Moving to a new country is exciting and daunting at the same time as the majority of expats take this step with no proper or practical knowledge of how things go locally. Dubai is recognized as the most sought-after destination in the entire Middle East for tourists from all over the world. And Whether you are visiting Dubai for business or pleasure, everyone just aspires to have a taste of the so-called ”Dubai Experience”.
It is worth mentioning that over 80% of Dubai’s residents are expats living and working in the city that came to the city with no proper information about what needs to be done. Which is why it is advisable before planning beforehand to move to Dubai, to know all the required and needed information about how things are done and the best ways to do them. Here we present you with a complete guide for moving to Dubai.
The Cost of Living
Even though Dubai offers a tax-free environment but the cost of living in the city can get a little pricey. Hence, if you are looking for jobs in Dubai to start a career there, then you need to make sure that your salary will cover your basic living costs. Dubai is recognized as the most expensive city to live in the United Arab Emirates.
The costs of living in Dubai include housing, groceries, dining outside, entertainment, enrolling your kids in schools, utilities, transportation..etc. When moving to Dubai, you should know that the average yearly rental cost of a studio apartment reaches 62,000 AED, click here for the rental studio apartment list in Dubai for more information on the rental costs in the Emirate. Expats moving to Dubai should know that some costs just cannot be avoided when living in Dubai such as owning or renting a car, purchasing electronic goods, picking the best schools for your kids and more.
Language
Expats form around 85% of Dubai’s population where you can find expatriates who speak Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Tamil, Tagalog, Persian, Chinese, Malayalam, in addition to many other languages. And even though Arabic is the official language of the UAE, English is the most spoken language in Dubai.
There are four types of Arabic spoken in Dubai and they are Maghrebi Arabic, Egyptian Arabic, Gulf Arabic and Levantine Arabic. However, the most popular Arabic spoken in Dubai that is understood by all Arabic speakers there is Modern Standard Arabic. Whether you fancy speaking in Arabic or English, it is safe to say that expats living and currently working in the Emirate of Dubai or planning and looking for jobs in Dubai will not experience any difficulties communicating with the locals or with each other.
Weather
Before moving to Dubai, expats should know that the city is hot all the time where the month of August is the hottest month in Dubai with an average temperature of 36°C (96°F), whereas the month of January is recognized as the coldest month of the year with temperatures reaching 19°C (66°F). It gets quite difficult to enjoy a walk in a park or indulge in a cup of coffee outside due to the hot weather which makes it hard for residents to enjoy an outdoor outing. Air-conditioners are everywhere and this is why we advise all expats and residents to have a jacket on them for its gets ridiculously cold indoors.
Alcohol
Many have the impression that Alcohol is freely distributed in the emirate of Dubai since it has a reputation of being a country where everything is permitted. But the fact is, drinking alcohol in public is illegal with a punishment that can reach to prison. Alcohol in the emirate of Dubai is only allowed in hotels, bars and specific restaurants only.
Local Transport
Dubai’s metro is usually packed with passengers during the rush hours which are from 7am to 10 am and 4.30pm to 8 pm or later. When commuting by taxi, the best time to get anywhere fast is at night where roads aren’t busy. However, you should know that whether traveling by car, bus or taxi; the timing when roads are usually clogged is on Friday afternoons and on Saturday especially around shopping malls, tourist attractions, and the beach.
Another mean of local transportation in Dubai is the Tram which was launched in 2014 as a part of Dubai’s modern integrated public transport system. Dubai’s Tram provides passengers with easy access to all the key locations in the city such as Jumeirah Beach Residence, Dubai Marina, the business areas and Al Sufouh street. It is worth mentioning also that Dubai Tram also connects to the metro station. There is the Dubai Ferry as well which is a tourist transportation mean that allows visitors to view the city from the sea and mesmerize in its beautiful skyline and iconic buildings.
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