Life in Dubai – Extended Edition

I have been to Dubai several times after I wrote the three articles on life in Dubai. Each visit enabled me to observe the city closely. Every time I was there I learnt something new about the place. Every occasion was enlightening for me.

So here is an extension of my previous posts on life in Dubai. This time there is no controled flow of thoughts. Just random points that are built up in my mind after several visits to Dubai.

If you decide to live in Dubai, you have to be careful where to get accomodation and where you work. A general trend is that people live in Sharjah because housing is cheap there and they work in Dubai. Sharjah and Dubai are about 30 minutes away from each other. However, during morning and evening rush hour, it can take as long as two hours to commute between home and work, depending on the distance you have to cover. So many people spend over four hours every day on the roads. This is real killer as you are not left with anything else to do. At the end of the day you are so tired you just want to hit the bed. You don’t get to enjoy the life in Dubai, as most of you life is spent driving in Dubai. So much for quality life.

So, if you ever move to Dubai, do a little research on where you would be working and how much does housing cost in that area. Try to get accomodation as close to your work place as possible. If you are not getting paid enough to be able to afford a home close to your work, the job is not worth it. Negotiate with your employer to give you a better package or look for another job. ‘Cuz you certainly don’t want to move to Dubai and spend rest of your life stuck in traffic.

Talk about traffic problems, it might seem like the biggest problem Dubai is facing today, but I am optimistic that things will be better after some time, as measures are being taken to minimize the load of traffic on the roads. Dubai Metro is one such example. In addition to that, all the public buses are air conditioned and air conditioned bus terminals are also being constructed around the city. Plus the traffic in Dubai is much civilized compared to Karachi so it won’t be such a pain in the ass.

Other than that, you can truly enjoy life in Dubai. There is so much to do there that you can’t get bored. Of course, it also depends on how dynamic you are, cuz the busy schedule and traffic can make you glued to your apartment and you might end up missing all that Dubai has to offer. And that’s the challange. You have to explore the city to admire it.

Dubai is growing at an exponential rate. There are so many wonderful projects under constructions, such as the palms, that living in Dubai and watching them being built would be an experience of a life time. Just that is motivation enough to live in Dubai.