2 year in Dubai | Brutally honest review

Why they moved to Dubai (and why they’re leaving)

They came to Dubai for:

• Tax advantages: aiming to reduce income/corporation tax burden (they mention 0% income tax and 9% corporation tax).
• Business scaling + travel strain: after 5 years of traveling roughly every 90 days (about 22 countries), they wanted a more stable base/time zone for clients in Bali, Australia, US, England, and Ireland.
• Lifestyle expectations: they thought Dubai would help them build community and friendships and potentially start/raise a family—but they say it didn’t work out as hoped.

They plan to leave in about 1 month and will explain pros/cons and reasons throughout.

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Pros of living in Dubai

1. Convenience / services

• At-home blood tests every 2 months with results in ~24 hours.
• Fertility checks booked quickly, with reports within 24 hours.
• Delivery apps (e.g., Careem, Noon) for items arriving in 15 minutes to 1 hour.
• Easy to arrange help/services at home (e.g., maids, chefs, massage therapists), supporting a “stay in your cave and grow your business” lifestyle.

2. Food

• High quality is easy to find; they claim only 1–2 bad meals in 2 years.
• Strong restaurant scene plus fast delivery (often 10–15 minutes).

3. Cleanliness

• Very little litter; they even mention power-washing pavement in the marina daily.
• Quick maintenance response (e.g., a cracked tile fixed the next day).

4. Wealth / abundance

• A strong “money/wealth” environment (seeing Ferraris, G-Wagons, Porsches commonly).
• Feels like a large ecosystem for entrepreneurs—seeing others with 300k to 1M turnover.

5. City spectacle

• Constant skyscraper views and a “24/7” visual impact (they mention skyscrapers everywhere).

6. Tax + opportunity (for those doing well)

• They reiterate that, with proper accounting strategy, tax impact can be minimal.
• They frame Dubai as worthwhile mainly for businesses already performing well.

7. Winter tourism / weather advantage (roughly Oct–mid-April)

• Great for tourism: hot daily, mostly t-shirt / beach club weather.
• Rain is rare most days.
• They acknowledge there’s a downside later (see cons), but highlight the “winter window” as a major positive.

8. Safety

• They claim very high safety—e.g., leaving expensive items like Rolex unsecured without fear.
• Mention cameras and low visible police presence.
• Feels family-friendly; people can be out later with less concern.

9. Routine-friendly lifestyle

They describe an environment that supports habits:

• Train a lot
• Eat healthy
• Work
• Sleep

They also highlight sports facilities (e.g., a paddle court, plus good gym/pool amenities).

10. Personal branding + networking

• The apartment/building backdrop helps engagement for content/ads.
• Networking feels strong because many residents are higher earners (especially in expensive buildings), often meeting people in shared spaces like the sauna/pool.

11. Wealth-building claims

• Mentions an off-plan purchase (“10 Square,” bought in 2024) projected to rise by ~30% by completion (Aug 2027).
• Also mentions a 6% interest savings account generating about $3,500/month.

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Cons of living in Dubai

War / regional instability

• They experienced missile interceptions/impacts near their office view.
• They note Dubai protections are strong (they mention ~1,250 missiles shot down, with only a couple getting through).
• Still, they report anxiety and sleep disruption.
• They expect a rebound if the conflict resolves, but acknowledge the risk.

Lack of “real culture”

• They say 90% expats makes Dubai feel culturally shallow and transient.
• They compare it to places like Spain, where street life and families feel more rooted.

Weather extremes

• May–end of September is described as nearly unbearable:
  • Extremely humid (they say they sweat quickly).
  • Lifestyle becomes “air-con room → taxi → air-con destination.”

Loneliness + hard friendship-building

• People often stay temporarily; friendships don’t last.
• They estimate most friends aren’t planning long-term—“revolving door.”
• Dubai is described as “get in, make money, get out.”

Air quality and water quality

• Air quality described as among the worst in the world.
• Water quality described as problematic:
  • They use filters for hair/skin.
  • They say their skin worsened since moving.
  • They can’t drink tap water reliably and need higher-quality bottled water.

Construction everywhere

• Ongoing construction near buildings; high noise if on lower floors.
• They recommend choosing a higher floor (they mention living on the 48th).
• Notes Sundays and even 24-hour construction can occur.
• Suggests Dubai Marina is preferable to areas like JVC due to less construction/noise.

Dating scene described as transactional

• They rely on friends’ accounts:
  • Called “a circus”/“a zoo.”
  • Very material/status-driven (requests tied to Amex cards, luxury shopping, bags/high heels).
• They claim it’s hard to find genuine intentions for long-term relationships.

High costs for comfortable living

• They estimate lifestyle spend of €10,000–15,000/month.
• Breakdown (as stated):
  • Rent: ~€5,000
  • Bills: ~€500
  • Groceries: ~€3,000
  • Gym: ~€200–€250 per person
  • Coffee: ~€5–€10/day
• They state that if you’re not making ~€10K/month, you’ll struggle to integrate.
• They warn it’s easy to spend more (they mention ~€20K/month with going out/networking).

Little / no nature

• They claim near-zero nature in the Marina; everything feels man-made.
• Beaches are described as warm and man-made, not like Spain.
• A major reason they’re leaving: “no nature” / “concrete jungle.”

Time zone strain

• They’re 3 hours ahead, shifting to 4 hours when clocks change.
• They work late often due to UK-time-zone clients, limiting evenings.

Pressure to “look rich”

• They say many feel compelled to match a flashy aesthetic (luxury cars, expensive watches).
• They mention people renting luxury items for appearances and ending up broke.
• They advise finding the right “clique” to avoid users/rip-offs.

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What they’re doing next

• Moving to Colombia.
• Planning to travel for ~5 months across different places (they mention never visiting South America and wanting to see a World Cup game).
• They may return to Dubai later, but for now they’re changing course.

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Notable locations, products, or speakers mentioned

Locations / areas

• Dubai Marina, JVC, Downtown, JBR, Dubai Hills, Dubai (general), Colombia

Services / apps

• Careem, Noon

Water brands

• Evian, Volvic

Buildings / real estate

• “10 Square” (off-plan mentioned)

Sports / facilities

• Paddle, gym/pool/sauna in their building

Vehicles (examples)

• Ferrari, G-Wagon, Porsche, Toyota Prius (comparison), Lambos/Mercedes/Rental mentions, Kia (example)

People / relationship

• Their partner Róisín (speaker mentions being in a long-term relationship)