If you’ve already been to Dubai and have thought about taking a job in the emirate, relocating and beginning a new life in Dubai but something is holding you back – something along the lines of inflation, cost of living, traffic, property prices, congestion, pollution or maybe the rather uninspiring natural scenery, we do understand.
However, before you discount the dream of living a tax-free lifestyle because you just can’t shake the idea that Dubai is not actually for you, here’s a suggestion for you: have you ever thought about living in Ras al-Khaimah and working in Dubai?
If you’ve not heard of Ras al-Khaimah or RAK as it is locally known, it is the smallest of the 7 emirates making up the United Arab Emirates, and thanks to the Emirates Highway, it’s only a 45 minute drive from Dubai. It’s a bustling emirate and what it lacks in size and stature it makes up for in determination and, dare we say it, attractiveness. For where Dubai falls down in terms of its aesthetic appeal (unless you really are just into big and shiny buildings), RAK really does make up for it.
To reach the emirate you head north out of Dubai and you leave the skyscrapers and the harsher elements of the Middle Eastern landscape behind. After a relatively short distance you’ll notice a distinctive change in colour in the scenery with the sand dunes taking on a reddish hue and greenery sprouting even by the roadside. If you continue for the full three quarters of an hour you’ll reach RAK which is on the Gulf and backed by the breathtakingly dramatic Hajjar Mountains.
With its pretty beaches, golf courses, fantastic climate and recent developments in tourism and real estate developments, Ras al-Khaimah is rapidly emerging as far more than a weekend retreat for the Dubai set. The destination, despite being inaccessible via direct flights from the UK, is becoming the perfect location for those who want to live in Dubai but avoid the heavy traffic constantly and who want to find a more affordable cost and more pleasant standard of living.
If you’re serious about working in Dubai and enjoying the best of the emirate but you’re struggling with the thought of living therein…think about living in Ras al-Khaimah and making the daily commute. You can now buy freehold property in RAK just as you can in Dubai and whilst the excesses and platinum standards of infrastructure are yet to reach Ras al-Khaimah remember that this is a destination with determination and ambition. We think buying in RAK and investing in the emirate could be a very wise move for the future.
