# So are you happy in Dubai?



## Homeless (Jul 31, 2012)

I know that measuring happiness is subjective and I hope that from the replies I am able to sort out the facts from the myths of life in Dubai.


I made the unwise decision of moving to Egypt a little over a year ago and feel stuck.
I don't want to return to Canada and the relatively comfortable and mundane life and at the same time I know my life in Egypt will be hell. I avoid leaving home because of the dislike (actually hate) I now have for most Egyptians 

So I started looking at gulf countries and my preferred one is Oman. A preliminary research, though, indicated that job opportunities will be better in Dubai. And again some of my reading on UAE and specifically Dubai gave me the impression that it is mostly flashing lights and glitter with no substance. It is a kin to a high class prostitute but a prostitute nonetheless. 

So, are you happy to be in Dubai or is it about money.


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## Mr Rossi (May 16, 2009)

Homeless said:


> So, are you happy to be in Dubai or is it about money.


If you don't like Egypt, I can't see you liking Dubai much.


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## petrolhead (Jun 27, 2011)

Sorry Mr. Rossi I have to disagree. I detested living in Egypt and to move here was like a breath of fresh air. Reckon ccr will agree too but then again I've met people who prefer Cairo to Dubai so it's all a matter of personal taste really


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## m1key (Jun 29, 2011)

Dubai is what you make of it and the glitz is only one side of it...albeit one side many get caught up in. The only possible answer to your question is to tell you to spend some time here and decide for yourself. If you do this, don't do the tourist thing. Rent a hotel self catered apartment and try 'living here' for a week or two. It wont tell you everything, but you can at least taste a little of what you'd be letting yourself in for.


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## ccr (Jun 20, 2010)

petrolhead said:


> Sorry Mr. Rossi I have to disagree. I detested living in Egypt and to move here was like a breath of fresh air. * Reckon ccr will agree *too but then again I've met people who prefer Cairo to Dubai so it's all a matter of personal taste really


I would rather:

- stick red hot burning needles in my eye balls
- sleep on a bed flesh-eating fire ants
- eat a large bowl of Habaneros in the middle of the desert with no water insight
- spend eternity in Hell

than living in Cairo again.

And mind you that I was there before the Revolution era, lived on a golf course outside of Cairo and 5-min drive from work...


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## Mr Rossi (May 16, 2009)

petrolhead said:


> I detested living in Egypt and to move here was like a breath of fresh air.


Never lived in Cairo but been there, surely it's the same headaches with laziness, ineptitude, etc etc. I dunno, I'm just back from 10 days in London and after 12 hours back totally had it with this part of the world as a whole.


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## indoMLA (Feb 6, 2011)

no.


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## petrolhead (Jun 27, 2011)

ccr said:


> I would rather:
> 
> - stick red hot burning needles in my eye balls
> - sleep on a bed flesh-eating fire ants
> ...


Haha knew you'd come through ccr


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## ccr (Jun 20, 2010)

Homeless said:


> So, are you happy to be in Dubai or is it about money.


If I was to live in the Gulf area, then either a) Dubai (or Abu Dhabi), or b) Muscat.

In my opinion, Dubai has the most comforts available with many options/distractions to help forget that you are not back home.

Oman has the outdoor, water coast, mountains and easy-living lifestyle, and less stuck-up locals.

I would never go to Saudi for any amount of money. Bahrain is too limited, Qatar is a mess, and will be much worse when closer to World Cup  Nothing interesting about Kuwait.

...and, of course, there is always lovely Egypt 

And, yes, money is a big factor. For the same money, I will go home in a nano-second - I will see the same amount of "foreigners" where I live anyway... 

We have been living overseas for over 16 years in various continents so it is getting closer to the threshold when we might just decide to move back home and be Americans again. Money can only take it so far...


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## XDoodlebugger (Jan 24, 2012)

_*"So are you happy in Dubai?"*_

Yes, so far. This is my second go around being an expat, the first was for 10 years in the 80's and 90's living here, Oman, Turkey, Egypt, Kuwait, Syria, Chad, Yemen, Thailand, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia.

In Dubai I make good money, company car, company paid housing, limited taxes so financially I am much more secure.

My job is a challenge with only some minor local roadblocks put in place (no boss in country but still you deal with HR, visas, paperwork issues). 

I like the night life, I prefer Pattaya or Bangkok but no one there has offered me a job. 

Will I grow tired of it? Probably, but there are a lot worse places (see some on my list above).


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## motojet (Mar 11, 2008)

Doh


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## Felixtoo2 (Jan 16, 2009)

Love it here!


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

Dislike. But hope you like it better.


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