RELOCATING TO DUBAI

Imagine that a few months ago you were typing out ‘Jobs in Dubai’ in Google, and today you’ve just got your offer letter to join your dream job. An adventure like no other is about to begin, and you are at the helm of it.

BBG matches talent from across the world to the right roles in Dubai, so relocating is a big part of our conversations with potential candidates. Moving to a new country can be daunting and scary and we understand that a little handholding through the process is always welcome.

Here’s our guide to get you started on your journey.

Skyline of Dubai with Burj Khalifa in the distance

Living in Dubai

Location, location, location. Do you prefer a quiet, suburban, laid-back life when you head home after work? Or do you prefer to be surrounded by busy, bustling streets? There’s a wide range of areas to choose from when moving to Dubai. Here’s some of them and what they’re best known for:

Dubai Marina: The center of ‘New-Dubai’, Marina is full of modern high-rise apartment buildings, almost all along the waterfront. Filled with shops, restaurants and tourists during winter months.
Jumeriah Lake Towers (JLT): Popular business hub with 26 clusters of 3 buildings each. Beautiful man-made lake is nestled between the buildings and the plethora of restaurants.
Jumeriah Beach Residence (JBR): A stretch of apartment buildings along Marina beach. Busy spot during tourist season and traffic can get a little frustrating. Has shops, restaurants and a cinema just a few meters away from most of the apartments. And of course, beach life.
Al Barsha: A bit of both, Barsha is a popular residential area in Dubai. There are several schools and parks around the area, it’s affordable and well stocked with facilities for people living in the area.
The Greens: Space, serenity and lush greenery are plenty here. A calm and peaceful gated community with villas and apartments. Great for families and couples who like to kick back and get downtime after work.

Downtown: Known as the home of the tallest building in the world, Burj Khalifa, and the world’s largest mall, Dubai Mall. It’s always bustling (with people and cars!). There are many apartments and villas in this area to choose from.
Business Bay: At the heart of the business center of Dubai, and close to Downtown Dubai. Can be expensive to live here, but also very rewarding as you’ll be surrounded by those for whom Dubai is a land of opportunity.

Mirdif: A community residential base close to Dubai Airport and popular with expats. Has its own shopping mall and lots of greenery. Several apartment and villas present here to choose from.
Arabian Ranches: Suburban heaven, located outside the busy Dubai streets. Mostly sports big family size villas. Very well maintained and full of trees. You’ll need a car to get in and out of here.
Emirates Hills: Residential area known as ‘Springs’ and ‘Meadows’. Peaceful family life comes easily here amongst the green. Only villas available here.

Here’s a link to some other areas: https://www.expatwoman.com/dubai/money-finance/property-guide/15-popular-areas-to-live-in-dubai

PRICE GUIDE

Landlords will also require postdated cheques of the annual rent in 4, 8 or 12 cheques and a security deposit of 5%. If you work with an estate agent, you will also need to account for a 5% fee for their services.

Once you have found your dream place you will set-up a utility connection with DEWA (Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (https://www.dewa.gov.ae/en). Housing fees for expat tenants is calculated on 5% of the unit’s annual rent. For flat share, this fee doesn't apply.

Here are some websites to hunt for apartments:

Getting Around

There are several ways to get around Dubai.

Driving is the most convenient way. Low fuel prices, as well as relatively cheaper car prices and maintenance, mean that people who live in Dubai can indulge in buying exotic/sports/ fuel guzzling models of cars that they wouldn’t dream of in their home countries. To give you an example, a 3.2 liter engine will cost AED100+ for a full tank! (Bear in mind if you don’t have a license that can be converted upon arrival, it can take a few months to get a UAE driving license, and the costs can be substantial.)

Public transport has vastly improved the over the last decade, and you can now take the metro, trams or busses to get around the city. It’s not a very “walkable” city so even when you do take public transport, you’ll be limited by how near or far your starting point and destination is from the public transport. A single trip can cost you as little as AED 6 so it’s very reasonable priced.

Taxis are easily available, and you can either flag them on the street, or download taxi apps like Careem or Uber to call them. They’re very convenient and reasonably priced.
Car rentals start from roughly AED 1500/month including maintenance and insurance. Bear in mind that once you have a resident visa in the UAE, you will not be able to rent a car with an international license and will need a local license.

Restaurants, bars and nightlife

There are ample number of restaurants, bars and clubs that will cater to your needs and budgets. Dubai has everything you can dream of when it comes to food - renowned luxury restaurants to delicious cheap eats.

A great place to find out the latest and best the city has to offer: http://www.timeoutdubai.com/
We highly recommend you download The Entertainer after arriving here, it’s full of buy-one-get-one-free offers and discounts and well worth the money: https://www.theentertainerme.com
If you’re looking to make friends and meet like-minded people, check out: https://www.meetup.com/

Things to do in Dubai

To get a pulse on the latest things to do around the city, follow these Instagram accounts:

Insydo Dubai: https://www.instagram.com/insydodubai/
Lovin Dubai: https://www.instagram.com/lovindubai/
Platinum List: https://www.instagram.com/platinumlistuae/
Du Plays: https://www.instagram.com/duplays/

If you have any other specific questions, please get in touch with your BBG consultant and we’ll make sure we guide you. Hope to see you in Dubai soon!