I’ve lived here all my life and had multiple roles in multiple companies in the region. I mainly work in product. I see many posts on here touting Dubai as a great tax free place but it’s not. There are indirect taxes of sorts on your life. Don’t fall for the facade. Salik: imagine paying tolls to the government for a road all hours of the day. 1.5$ per gate passed. They recently IPO’d a small percentage of the system as a private company. But government owns most of it. Overpriced cars: imagine paying 20% more for cars. We get cars which would be the most basic model here highest end model and stripped down versions as the basic. This is due to connected families owning distribution rights. Non existent culture of tech: innovation is nonexistent in the UAE, as most tech companies are just me two clones of US startups almost everyone just localizes them in terms of language, and user experience rather than actually innovate new business ideas. If you want to work on stagnant tech ideas go for it. A good example is Careem a clone of Uber now partially owned by Uber. They are partnered with the gov and will milk you dry for every penny you own. Only reason they can survive. Overpriced property bubble: every real estate agent will tell you that the property market is booming. That’s what the government will tell you, but the truth of the matter is that everything is a bubble, and Rental yields are almost non-existence, if you buy a property, the property value dips quickly. The only people who make money in a gold rush are the ones selling shovels. One thing many people don’t know about the property market is that a handful of millionaires and billionaires actually control most of the property that it’s not the residents who are buying properties it’s the same 1000 to 5000 individuals who are basically running the market. The golden visa scam: it’s just a long term visa with no permanent pathway. Most few countries here will give you the option to naturalize, but the golden Visa in the emirates does not even offer for that which gives you absolutely no benefits, apart from living here for 10 years at a time. Requirements are 30k aed salary or owning a property of 2M Green visa scam: you can get one but can’t get a work permit on it. It was for individuals who made 15k aed and above. Everything is cheap : this is a big one where in cheap labor and underpaid labor contributed to low labor resulting in things being cheap.Asian labor is brought to the UAE to work for pitiful wages, often 12+ hours a day. The uae sees this as business transaction and will tell these people to leave rather than improve rights. Someone is paying for everything being cheap and it’s not the government. Secret price hikes: the government will basically claim to freeze pricing, but months in advance. They will tell retailers to raise pricing saying a price price freeze is coming. The apologists: these are often people that have never been to any other country apart from the home country and the UAE, and they will often make excuses for the Uae . You’ll find them all over, saying the uae is great create this sad, but the truth is that they just apologists defending everything that’s wrong here. A good chunk are from wealthy communities of the subcontinent. Unhealthylifestyle: since it’s too hot to go out, you will have very less physical activity leading to depression. This in turn will make you want to crave something to eat, for example, and because takeout is so cheap. It builds this cycle where you’re eating junk food and you end up having health problems. How the uae really makes money: overpriced fees and charges. 150$ to get your driving license renewed. 2000$ for driving classes plus tests. Telecom monopoly where they can charge you whatever (the use has one of the most expensive telecom costs in the word. 1000-10,000 usd for a business license, another 2500 usd for a visa, another 1000$ for medical tests. No jobs, no job security: since the uae has an open visa system, almost anyone can apply for a visa and get it many people just come here to look for jobs and often drive down salaries it’s not a matter of skill but rather people doing this are desperate, but rather the government makes money off people either way so they don’t really care about these things. You’re actually here to serve the <10% the population. this is a big one where the local population often reap all the benefits of government and often treated expats as second or third class people that just exist here. For example, if there is a prison sentence, it will be maybe one to two years for a local, but for expat it might easily be five years. Colorism, passportism play a big factor here. If you look brown / black I can only wish you the best of luck. Recently they imposed a quota system which disproportionally affected Asians. Had to be rolled back due to backlash. Thank god. My visa renewal is coming up soon. One day you’ll have debt and a life that you don’t want to leave and that is the day you’ll be out of a job for 12-24 months minimum. Uae will offer your everything at a cost. I would recommend looking at Reddit r/dubai to learn more. Open for dms. Feel free to to ask anything in comments too. Edit: I have over 4 years of experience In product. If anyone’s hiring for product roles in the EU/NA/AUS remote or with sponsorship let me know. Can fly to us for interviews. Blind tax: 33k usd #tech #dubai
Good
The notion that the grass is greener on the other side applies universally, whether one is in the USA, Australia, or Dubai.
Shift out to some other place dude
Unfortunately with the tech collapse I am stuck here. While I am doing my best to get out. Sometimes feels impossible.
Load of bullshit post
What makes you say that? Have you lived in the emirates ?
In Dubai , White expats in tech get paid almost double the non white expats and are automatically staffed in managerial positions . 🤧
This is true. I’ve experienced this.
I don’t understand this logic. People should be hired for their abilities and talent and not where they’re from.
Why are you still staying in Dubai ?
I was born here. Unfortunately I hold a non western passport and going back to my country of citizenship would be as good as deporting me to a country I’ve never lived in. There are thousands like me in the middleast.
If you are born there try the green card lottery for the US
Do companies in UAE normally pay for schools for employee’s children?
Tech companies: no Traditional family orgs: possibly. Only upto the age of 18 & usually capped. Common in oil and gas. But those benefits are being cut form what I hear.
Ok makes sense; it’s all down to TC then. Thanks.
Ok, but that’s what Dubai always seemed to be anyway? Going there for the lack of taxes was only for the incredibly naive.
Exactly lack of tax 🤣🤣here is invisible taxes🤫
Spot on
India
11h
2580
Why is it so G*damn difficult to move money out of India
Tech Industry
Yesterday
3397
I do tech screens at Google. AMA
India
Yesterday
974
Any Indians Think Kashmir Should be Independent?
Personal Finance
Yesterday
449
At what point is using a financial advisor worth it?
Health & Wellness
10h
725
Issues with sleep
Nice try ChatGPT. Ain’t reading all that, either happy for you or I’m sorry that happened to you
Lol, read half of the post to realize that.
That’s is very unfortunate response. I spent a long while outlining these things. Look at the last bit if you truly don’t believe me.