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Moving to / Retiring In Dubai

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  1. #1

    Join Date
    Jul 2017
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    Dubai
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    Moving to / Retiring In Dubai

    Quote Originally Posted by shri:
    A good friend of mine is doing that at the very moment - spending 2-3 months there to see if its suitable for a more permanent move. Unfortunately for many of us it is not a very viable option given the lack of a retirement type visa / permanent residency etc. I've not researched this, but seems to be a popular-ish option for some Indians who want to be closer to home both culturally and physically.
    Let me just inform you that retirement visas exist for the UAE. There is an age requirement of 55. Apart from that, you can start a company fairly cheaply and get a visa through that company. There are various investment visas and of course work visas if you can be sponsored. There's no concept of permanent residency although it is generally simple enough to renew visas. Yes, it is an interesting option for Indians especially because of the large Indian population. Of course, it's a zero tax country so there are those benefits as well. You would lose close proximity with China however, as a downside.

  2. #2

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    Quote Originally Posted by Cheeky Kiwi:
    You can buy a property for 1 million durhams and get a 2 year residency - but not work rights. Not sure what happens after 2 years.

    You can also go as an investor/set up a business. Move GX there!
    Once you make your investment or get your visa through some other route, renewing it is not hard but you will need to renew it again and again. There's basically no concept of permanent residency. They have a Golden Visa for bigger investments that allow for a 10 year stay but it's not a permanent residence technically speaking.

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Jun 2016
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    We are looking at Dubai as an option. Low taxes, similar lifestyle and warm weather - most importantly NO QUARANTINE. I would be interested to hear what people who have recently moved there think.


  4. #4

    We lived in Dubai before moving to Hong Kong 4 years ago. We are seriously considering a move back there in 2022 or early 2023.

    There are upsides and downsides to it as with every place so it will just come down to personal preference. For me, definitely not in order and just stuff that popped into my head:

    Good Things

    - sunshine - fairly consistent year round sunshine and plenty of beaches and hotel pools
    - tax free
    - career opportunities - if you find a good company you can get some really good international exposure and probably more responsibility than back home
    - lifestyle - if you have a good salary you can live in a villa, hire a maid, send your children to good schools, drive a nice car etc etc
    - proximity to home - for us this is the U.K. and during Covid it has really started to bother us how far away we are (and obviously the different approach to quarantine etc)
    - convenience - this is probably linked to lifestyle but Dubai is small and everything is done to make for an easy life eg food delivery, valet parking. I’m not saying this isn’t the case in other places
    - pace of life - for me this is a big one, it’s less hectic than HK and I think more places to relax without leaving the UAE (if you include the other emirates)

    Bad Things
    - the heat in summer is next level to the extent that you won’t want to go outside
    - there are some hidden taxes that do add to the costs (although this is not equivalent to salaries tax elsewhere)
    - hierarchy - emiratis are at the top of the tree closely followed by white expats, there is definitely racism at play
    - the contrast between rich and poor is stark and pretty visible.
    - I think HK has a much better range of nice restaurants
    - can be full of pretentious people trying to make a quick buck but you can also find ways to avoid them
    - it’s very transient so whilst you’ll find people who have been there a long time you’ll also see lots of people come and go

    I didn’t put cost of living in either list because I think it depends on where you’re coming from, what you’re used to and what your expectations are. I will say that you can get a much larger living space for much less than in Hong Kong. Things like eating out, supermarket shopping etc are for me comparable to HK because I prefer western food but obviously a lot more expensive than someone who is mainly eating a local diet.

    Hope that helps!


  5. #5

    Join Date
    Mar 2021
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    1,329

    Downsides: It's Dubai

    mexmon likes this.

  6. #6

    Join Date
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    Quote Originally Posted by Britishabroad:
    We lived in Dubai before moving to Hong Kong 4 years ago. We are seriously considering a move back there in 2022 or early 2023.

    There are upsides and downsides to it as with every place so it will just come down to personal preference. For me, definitely not in order and just stuff that popped into my head:

    Good Things

    - sunshine - fairly consistent year round sunshine and plenty of beaches and hotel pools
    - tax free
    - career opportunities - if you find a good company you can get some really good international exposure and probably more responsibility than back home
    - lifestyle - if you have a good salary you can live in a villa, hire a maid, send your children to good schools, drive a nice car etc etc
    - proximity to home - for us this is the U.K. and during Covid it has really started to bother us how far away we are (and obviously the different approach to quarantine etc)
    - convenience - this is probably linked to lifestyle but Dubai is small and everything is done to make for an easy life eg food delivery, valet parking. I’m not saying this isn’t the case in other places
    - pace of life - for me this is a big one, it’s less hectic than HK and I think more places to relax without leaving the UAE (if you include the other emirates)

    Bad Things
    - the heat in summer is next level to the extent that you won’t want to go outside
    - there are some hidden taxes that do add to the costs (although this is not equivalent to salaries tax elsewhere)
    - hierarchy - emiratis are at the top of the tree closely followed by white expats, there is definitely racism at play
    - the contrast between rich and poor is stark and pretty visible.
    - I think HK has a much better range of nice restaurants
    - can be full of pretentious people trying to make a quick buck but you can also find ways to avoid them
    - it’s very transient so whilst you’ll find people who have been there a long time you’ll also see lots of people come and go

    I didn’t put cost of living in either list because I think it depends on where you’re coming from, what you’re used to and what your expectations are. I will say that you can get a much larger living space for much less than in Hong Kong. Things like eating out, supermarket shopping etc are for me comparable to HK because I prefer western food but obviously a lot more expensive than someone who is mainly eating a local diet.

    Hope that helps!
    I would largely agree with this pros and cons list. I think the food point really depends on who you are. Generally you can find all cuisine but some types of food will be better in HK. There are a few advantages Dubai will have as well in areas such as Middle Eastern and Indian food.

    The rich and poor contrast is not exactly unknown for someone coming to HK but the difference is that the rich are expats and the poor are also expats so to speak. HK probably has more convenience if you look at it from the POV of public transport. You must own a car in the UAE but cars are cheap as is petrol.

    Cost of living isn't exactly cheap in Dubai but if you're managing in HK and coming from HK, you're not exactly going to suffer!

  7. #7

    Join Date
    Jan 2023
    Location
    Dubai, UAE
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    3

    Well said @shree711, Dubai is one of the most liveable cities in the world with numerous world-class career opportunities, and yes, it is one of the safest cities in the world as well. I moved to Dubai with my family five years ago as part of my husband's transfer. I was both delighted and surprised to see Dubai's luxurious lifestyle and experience the classy city.

    I had many doubts about how things are going to happen, especially considering the fact that I was pregnant during the relocation period. Fortunately, Dubai had everything within our reach with quality, and my husband managed to hire a maid for me from a domestic worker service. She was an Ethiopian girl who was well familiar with Dubai and took me to many tourist spots in Dubai while my husband was busy with his work. She looked after me and took care of all domestic chores. Our child is now four years old, and the maid is still with us.

    The summer heat in Dubai is something I still can't stand, and the cost of living is high. Beyond that, Dubai is a great place to live.

    Last edited by shri; 09-01-2023 at 02:47 PM. Reason: No link drops please .