home $1,000,000.

In the UK, if you earn $1,000,000,

you take home half a million dollars.

Well, just above half a million dollars.

So you can imagine that is super powerful

because if you're someone who is a high earner,

you could potentially be doubling your income

just by moving to a country

that has 0% income tax.

Now there is corporation tax,

and that very much varies on the company type,

where your income is from, other stuff as well.

But my knowledge of the space is quite lacking.

That's really the only stuff I know.

This is why it's always worth paying for an accountant.

I have basic tax knowledge.

I would much rather pay for an accountant to make sure

that all my taxes are above board.

I just know that there are some corporation taxes here in there.

But I think for my company and the work that I do,

I don't pay any corporation tax

because it doesn't fall into any of those categories.

Opening a company for me was very, very simple

and even opening a business bank account

was also very simple

because once you've opened the company,

you can open a business bank account no problem.

And there's so many business bank accounts to choose from,

there's all sorts.

And with the business that I have,

and the business that I run,

I have multiple currency accounts

because I sort of manage money from all over the world, really.

It's very important that I have multiple currencies.

That is where the sponsor of this video comes in perfectly.

WorldFirst.

So WorldFirst is a service that's specifically designed

for businesses that operate globally

in multiple currencies.

It's perfect for people like me,

who want to exchange money regularly

but don't want to pay the stupidly high FX fees.

Their one world business accounts provide features

such as same day payment arrival

in over 90 different currencies.

This is, again, a big one for me personally,

as I receive money,

I manage money primarily in dollars,

pounds, euros, and dirhams.

Knowing that I can easily accept those different currencies

and manage those currencies, just makes my life a lot easier.

It's free to open account with them,

and they have zero monthly maintenance fees.

You can collect payments from over 130 different marketplaces

like Amazon, eBay, and others.

This is a big one for people who are selling services,

selling products all over the world.

One of the key features is that it provides

some of the cheapest and the most competitive FX fees

when making international payments

and exchanging your own money.

And you can even take it a step further

and utilise forward contracts

to lock in exchange rates for the future,

which can help protect against currency fluctuations.

So yeah, if you're someone who has a business,

and you're looking for a multi-currency business account,

something where you can accept different currencies,

manage different currencies,

pay in different currencies,

all that sort of stuff,

which is exactly what I do

because I just have so many different currencies all the time.

This is the perfect service.

So make sure to check out worldfirst.com

They also have a £200 signing bonus.

Make sure to check it out.

When it comes to transitioning from the UK to Dubai,

now of course, like I said, it's a big move.

It's not easy transitioning.

For me though,

it was fairly easy, in the sense of,

I think it's because--

Obviously, I'm in this very unique position,

where I have a business that's already making good money,

I have money, I have capital,

and money does solve a lot of problems.

There's no denying that.

Yeah, that's pretty true. That's true.

And yeah, that's true. That's true.

So being able to just quickly move fairly swiftly to Dubai.

Yeah, it was quite easy.

Now, the lifestyle differences compared to UK and Dubai,

it can vary,

'cause I think it just sort of varies person to person.

My lifestyle hasn't actually changed that much whatsoever

because my life is quite simple.

Gym in the morning,

work for the day,

and do stuff in the evenings

and I've been able to just keep my life like that,

moving from the UK to Dubai.

It really hasn't changed.

When it comes to moving stuff.

This is one of the most common questions I got,

it's how did I miss stuff from the UK to Dubai?

I didn't actually move that much stuff whatsoever.

I only moved some tech stuff,

my monitors, my sort of gadgets and stuff,

just a few things.

I used a company called Pickfords to move everything.

It wasn't cheap,

but it was worth it to do it,

to not have to buy those things again.

Especially something like my Pro Display XDR,

which you obviously can't see here,

because it's in Dubai.

So it made sense to move that.

But everything else, I just bought again.

So again, like in Dubai,

it just made sense to sort of start from fresh

because it's really nice to start from fresh.

Now I can really think about

what I want to buy and what I want to have

instead of just having all this stuff

that I already have and moving it to Dubai.

Something else I noticed is that

everyone is super friendly, super nice and friendly.

I've not had any issues with people being rude or anything.

Especially if you're someone

from a city like London or from New York

or something like that.

Any other major city,

where people just keep to themselves.

In Dubai,

people do generally keep to themselves,

but if you wanna speak to someone,

they do open up.

They sort of light when you when you speak to them.

It's funny because I think everyone's like super serious,

just like in London.

But yeah, everyone's super friendly.

And the most common question people always ask is,

"Hey, where are you from?"

Because obviously over 90%--

I think it's 90% of people in Dubai,

are also expats,

they're people who have moved to Dubai for work

or for something else.

So people are always interested

in trying to just understand where you're from

and what you're doing there.

Cost of living compared to Western cities.

I wanna make that clear.

Cost of living compared to Western cities,

major Western cities.

It's definitely cheaper in Dubai.

When you take into consideration

the overall cost of living,

like rent, groceries, utilities, things like that.

It can seem expensive in some ways,

but then it's also cheaper in other ways.

Especially if you're not paying any income tax.

It can really make a difference.

So for example, for the amount you pay per square foot,

for an apartment or a house

or whatever it might be,

it's definitely cheaper in Dubai.

But some things can be more expensive,

like when you go to buy groceries,

some meats, some fish like salmon, tuna can be more expensive.

But I think that's purely just because obviously

they have to import it all.

They don't have farms and stuff there.

So that's why it's more expensive.

I still think you can get by on a budget

if you know where to go.

Now, of course,

I'm going to the sort of Western supermarkets

like Waitrose and M&S, and stuff that we have in the UK.

So obviously I'm paying more,

but the reason I'm paying more

is because I know what I'm getting.

But I know you can definitely spend a lot less on food there.

Something that completely blew my mind

is that home furniture and white goods are amazingly cheap.

You can buy the coolest sofas,

the coolest beds,

you can buy sideboards,

just stuff that

if you're into interior design, you will love it.

Interior design in Dubai is a big thing,

and everything is super, super cheap for interior design.

It really blew my mind.

I was like, if I bought the same sofa in the UK,

this sofa would probably be five times the price.

I ended up choosing a villa.

So they call it villas,

even though essentially it's just a house,

but they call houses villas over there.

And my villa is not cheap.

I pay $5,600 a month for rent for my villa.

It sounds like a lot, and it is a lot,

that's actually a ridiculous amount of money to pay for rent.

But I have a four bedroom plus a maid's room.

So, technically it's five bedroom

and five bathrooms.

I also have parking for two cars

and it's in a private gated community with security.

So when I take into consideration sort of all those costs,

and of course, it's 2,500 square feet,

which makes it double the size of my UK home.

Yeah, when you take into all of that,

I think it's actually really worth it.

But again, in Dubai,

you can pay a lot less for rent

depending on the area you choose,

where you wanna live,

all that sort of stuff.

But I've chosen a more sort of expat community

and more sort of family orientated community.

I'm not directly in the city.

So I know that even though I'm paying this premium,

it's worth it for me for sort of the experience

and overall community that I'm living in.

Another thing is when it comes to finding a place in Dubai,

you can move in very, very quickly.

I viewed my place and then I moved in seven days later.

It really is that quick.

You can even get it done quicker.

Sometimes you can get it done the same day,

depending on if you're looking at like an apartment or a villa

or if any work needs to be done.

But yeah, moving into a place in Dubai is super, super quick.

I am still trying to decide whether I should buy a property or not,

but right now I'm renting,

even though I've mentioned on the channel before

that it's always sort of worth buying your own place.

I think for my situation right now,

it makes sense to rent,

because I don't know how long I'll be in Dubai,

whether it's going to be a year,

whether it's gonna be five years, ten years.

That's still something I'm trying to figure out

because I'm trying to get a feel of Dubai

to see if I really do wanna live there long term.

If I do plan to live there long term,

maybe like five or ten years,

then yeah, I might buy.

But right now,

I think it makes more sense for me to rent.

One of the best things about Dubai

is that it is ridiculously safe.

Now, of course, no place in the world is like 100% safe,

but Dubai is well up there,

top tier sort of safety.

Sort of safe place to stay, live,

and sort of just be happy, you could say,

especially for someone like me,

who's sort of grown up around London,

growing up in the UK and stuff.

You know, like houses getting robbed,

and people getting stabbed and stuff,

is a common thing in London,

which is just crazy.

Stabbings, and getting your watch robbed,

and your phone mugged from you and stuff like that,

is like so common in London.

I feel like most people I know in London have gone through

some sort of crazy criminal activity.

It's just crazy.

In Dubai that just doesn't happen.

Now I'm sure it does happen here and there,

but it's not something you really hear of.

It's not something you see.

It's not something people really talk about

because it's just so rare.

Because when it does happen, people do talk about it

because it's that rare.

That safety is really, really nice.

It's so safe you can leave your front door unlocked at home.

You could go and leave your front door unlocked.

You can leave your car running in the road,

no one is gonna take it.

You can go to a cafe, a restaurant,

leave your laptop, your phone,

your watch, whatever it might be, on a table.

No one's gonna touch it.

It's just crazy to me how safe it is.

Now, of course, the reason it's so safe

is because they have very strict laws,

which make sense.

I think if they didn't have the strict laws,

then people wouldn't behave.

You've got to have a good balance, you could say.

It also feels very Western.

So it feels like a Western city that's in the Middle East,

because everything is so familiar

in many different ways.

Especially when it comes to brands,

all of the brands that we see in the UK, in the US,

in Europe, you see them in Dubai.

And that's what blew my mind a lot when I saw first went,

I was like, this is not as sort of Arab or Middle East as I expected.

It just feels very westernised,

which is obviously a good thing for me

because I've grown up in a Western culture,

I've grown up in the UK all my life.

I'm very much used to it,

sort of Western brands, Western culture,

that sort of stuff.

And it surprisingly translates really well in Dubai.

They have services called Careem at then Noon,

which are very similar to sort of Amazon.

It's like competitors to Amazon,

'cause they also have Amazon there.

And yeah, these services are amazing.

Careem especially.

It's like an all-in-one utility app.

It basically is like Uber on steroids.

Because on Careem

you can order a taxi,

you can order restaurant food,

you can order groceries,

you can order home cleaning,

you can order a hairdresser,

laundry, and just much more.

You can even have someone come do your nails and stuff.

It's wild.

It really is like Uber on steroids.

Careem is the app that is mostly used over there

for sort of doing these sorts of things.

And yeah, it's amazing because they very much digitised

as much as they can,

and everything is catered to make your life easier.

So if you're someone who really does value your own time,

and you're willing to pay the premium

to sort of save time, to have people come to you,

Dubai is the perfect place.

Pretty much everyone also speaks English,

which is obviously fantastic

because then there isn't sort of a major language barrier.

Of course, there are some people who struggle with English,

but you have to know some English to be able to move to Dubai.

So that definitely helps.

So as long as you know English,

you should be able to get by fine in Dubai.

Something which surprised me

is that the roads and the lifestyle is also very American.

You have to drive everywhere.

Cars are very much like everything,

cars are the main thing, big roads,

lots of lanes, and stuff like that.

Obviously coming from the UK,

that's very different,

because in the UK you have towns

and sort of streets and stuff that you can walk down.

Dubai doesn't really have that sort of thing.

It's very much more sort of like you take your car

to wherever you go,

you don't really walk to places.

Now that doesn't mean there aren't places where you can't walk.

Of course, there are areas where you can go for a walk,

you can go for a run.

There's even actually a running track and a bicycle track

that goes all the way along the beach, the coastline,

which is really nice.

So if you're someone, obviously,

it depends on the weather as well,

because it can get really hot.

But if you're someone who does like to do

cycling, running, stuff like that,

you can do that.

It is not an issue.

Of course, you just have to choose the right time

because if you're going in the middle of summer

when it's like 40 degrees, 50 degrees,

it's not gonna be a nice experience.

Another common question I got was regarding making friends

and meeting new people in Dubai.

Now I'm an outlier, so my experience is not going to be

the same expensive for other people

because I have a social media presence.

So it's quite easy for me to meet other like-minded people,

to meet other people in the same space as me.

And those are mainly the type of friends that I've made in Dubai,

people who are also into content creation.

People who are running their own sort of tech businesses and stuff like that.

Investments and stuff like that.

Those are the types of people I'm making friends with.

And for me it's been very, very easy.

I've been going out every week meeting new people,

meeting new friends.

- Oh, friend. - Oh, friend.

- Friend! - Friends!

Would you be my friend?

I've also met a lot of people who are just visiting Dubai,

so people who have travel from the US,

from the UK, from other countries,

they come to Dubai for some random reason

and they're like,

"Hey, I know you're in Dubai, let's meet up."

So yeah, for me it's not been an issue,

but I know that it's not the case for everyone.

I think the only major downside of Dubai for me is the heat.

It really is so hot.

I'm just not used to that heat.

Obviously growing up in the UK,

our average high in the summer is 20 degrees.

And obviously in Dubai, it's double that.

So that's I think the thing I probably struggle with most.

And I think if you're someone who really can't handle the heat,

it can be an issue.

But AC is everywhere.

They have AC everywhere.

The main struggle is if you're someone

who is more of a self outdoorsy person,

you might struggle with the heat.

And then for me, it's just like going from the house to the car,

or going from the shops to the car,

like just that little walk,

it can be like, "Oh my God, this is so hot."

But that's just me complaining about something small.

I think if you're someone who very much likes to be outdoors all the time,

Dubai might not really be the place for you

for most of the year, to be honest.

My plan is during the summer months,

especially during sort of July, August is to travel.

So like I am now, I'm in the UK during August,

and I'll be going to Europe and some other countries.

That's what a lot of people do in Dubai.

A lot of people actually leave Dubai in the summer months.

Summer is the most quietest time in Dubai.

It's a good time to visit,

if you don't wanna be in sort of the busyness of Dubai,

but obviously it's not a good time because it's so hot.

So that's what I plan to do.

Few months of the year, travel, explore some different places.

Sort of take time off, you could say in the summer.

Just to enjoy the summer.

There's this misconception that people have about Dubai,

where it's all about this sort of lavish lifestyle,

luxury lifestyle, partying lifestyle.

And yeah, you can definitely do all that in Dubai.

There is definitely a part of Dubai that is like that.

But let me tell you,

that is actually a very, very small part of Dubai.

I think what most people don't realise is that,

you see that only when you're staying in the city,

you're staying in the Marina, you're in and around it.

So that's all you're going to see.

But the rest of Dubai is very family-orientated,

I don't think people realise how family-orientated Dubai is,

and other cities in the UAE.

Because a lot of people have their families,

they wanna live in nice quiet communities, in nice quiet areas.

They wanna be able to have normal lifestyles.

And that's exactly one of the reasons why I love Dubai,

because the place where I live,

it's very family-orientated,

it's very peaceful, it's very quiet,

everyone's very friendly.

So there are definitely two sides of Dubai.

So don't get caught up into this idea of

Dubai is all about partying and spending your money,

and stuff like that.

Not at all. That is such a small part of Dubai.

I think people, unfortunately,

are just attached it to that,

because obviously that's the market in Dubai do themselves, right?

Dubai and the sort of the way people are there,

they wanna enjoy their money and have things very lavish

and very sort of extravagant,

which is okay, that's their money.

They do what they wanna do with it.

But if you wanna live a nice, quiet, peaceful lifestyle in Dubai,

you can definitely do that.

A lot of people also move to Dubai

for work opportunities, better opportunities, things like that.

I'm quite different

because I've not gone to Dubai with the idea of

I'm looking for more work, I have enough work.

I've actually gone to Dubai, because like I said in my first video,

taxes, different lifestyle, and try a different country,

see what it's like.

I don't have any kids right now.

I don't have a family or anything right now.

So it's easy for me to move around.

And I thought to myself, "Okay, let's try somewhere like that."

Because there is this very unique culture in Dubai,

where people are there for working.

They're there to make money,

to hustle, to advance their lives.

It's something that I've not really seen anywhere else.

It's hard to explain until you're there.

Everyone is there to make their financial situation better,

like they wanna earn more money

and be more comfortable in life.

That's the best way to explain it.

And that's what I really like about Dubai.

Everyone is there to hustle,

to grind, to make money,

but the work-life balance is also fantastic.

Well, it has been for me.

I don't know what opportunities

or if you can earn more money in Dubai.

Some people are, some people aren't.

It very much depends on person to person.

But for me and in my unique position that I am in,

yeah, for me it's fantastic.

It's helped me focus more, I guess, you could say,

because I see other people working away

and sort of like doing all these amazing things,

I'm like, "I wanna do the same."

It almost inspires me.

Because of that,

I also feel like most people don't really settle in Dubai

because when you really think about it,

you have a visa that expires at some point.

Most people will go there maybe five years, ten years,

20 years, 30 years.

They work, do their career there,

and then they move back to

whatever country they're actually from.

And that's what I plan to do.

I plan to be there for however many years,

earn as much money as I can basically,

and then come back.

That's really what a lot of people do.

There can be a downside there,

because then I guess you don't really make any sort of long-term friends

or long-term anything really,

long-term other than a family.

If you're lucky enough to meet someone.

That can be a downside.

But it's not for me because I kind of think to myself,

I'm planning to move back to the UK at some point anyway.

Another thing I noticed as well about Dubai

is that it's very healthy orientated.

People do care about their health.

There's lots of health clubs,

lots of gyms, lots of fitness stuff going on.

You can buy healthy food pretty much everywhere.

Yeah, it's pretty good.

If you're someone who is into being healthy

and having a good healthy lifestyle

and eating properly,

you can definitely do that in Dubai.

So yeah, that's it for this video,

sharing some of my thoughts, experiences with Dubai.

Bit more of a chill video, you could say.

And these are only a few months later.

I feel like these could completely change after a year.

After a few years.

So I will do some updated videos

and share my experiences of Dubai.

Hopefully, you guys enjoyed it.

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