Dubai is considered the Las Vegas of the Middle East. The city was designed to be a center of tourism and innovation, attracting worldwide attention for this reason.
There are many options for things to do in Dubai, and the city was designed to be a major tourism and entertainment center for the United Arab Emirates. From its inception, Dubai was planned to become an attraction and showcase Middle Eastern culture to the world.
Being one of the main tourist destinations in the region, the Las Vegas of the Middle East is a great place for tourists. Besides discussing this, we will also provide relevant information about the documents needed to enter the country and visit Dubai, as well as describe what life is like for an immigrant there. Check it out!
Dubai: the largest city in the United Arab Emirates.
Dubai is the largest city in the United Arab Emirates and has 3 million inhabitants. Highly developed economically, a large part of its revenue comes from tourism, commerce, financial services, and real estate. The United Arab Emirates is a Middle Eastern country, its official language is Arabic, and it has the sixth largest oil reserves in the world.
However, Dubai is a city made up of 85% immigrants, and therefore English is the most widely used language in daily life.
Culture and interesting facts about Dubai
Dubai is a very popular tourist destination, and there are plenty of reasons for that. In fact, that was the city’s purpose since its founding. Therefore, it’s a place prepared to receive and please visitors. A curious fact: The city was a desert just over 30 years ago.
Other interesting facts about Dubai include that, when it opened in 2009, the Dubai Metro was the world’s largest automated rail network. Furthermore, the city has been awarded over 130 Guinness World Records, and until 1991 there was only one skyscraper in Dubai.
In Dubai, you pay less for a liter of gasoline than for a liter of water. And if water is normally expensive, imagine when the city recorded its highest temperature ever: 52.1°C in July 2002. Another interesting fact is that there are ATMs in Dubai that dispense gold instead of cash.
Another interesting fact is that Dubai was once home to 24% of the world’s cranes during its real estate boom in 2006. Also, like the rest of the United Arab Emirates, there are no permanent rivers there. Another curious fact is that approximately 85% of Dubai’s resident population is foreign, with only 15% being from the United Arab Emirates.
Visas to live in Dubai
For those planning to visit Dubai, the tourist visa is valid for one month. However, for those with friends and family there, it’s possible to stay longer, up to 90 days. For this, the person living there must be responsible for your stay.
To work in Dubai, you need to be hired by a company, which will be responsible for your residency visa and work permit. It’s possible to bring your family to live with you; the work visa allows your spouse and children to live in the city.
Things to do in Dubai: Tourist attractions
You’ve probably already realized that Dubai is excellent for those who want to sightsee and have fun. So, take the opportunity to explore some of the attractions of this lovely city!
Gold Souk
The Dubai Gold Souk, or Gold Souk, is a traditional market in Dubai. It boasts over 380 retailers, most of whom are jewelry dealers. Some shops are up to four decades old and primarily sell gold, platinum, diamonds, and sometimes silver items. The area is slated for renovation, and the city aims to transform it into a vibrant tourist destination.
Dubai Mall
Dubai Mall is the largest shopping mall in the world. Built on an area of ​​12 million square meters, the mall has over 1200 stores, 26 movie theaters, and more than 120 cafes and restaurants. It’s huge!
Palm Jumeirah
Palm Jumeirah is an archipelago of artificial islands in the Persian Gulf. They are so large that they can be seen from space and are part of a larger series of developments called Palm Islands, including Palm Jebel Ali and Palm Deira, which, when completed, will together extend Dubai’s coastline by a total of 520 kilometers.
Bur Dubai
Bur Dubai is a historic district of Dubai. It is located on the west side of Dubai Creek. It is a district that houses several mosques, including the Grand Mosque (the largest, with the tallest minaret in the city) and the blue-tiled Iranian Mosque.
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
The Grand Mosque is located between the textile souk and the Dubai Museum, near a small stream in the Bur Dubai area. It can accommodate up to 1,200 worshippers, and non-Muslims are allowed to enter the mosque daily, making it another free activity on our list of things to do in Dubai. The mosque is the center of Dubai’s religious and cultural life.
What documents are needed to visit Dubai?
To visit Dubai, you need a passport valid for at least six months after your entry date into the United Arab Emirates. Other citizens can stay for up to 90 days in the United Arab Emirates when visiting Dubai.
Accommodation tips in the United Arab Emirates.
Now that you know what to do in Dubai, be aware that it’s a long, sprawling city, largely stretching along a 40-kilometer or more stretch of the Persian Gulf coast. In other words, there isn’t a single city center in Dubai, so you should choose where to stay depending on the type of trip you’re taking (leisure, business, etc.).
Although Dubai’s public transport network is reasonably comprehensive, it largely operates around the Sheikh Zayed Road strip, which runs through the heart of the city, parallel to the coast. If you are a tourist and staying for shorter periods, it’s best to stay closer to the airport. However, consider the type and duration of your trip to decide the best location in this incredible city.
Find out what it’s like to live in Dubai.
Living in Dubai can be one of the most exciting experiences you’ve ever had. However, living in Dubai, like any other city in the Middle East, can be daunting, especially if you don’t have practical knowledge of how things work. Below are some important aspects to consider, according to the Expatra portal.
Cost of living
The cost of living in this city in the United Arab Emirates is comparable to that of central London, meaning it’s quite expensive. Working hours can be very long, and international companies operating in the city tend to expect a lot from their expatriate employees. Therefore, you have a dangerous combination: expensive living and a lot of work.
Accommodation costs can reach US$18,000 per year for a decent rented apartment in a good location, and this amount must be paid in advance. Health insurance and healthcare costs in the United Arab Emirates are high, but the quality you receive is exceptional.
Basic day-to-day grocery costs are average, and alcohol is also quite expensive. Fuel costs are affordable, as are vehicle costs, when compared to other countries. Even with the introduction of VAT in Dubai (at a rate of 5%, which is one of the lowest in the world), daily shopping costs are quite reasonable.
Security
Besides having plenty to do in Dubai for entertainment, another bonus is that the crime rate is very low. Furthermore, the city is quite tolerant of others’ beliefs and lifestyles. Dubai is one of the more moderate Emirates in terms of applying Islamic rules to everyone’s daily life. Expatriates can, for example, buy alcohol in Dubai and can also eat and drink during Ramadan.
Education
If your company is relocating you to work in this amazing city in the United Arab Emirates, you need to negotiate your employment package. The cost of living in Dubai is so high that you need to factor in, at a minimum, relocation costs, accommodation costs, and your children’s education costs.
Besides accommodation, other high-cost expenses you need to be aware of include school fees, which are exorbitant in the best schools, as expats fight for places. This is partly because there are too many children and not enough schools.
Although there is a law that restricts the annual inflation rate of school fees to between 16% and 20%, schools find all sorts of ways to add extras, resulting in annual inflation of up to 80% in school fees.
However, educational standards in the United Arab Emirates are excellent, and new schools and colleges are being built almost annually. Dubai’s wealth was built on its oil industry, but it has also successfully diversified its economy, so that today there are multiple sectors that underpin its fiscal strength – including tourism, real estate, financial services, health, and education.
The other main reason why living in the United Arab Emirates is so attractive to foreigners is because the local lifestyle is exceptionally good. Especially for Western expatriates, the climate is excellent, the leisure facilities are wonderful, the pace of life is relatively relaxed, and there are good standards of education and healthcare.
Salaries in the United Arab Emirates vary greatly depending on the profession. The Indeed website provides some very interesting indicators of average salaries in the city. Check them out below:
- Nurse: AED 35,000 / month = US$ 9,500;
- Sales Manager: AED 14,230 / month = US$ 3,800;
- Head chef: AED 10,000 / month = US$ 2,700.
Salaries in Dubai
Salaries in Dubai vary greatly depending on the profession. The Indeed website provides some very interesting information on average salaries in the city. Check it out below:
- Nurse: AED 35,000 / month = US$ 9,500;
- Sales Manager: AED 14,230 / month = US$ 3,800;
- Head chef: AED 10,000 / month = US$ 2,700.
Taxes
The best news in this article for those wishing to immigrate to this incredible city is that in the United Arab Emirates, there is no income tax on employment. Therefore, it’s possible to save a significant amount of money if you have a financial plan.
Largest companies in the United Arab Emirates
Among the largest companies in the United Arab Emirates are:
- Emaar Properties
- Emirates Bank Group
- National Bank of Abu Dhabi
- Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank
- Mashreq Bank
- First Gulf Bank
- DP World
- Union National Bank
- Aldar Properties
For those wishing to work in the aviation field (as a pilot, flight attendant, etc.), the largest companies are Emirates Airlines and Etihad Airways.
Job search websites
Among the websites that offer jobs in Dubai and Abu Dhabi are Bayt, Charter House (employment agency), Cooper Fitch, Jobs Abu Dhabi, and also the job site Dubizzle, which you can search for under “Jobs”.
