Dubai Lifestyle

The inimitable Dubai lifestyle is being enjoyed by greater numbers of Britons annually and according to the latest statistics from the British embassy in the UAE the number of Britons living in Dubai has doubled in just four short years to reach 100,000 in the emirate and 120,000 in the UAE as a whole.

The UK currently has far reaching plans to extend their investment into the UAE – which they deem one of the most important emerging markets in the world – and if their plans come to pass the number of British citizens making up the population in Dubai could double again in an even shorter period of time!  We examine the Dubai lifestyle awaiting expatriates…

The vast majority of Western Expatriates living and working in Dubai thoroughly enjoy their lifestyle; they enjoy a high standard of living, a tax free salary, eight months of a perfect climate annually, a broad social network, fantastic healthcare and educational welfare services and facilities and a wide range of employment opportunities.

Most expatriates join some form of hotel based club soon after arriving in Dubai – these clubs offer beach and sea access, sporting facilities, fine wining and dining and some even have kids clubs and a range of recreational pursuits available.  The clubs are a great place to make friends and business contacts, they are fantastic places for those with families to network, find out about the best schools, babysitters, doctors and after school activities and even more importantly they are the best way to escape the hustle and bustle of the awful traffic and the hectic office life.

In terms of socialising outside of work and away from hotel and beach clubs, expats living in Dubai quickly make friends and find out the best places to go to eat, drink and be merry.  Dubai is not a ‘dry’ emirate, those with a license (which are easy to come by) can buy alcohol and often social activities are centred around hotels or private clubs which all have alcohol licenses – unfortunately socialising in a hotel can come at a hefty price but this is almost par for the course in Dubai where the cost of living is most certainly high!

And finally, expatriate children in Dubai have access to some of the best international schools in the world.  The best schools following the British national curriculum are affiliated with the Office for Standards in Education and are regularly assessed by OFSTED, certain schools offer the international baccalaureate which is rapidly becoming accepted worldwide as the best qualification that high school students can apply to university with.