Cons of living in Dubai

What are the cons of living in Dubai? Number one, weather, it is very specific here from May to September, it can be extremely hot and humid. That's why most people try to go on holiday during this month because there are not many things to do in Dubai, you can't spend much time outdoors. People usually spend their days in the office, in the car in the malls, in any other air-conditioned premises. That's why, if you don't like heat, if you don't like sun if you don't like beach, probably Dubai is not for you because summer in Dubai is 12 months a year.

In addition to weather, this city is not that green as many other cities and countries in Europe, in Asia, in US, but yes, there are some areas that are green in Dubai, but overall, the city is quite urban. Dubai is comparatively new city; it's growing very fast and you may see ongoing construction in some areas. When you're looking for a property you might find attractive prices, but make sure that there is no construction next to it because living in that apartment can be quite annoying. Public transportation is great in the city, but the network is not that developed. Dubai is a city that has several prime locations, so there is Downtown Dubai, Dubai Marina, Palm Jumeirah, and many, many other areas. So, if you want to move around the city, you need a car or a taxi. Yes, we have Metro, we have buses, we have train but you can't reach all areas by public transportation.

in Dubai, you depend on your visa and many other factors. So, if you don't have visa, you need to leave this country. That's why, when people come here for work the employer is their sponsor. They employer gives visa, but once you lose your job, you lose your visa and you need to go back home or find another job quickly. So, that's why many people always think where they will go next, because in this country, it's impossible at the moment to get citizenship for the majority of people there are some new rules and new laws, how you can get it, but it's for very specific people. In general, it's impossible to get citizenship in this country at the moment but hopefully in the future, something will change.

Another challenge that many families face in this country is school fees. They're very high. You can find the prices here and these fees don't include uniform transportation, books, and so on. That's why many families leave Dubai, when their kids go to school, it's so easy to spend money in Dubai. Dubai has a lot of things to offer and you want to try everything and overall, there are not many things that you can do in Dubai for free. Every time you go out you want to meet with friends, you need to spend money. That's why you need to be very wise with your budget and once you get your paychecks, always put some money on the savings account because otherwise you can end up just having zero on your balance and probably one of the biggest expenses most residents have is rent, is quite high in Dubai.

Due to the COVID-19 rent went down, so at least something good but still overall it's quite high and how the system works in Dubai. If you want to rent an apartment you need to sign a yearly contract and pay by cheques. Usually you pay by four cheques, by two cheques or by one cheque. But now due to this situation, of course its very negotiable, many landlords allow to pay by 12 checks, but still, it's not easy to find such deals, if you pay by four checks it means you need to pay for three months in advance. So, if you're moving to Dubai, you need to take it into consideration that if you're going to rent an apartment sometimes you need to pay for several months upfront. But of course, currently many landlords are struggling because many people left Dubai and you still can find some good deals, can find apartments where you can rent on a monthly basis, but the rent can be higher. 

Be ready to work hard in Dubai. most of people are saying that they work in Dubai longer hours, they work overtime. Sometimes they work on weekends and most companies don't pay for it. When you come here you might expect better salary, it's tax free, but you will work more, you will work longer hours because remember you depend on your employer, they pay you salary, they give you visa. So, let's say they "use you" as much as they can. So, these are cons of living in Dubai.