This Expat Left Teaching in Japan for Living in Dubai. Here’s Why!

Welcome to the Living Out and About! I love sharing my experiences living abroad with y’all so much that I figured other expats would too. I’ve reached out to expats and nomads living around the world in different ways to share their experiences living, moving, and exploring. If you’re looking to learn about a certain way of moving abroad or about living in a certain place, check out this series! 

Usually I speak to people who are living abroad, but we’re changing it up a bit. I find local perspectives super helpful in picking a place to move to, so we’ll be speaking to a local about living in Dubai.

Today, I’m speaking with Danni of Danni in the Desert, who has lived in Dubai since 2013. Danni realised there were many misconceptions about living in Dubai and is on her own personal mission to bust some of those myths! She also loves to share helpful information for those thinking live in Dubai. Below you’ll learn what it’s really like living in Dubai and what are some of the most common misunderstandings about the region.

Hi Danni! Thanks so much for joining us. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Danni as you may have guessed is short for Danielle and I’m in my mid-thirtes now but I swear in my head I’m still 25! I actually first moved to Dubai when I was 25 and I’m originally from Birmingham in England. I love to show a different perspective to Dubai and help people plan their trip or move to Dubai.

My husband is from Saudi Arabia and we have a daughter, so I have a unique insight into the culture. Dubai and Saudi have similar traditions and both are called “Khaleeji” which means person from the Gulf in Arabic.

Lovely to meet you. Can you tell us a bit about Dubai and why you’ve chosen to live there?

Originally I didn’t plan to live in Dubai, I was teaching English in Japan but after only a few months I knew Japan wasn’t right for me. I spent a lot of time alone in Japan and as an extrovert that was a struggle!

A friend who was already in Dubai explained how Dubai was the opposite, with lots of events and that it was very easy to make friends since the majority of the population were also expats. So I moved for the social life but also because it’s an ideal location for travel, in between Asia and Europe. So that was a big factor for me, as I wanted to travel and see more of the world.

Also the fact the Dubai weather is nice and sunny. It’s warm all year round.

Have you ever lived anywhere other than Dubai? If so, what’s different about the places?

I’ve lived in London, a small village close to Venice in Italy, Tokushima in Japan and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.

They’re all completely different! London can be very lonely at first before you make friends as Londoners are quite reserved socially. There’s lots going on in the city and many things to do. It is very fast-paced lifestyle and it’s expensive to live there. So it’s similar to Dubai in that sense.

Italy was amazing for the food and life is much more relaxed. Italians are very social and there’s a strong sense of community. I’d love to retire there because living is much more affordable and the laid back culture is wonderful.

Japan for visiting and exploring their beautiful culture is amazing however living there as a foreigner is tough. Culture shock is a real struggle and it can take years to get used to things. The Japanese people are lovely and the low crime rates are a great plus for living there but it’s better for people who are introverted.

Saudi Arabia is another really unique culture like Japan and it can also be difficult getting used to such a different culture. There are many unique places to visit such as Alula but it’s not as social as Dubai. It is also expensive to live there. You can live a more western lifestyle similar to Dubai if you live in a compound, which is a closed off community usually with other westerners.

What are the best things about living in Dubai?

Dubai has an extremely high standard of living, it is expensive but the value it offers in terms of the quality of life is amazing. Living costs are comparable to other major cities across the world. Apartment blocks often have security, swimming pools and gyms for residents along with being modern, spacious apartments.

Everything is very well looked after, the streets are extremely clean and it is extremely safe. You’re able to leave belongings on tables and walk home alone late at night as a woman without any worry. It always amuses me when people from the USA or UK ask, “Is it safe to go to Dubai?” and it’s actually much safer than places like New York, Los Angeles or London!

If you don’t plan to visit your family regularly back home, then it’s an amazing place to travel from. You can easily travel to both Europe or Asia from Dubai. Dubai’s airport is very well connected. If you’re originally from Europe or Asia, then the benefit is that it’s not too far to see your family during the holidays.

Finally, the weather is one of the best parts about living in Dubai with sun all year round. From October till May, you can enjoy activities outside and go to the beach. How social Dubai is combined with the lovely weather is perfect for having a very enjoyable social life.

What are the worst things about living in Dubai?

The extreme heat in the summer is definitely one of the largest downsides and if you are able to, it’s definitely worth spending some time outside of the country during this time. Many expats choose to visit family during the summer or have a vacation to Europe.

Dubai compared to the rest of the UAE is more materialistic and you do find that many expatriates living in Dubai are actually very money focused. You are treated differently when visiting venues depending on what car you drive and what clothes you are wearing. Even as someone who was not into designer items at all when I first moved to Dubai, I started to feel like I needed designer items and it can feel like you’re the only one without a designer handbag or shoes.

What were the biggest challenges of the move?

Making new friends, learning where to go and how best to do things in a new country is always a challenge. It’s like learning how to live all over again! The one benefit of Dubai is due to its multi-cultural population, you can pretty much always find any items you need or want from home.

What was the cost of living in Dubai like for a month?

Rent has increased a lot in the last couple of years and you’ll typically pay around $1,300 USD a month for a room in an apartment or house-share in a good location and around $1,700 for a 1 bedroom that’s not directly in the centre but not too far away from everything.

You’ll need another $200 to $300 for bills on top of that which includes for home internet, electric, water and air-conditioning. Though some apartments come with free air-conditioning as part of the rent which can reduce the bills. Home internet plans start from $54.

Groceries can really range, depending on what types of foods you want to buy. If you love Indian food, you can eat relatively cheap while European imports are more expensive. On average you’ll need around $250 per person per month.

It is possible to live without a car in Dubai but you’ll need to pick a building that has a metro stop nearby and a workplace with a metro stop too. Some places can have large walking distances away from the metro and it’ll be very difficult to walk during summer but there is a bus network also with air-conditioned bus stops.

So for a comfortable life I would say having a car is better which will cost around $400 a month to rent plus fuel.

A public transport card costs between $40 to $95 for a 30 day pass depending on how many zones you’ll need. So public transport can making living in Dubai a lot cheaper but you may need the occasional taxi.

You can easily buy a sim card in Dubai even as a tourist as there are directly shops inside the airport selling sims. This will cost around $40 a month for a decent mobile plan but if you use a large amount of data, then you may need to spend more. The good part is, Dubai has a lot of free wifi everywhere so you can cut down on your own data usage this way.

How did you find a place to live in Dubai?

There are websites such as Property Finder which help you to search for property listings and for rooms, most expats use the ads listed on Dubizzle which is like Dubai’s version of Gum Tree. Another option is Facebook groups but with all of these you do have to be careful!

Always make sure you see the room or property first before agreeing and it’s best to double-check things with the building security. They typically know the owners.

Also one of the best things about Dubai is you can find affordable 4 star hotels in Dubai and negotiate a monthly rate. I’ve seen hotels offering similar prices to renting a room which is around $1,360 a month while getting many of the benefits of living in a hotel such as room service, weekly maid cleaning and hotel amenities.

What are the best places to live in Dubai?

It really depends on what kind of person you are, since Dubai offers very different areas or experiences. Whether you want more of a beach, relaxed lifestyle or if you want a busy city lifestyle, will change the answer.

Two of my personal favourites are Old Town in Downtown Dubai due to its lovely greenery and being close to the Burj Khalifa. Though the area is one of the most expensive since it’s right in the city centre. I lived here for over a year and loved it as a solo female.

Jumeirah Lake Towers if you don’t drive and want to take the metro, it’s more affordable than Dubai Marina and is literally on the opposite side of the metro. So you can still hop over to the beach and JBR whenever you want. It’s full of many British and European expats too in this area. However due to its road layout, I don’t recommend for car drivers.

How do you set up a bank account in Dubai?

It’s really easy to set up a bank account once you have what’s called your Emirates ID and Dubai is great at getting you set up as a resident very quickly.

There are some bank account options you can open before you have your resident ID if you have a minimum amount but the options are a lot more limited so it’s worth waiting till you have your ID to choose from the many banks and options.

One of the most popular for expats is Emirates NBD since many companies in Dubai use the same bank, you’ll find many of their branches and ATMs through out Dubai. If you use your banks own ATM then you don’t get charged a cash withdrawal fee.

Opening a bank account is so much EASIER by creating a free multi-currency account here.

Is it hard to find work in Dubai? Can you share any tips for finding job listings?

So of course it depends on what skills you have but in recent years Dubai has become much more competitive in looking for a job as more people have an interest in moving to Dubai. I highly recommend networking, joining Facebook groups for your nationality in Dubai or see if there are opportunities within your current workplace to work abroad.

Most of my jobs have been found thanks to Facebook job posts in British Expat groups and I’ve found my background in marketing to be a desirable skill as Dubai is a very technology focused city.

Most job positions will say they require candidates that are already in the country unless you have very in-demand skills, such as a Doctor, so it’s likely you’ll need to save up 6 months’ worth of living expenses and live there to find a job.

Is Dubai a good place to raise kids?

Dubai is a great location for kids in terms of the lifestyle and safety. Children can play with other children outside and there’s a great community feel. The only downside is the cost of private schooling and cost of accommodation do make it an expensive place for families to live.

No government schooling is available for expatriates, though there are more affordable schools for children. So costs definitely need to be worked out based on the salary offered before you move. Though some people despite having less disposable income would argue the lifestyle and safety are worth the extra expenses.

How can someone new meet locals and other expats to make friends in Dubai?

Another amazing part about Dubai is the fact there are so many different clubs and activities to join. If you love running, you can join a running club where you’ll meet all different nationalities. There’s baking classes, art classes, baby sensory classes and all kinds of different groups based on interests.

People are very friendly and chatty in Dubai, so don’t be afraid to just chat to people. There’s many co-working spaces, so if you’re working freelance or remotely it’s definitely worth visiting. Then you can find other people who are similar to yourself.

Facebook is another great resource as expat nights, teachers nights, fellow country people nights are organised and advertised there. So just get yourself out there!

What were the pros and cons of living in Dubai?

These would be my top pros and cons of living in Dubai.

Pros

• Extremely safe & low crime rates
• High standard of living
• Modern city
• Wide range of remote work and freelance visas
• Large multi-cultural expat population

Cons

• Expensive living costs
• Materialistic society
• Extremely hot summer
• Heavy traffic in many areas
• Low building quality in some buildings

You do have to do some research on the building you choose and best to ask other expats before you move into a building. Areas like Dubai Marina and JLT can have vastly different quality of the apartments in skyscrapers.

Certain buildings may have issues, when I lived in JLT our building had an issue with ants in the entire building and water coming in when it rained.

If someone only had 1 day in Dubai, what do they HAVE to do?

This is a tough one because there’s so much to do in Dubai, if you only have one day I’d get a hop on hop off Dubai bus pass and try to see as many locations as possible. You also get a free 1 and half hour sightseeing tour as part of your ticket.

I’d get up early, use the bus pass and first explore the souq and historic parts of Dubai called Al Fahidi District. Don’t forget to ride an Abra across Dubai Creek! I would then spend my lunch time and late afternoon exploring the Museum of the Future before heading over to Downtown Dubai for the evening to watch the Burj Khalifa Dubai Fountain. As you can’t go to Dubai without seeing the amazing dancing fountains.

I would then pick one of the amazing restaurants with a view of the Dubai skyline, Al Dawaa is a rotating restaurant not too far away from Downtown Dubai and a truly unique experience. As the restaurant rotates 360 degrees while you eat and you can see the Burj Khalifa sparkling in the distance.

What is the best local tip you have about Dubai?

Don’t spend a fortune on having a Burj Al Arab afternoon tea but instead choose one of incredible Burj Al Arab restaurant dining options instead. The Afternoon tea costs around $163 USD per person whereas with one of the restaurants you have a minimum spend of $68 and choose what you’d like to eat.

A coffee and a cake in the lobby will offer a similar experience at a fraction of the cost!

Thank you so much! Where can my readers learn more about you and follow along with your journey?

Of course you can visit my website. If you’re interested to learn more about Middle Eastern culture and what life is like in the Arabian Gulf. I’m active on Instagram at Danniinthedesert and Tiktok, where I share insights into life in both Dubai and Saudi Arabia.

Enjoyed this interview? Check out some more we’ve done:

• Discover the Underrated Australian City That Boosted One Local’s Health and Happiness
• Why This World Traveler Chose to Live in Vermont Over All Other Places (Including Alaska!)