Living in Dubai - Answering Your Questions | Dubai Diary Podcast

Описание: Considering moving to Dubai? Join Adam and Sara as they share their personal journey of relocating to the UAE and adjusting to life in Dubai. In this episode, they tackle the most common questions about living in Dubai, providing a wealth of information for anyone dreaming of making the move.

Our Dubai adventure began with a whirlwind of visa applications, bank account setups, and school hunting. Now, we're pulling back the curtain on the entire process of moving to Dubai and settling into our new life in this vibrant city.

Visa Voyage:
Navigating the visa process is often the first hurdle when moving to Dubai. We break down the costs and steps for different visa types. An employment visa costs around 7,500 AED (£1,600), while a partner visa for business setup is about 8,000 AED (£1,700). Adam shares, "From landing, spending £1,700, that then put Sara in a position where she got her Emirates ID."

Banking in Dubai:
Setting up finances is crucial when living in Dubai. We discuss digital banks like WIO offering same-day setup and traditional banks like NBD providing in-person services. We also touch on the high interest rates available on savings accounts, ranging from 4.35-4.5%.

Schooling Costs:
Education is a top priority for families moving to Dubai. We reveal our school fees for the British curriculum at Heartland International School. For Year 6, we pay 59,180 AED (£12,578), and for Year 4, it's 57,066 AED (£12,129).

Furnishing Your Dubai Home:
We share our experience of setting up our new home in Dubai, opting to buy new furniture instead of shipping from the UK. We found reasonably priced options at Home Centre, IKEA, and OC Home, with quick delivery and assembly services available.

Renting in Dubai:
Discover the unique aspects of renting when living in Dubai, including the cheque system for rent payments, upfront broker fees, and security deposits. We also share negotiation tips for better deals.

Working While Living in Dubai:
We discuss how our work lives have adapted to Dubai's time zone. Adam says, "I love those golden hours, so work. So I'm working three, four hours before the UK wakes up on their time zone." Sara adds, "I get a lot of work done in the morning before any distractions of people slacking emailing me."

Top Tips for Moving to Dubai:
Consider premium visa services for a smoother relocation, be prepared for physical cheque payments for rent, and factor in time zone differences when working with international clients.

Adam shares a valuable tip on negotiating rent: "Everything is a negotiation. If you get the sense that the landlord is flexible on checks... try and use that as a negotiation point."

Living in Dubai has been an exciting journey for us, and we're thrilled to share our experiences with you. Whether you're actively planning your move or just curious about life in Dubai, this episode is packed with valuable insights.

For a visual guide on setting up an apartment and adjusting to life in Dubai, check out our previous vlogs where we document the entire process of moving to Dubai and making it our home.

Don't forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell to stay updated on our Dubai journey. We'll be answering more of your questions about living in Dubai in future episodes, so keep them coming in the comments!

Exciting news: We're considering organising a Dubai Diary meetup for viewers and listeners in the area. Stay tuned for more details!

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