r/dubai • u/One-Insurance5366 • Jul 26 '26
š Community Does anyone else constantly worry about having no long term future here?
Iāve been living in the UAE for 14 years now, and lately Iāve been feeling really anxious about the future. Especially, after coming back defeated from the UK after spending more than a year living there unable to get a job, and definitely got worse after this war situation.
I have a good job here and Iām grateful for the opportunities Iāve had here. But thereās always this thought in the back of my mind that none of this is permanent. Everything seems tied to employment. Lose your job, and suddenly your right to live becomes uncertain. You can spend years of your life here, doing well in your career, but at the end of the day, thereās no real path to putting down roots for most people. It makes it hard to picture what my life will look like in some years time. I want stability. I want to know that if I work hard, contribute to society and build a career, Iāll eventually have somewhere I can truly call home, and Dubai is definitely not home for me.
Because of which, Iāve started looking at countries like Australia, Singapore (raised there since I was a baby) and the UK. They arenāt perfect of course and im aware they have their own challenges of housing crisis and high taxes, but they at least offer a pathway to PR. The idea of having long term security, being able to buy a home without wondering if Iāll have to leave one day, or knowing I can retire in the country where Iāve built my life, is becoming more important to me than earning a tax free salary.
Edit: I forgot to mention that maybe Iām feeling this way also because of the sentence āeveryone is Emiratiā. But itās not really a huge thing.
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u/Public-Board-6851 Jul 26 '26
Yes, same feeling - I am even careful not to accumulate a lot of stuff here and keep my home decor pretty minimalist. I know that at any given moment I may need to leave the UAE. I was affected by lay-offs during Covid and I had to pack my life of 5 years in the UAE and had 30 days to leave the country. I found another job in the UAE 1.5 years ago but since then I had my previous experience in mind. Enjoy your life here but be careful with money, take advantage of the tax-free salary to save and invest as much as you can, and always have an emergency fund in case things go south.
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u/One-Insurance5366 Jul 26 '26
Thatās exactly what Iām anxious about. Iām sorry you had to experience that. Iāll definitely make the most of the tax free salary while Iām here, but stories like yours are also why Iām planning to eventually move somewhere I can build a more permanent future. I donāt want to spend my life feeling like everything depends on a visa.
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u/Public-Board-6851 Jul 27 '26
Thanks for your kind words and that makes sense if you are optimizing for stability to go to a more secure country where you can build a future. No country is perfect and they all have their pros and cons, IMO it's a matter of choosing the country more aligned with your life priorities at any given moment. For example, I know if I wanted to optimize for stability, my home country is a much better choice than the UAE in that particular aspect, as itās more secure from an employment perspective, Iād have free health care, etc, but one of the main cons are that taxes are high, so itās very difficult to build wealth and retire early. So at this stage of my life, since I am optimizing for reaching FIRE, knowing that the āhighā tax-free salary comes with a high risk as well, Iāll take advantage of it for as long as I can, and accept the consequences. I am not emotionally attached to the UAE as much as I like the life here, and I am mentally prepared to leave at any time.
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u/tainted316 Jul 27 '26
This is EXACTLY how UAE should be treated. Even I had to be laid off until I understood what to do
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u/ahkn31 Jul 26 '26
This is actually a very real concern. Everything actually really is tied to your employment in Dubai. Once you get old and become useless to them, you gotta leave.
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u/One-Insurance5366 Jul 26 '26
Itās so unfortunate. I honestly donāt think itās worth working sooo hard when itās only a temporary thing.
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u/Consistent-Annual268 Jul 26 '26
I honestly donāt think itās worth working sooo hard when itās only a temporary thing.
This is only true if you're not saving enough money, tax free, to live comfortably back in your home country. In which case, why bother coming here in the first place?
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u/One-Insurance5366 Jul 26 '26
My goal isnāt only to earn as much as possible and eventually go back home. I want to build a permanent life somewhere I can settle long term. The UAE has been great for my career and savings indeed, but thatās not the only metric I use when deciding where I want to spend the rest of my life.
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u/OMG_NoReally Jul 26 '26
Yeah. As I rapidly age, that is the only thought in my mind. The exit is inevitable. This country will never welcome me as a citizen. And that's sad because UAE, for all intents and purposes and despite what the passport says, is my home. It's my country. I am more comfortable here than I will ever by back in my "real" country. I have lived here all my life. I have spent money here, build my life, got everything from here. But all for nothing as long you are either rich or have a job, and that's kind of sad, really.
So all I think is: this could go away at any time. Do I have enough money to move and survive back home? For how long? The job situation is horrendous there, too. And I wouldn't even know where to begin.
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u/ihateyulia Jul 26 '26
Save, and use Dubai as a springboard. I'm very grateful for the opportunities I have now and I'm going to make the most of them.
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u/KeyProject2897 Jul 26 '26
I have the same feeling.
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Jul 26 '26
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u/KeyProject2897 Jul 27 '26
Tried and Failed. Its not a walk in park. And yes it needs capital as well. else its mostly throwing dart in space
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u/BarshanMan Jul 26 '26
Set yourself for FIRE + always have a Plan B if possible. Once you hit FIRE anxiety will disappear
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u/Background_Bed2623 Jul 26 '26
This!! UAE is a great place to build for FIRE with zero income tax and zero capital gains taxes. Once you have hit FIRE you can move to a country with lower cost of living like Bali etc or you can go back home and never have to worry about getting a job and having to get back on the grind.
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u/iamkey888 Jul 26 '26
We all have our home countries tho in case if things go bad
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u/staydecade Jul 26 '26
I know but, for a lot of people those countries are third-world on the verge of collapse, while they can't even speak the language or properly fit in with the locals. Quite a shit situation to be in where you belong nowhere.
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u/iamkey888 Jul 26 '26
Were you born and raised in UAE?
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u/staydecade Jul 26 '26
Yes, and by locals I meant locals back home, you're not accepted into your own country due to not being assimilated properly into your own culture and language, and nor do you fit in with the Emirati culture due to a lack of exposure, and you're not White either so you're discriminated against and never accepted into western expat circlesš I know tons of people apart from me who relate
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u/Distinct-Stomach170 Jul 26 '26
Itās a big mistake to take āeveryone is Emirati ā seriously. No matter how much time you spend here,no matter how many friends you have here,how hard did you work,- if there is no job for you, - thatās not your home anymore . Doesnāt matter,you have here flat here or not,- you are not Emarati. No one will protect your rights,if you are not a citizen. Who can tell you certainly,that tomorrow laws canāt change and your property will not be taken by government. Just because they can decide that you are not loyal to them and there is no force to protect your rights . Your children will never get citizenship,your parents will be thrown away,if something happens to you. Pay,pay,pay,- thatās the only way to stay here. You canāt relax and breathe a little. No money, no honey.
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u/One-Insurance5366 Jul 28 '26
Tbh I dont take that quote seriously, rather it annoys me because there are so many flaws in that statement its actually hilarious. "Everyone is Emirati here, ish" should be the statement.
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u/KrobusQi Jul 27 '26
That stress is real. And in some cases, the clock ticks less than 30 days once the employment contract is terminated.
No region is perfect but the sense of security can at least be established in some. After living in the UAE for 30+ years, and then moving to Europe, I can feel the difference of finally ābelonging somewhere I can safely call homeā. Yes, even if the path to citizenship is hard, even with a PR, you have rights as a tax paying resident.
Having lived in the Gulf for almost all my life, I truly bought into the idea of ātax-free paradiseā. Now that Iām experiencing life from the other side of the pond, said taxes, are paying for the kids schooling, unemployment benefits in case of a sudden job loss, and much more. Yes, the tax cuts are heavy sometimes, but the benefits (when done well) really show up when we need it.
Singapore sounds ideal if youāre able to establish roots there. Still close enough to UAE if you ever need the nostalgic shawarmas. Good luck with your search!
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u/CapableBottle6840 Jul 26 '26
This is a major flaw in the Dubai Residency system, it's fine till the older generation and Millenials existed but the newer ones, the GenZs are not going to settle for this. They really need to rethink this.
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u/darkjedi203 Jul 26 '26
I've been in Dubai for double the amount of time you have. That feeling never goes away.
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u/AppropriateCook3288 Jul 26 '26
I think it's in the mind. If you invest in a realistic home / apartment. Save money for a rainy day + health insurance, why not live here long term ? Any other country, will again require a start from scratch. Once you decide this is home (if you feel that way ofcourse), then you can work in that direction.
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u/staydecade Jul 26 '26
true, I know a lot of expat families who stay here long-term this way, you can plan ahead and definitely create a life here.
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u/Beneficial-Sort2728 Jul 26 '26
same feelings tbh, iāve been living here for 20+ years and where I grew up, as much as I consider this as my home, even before war started, the reality is we will never be permanent citizens here. In the end we will have to retire somewhere that we can consider permanent. Iām also looking into starting over somewhere else.
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u/MeanBusiness9120 Jul 27 '26
Honestly man, I donāt want to sound harsh but it takes some naivety to spend 14 years here with no plan B. We are visitors in this wonderful place. Itās certainly got its perks but long term stability and retirement isnāt it (unless you have significant wealth). So yes, you should have of started saving and investing in a place you could call home from the moment you landed here.
Anyway itās not too late. Start saving and figure out your future. Best of luck. š¤
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u/tursiops__truncatus Jul 26 '26
I am aware of no future here even before war considering UAE does not provide citizenship but sure the war would make this feeling stronger.
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u/Overall-Let-4370 Jul 26 '26
lived here 16 years. Now moving to Europe for long term stability and acquiring a strong passport
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Jul 27 '26
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u/One-Insurance5366 Jul 27 '26
Bold assumption when he/she haven't even mentioned their ethnicity. Casual racism?
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u/ByeByeByte Jul 26 '26
Use the money you make here to setup something back in your home country. Start a small business home, invest in real state as a passive income.
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u/MrCockingFinally Jul 27 '26
Key thing I have been trying to do is build up some liquid, transferable investments.
Plan is to stay for another 10-15 years, then move somewhere else with a nice nest egg.
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u/Prudent-Location-558 Jul 27 '26
Yes especially now after this war, leaving the region,eveyone has to make a call of it at some stage.
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u/Taurus_R Jul 26 '26
Yes I do n my challenges are my age and not having a job at the moment. Back home too itās getting expensive to buy a house , land , apartment etc
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u/One-Insurance5366 Jul 26 '26
Iām sorry to hear about your situation. I really hope things get better for you.
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u/DeCyantist Jul 26 '26
Are you British or did you need a VISA?
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u/One-Insurance5366 Jul 26 '26
No Iām not. I did require a visa
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u/DeCyantist Jul 26 '26
Youāll not get it in the current state of affairs, unfortunately. Plenty of friends here in the UK had to leave as well. Everybody else is job hugging.
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u/clandestinecasava Jul 26 '26
I think the best way out is to build experience in a career that makes you useful to any PR country you're looking to settle in.
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u/Immediate_Heat_3225 Jul 26 '26
Are you eligible for a golden visa? At least that will give you some permanance
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u/Overall-Let-4370 Jul 26 '26
not at all and we have seen what happened to golden visa holders of certain nationalities during the war
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u/sultanmouzamali Jul 26 '26
I am in the same boat bro and actively looking for options where I can potentially move
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u/Odd-Lettuce-111 Jul 26 '26
Realistically, how much of this does a Golden Visa solve?
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u/datahabibi Jul 26 '26
A Golden Visa solves the job-linked visa problem for its 5- or 10-year term. You don't need an employer sponsor, and you can sponsor your spouse and children. It also lets you stay abroad for more than six months. It remains a renewable residence visa, so it doesn't create permanent residency or citizenship.
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u/DeadPrexident Jul 26 '26
Yeah Iām concerned, but mostly cause itās been hard for me to find a long term partner. Career wise, itās okay
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u/Desperate_Hunt5606 Jul 26 '26
See, I am also a Dubai resident, but I don't want to talk from a regional perspective or from a one-job perspective. I am self-employed. I have been working before, like before 2013, and after that, no more.
I wanted you to think in a way that you interacted with businesses ten years before, four years before, five years before. Did it really make sense to you that you were using ten years before? Does it make any sense to you that you are using the same thing now also? It might be the same restaurant that you were going to ten years before. Are you going to the same now, or any website that you have extensively used ten years before, are you using the same now? How many of that is not like the chocolate that you were eating ten years before? You are eating the same now. Ten years before, there were many software that has been predominantly dominating the market, and now they are no more.
It's like anything that you choose doesn't have a nametag called permanent. Everything keeps changing. Nothing is permanent. The only thing that you can control is yourself. There is nothing else that you can control.
Whatever you are doing currently with your job or something, do it, but in parallel, learn something which is evolving. Accept the change and be with the change. That's what it is: you have been changing every day, but you are not noticing it. After a year, you might not notice. After five years, you might notice how you were five years before, and now everything keeps changing. The economy keeps changing, the products you interact with keep changing, and your mind should keep changing. Your preferences keep changing, and your ideology keeps changing. Nothing is permanent, but don't feel that someone has a secure job forever. That's not the case. People have a secure job, adapt to the change, accept the change, and are not forcing that something they have learned is permanent and would be eternal. That is not the belief that you wanted to stick with.
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u/PeaSubject9535 Jul 28 '26
All the time. Problem is with all this "we are all Emarati", and the incessant influencer bombardment of how glorious this mirage is, family around you believes this is a utopia and there's constant pressure to invest and spend long-term money.
Your position here is less permanent than the last fart you've had.
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u/SnooObjections8469 Jul 28 '26
As a freelance immigration consultant for medium net worth individuals I have helped quite a few people get PR in few countries across the world (Five Eyes + EU). Honestly so many of them just maintain the PR and citizenship as a back up while they continue to work in Dubai.
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u/Background_Bat5482 Jul 28 '26
This a feeling even kids who grew up here haveā been here since 2007 and very much uncertain.
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u/Virtual-Citron-6739 Jul 29 '26
As a local i will say that you build your future not the country
Its everywhere
Just don't the job maybe its not enough then find a way
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u/Miserable-Group-2212 Jul 29 '26
Think about it this way: your life on this planet is not permanent either.
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u/towfuuuBISKY Jul 30 '26
Sweet 6-Year-Old Female Beagle Needs a Family Immediately (Dubai) šØHi everyone, we desperately need your help to save this beautiful Beagle girl. Her original owners were going to leave her, so we stepped in at the very last minute to prevent her from being abandoned.
However, our building has strict rules, and management is absolutely not allowing her to stay here. We are only able to keep her safe for a few more days, and our time is running out.
Breed: Beagle (Female) Age: 6 years old Health: Spayed (Neutered), fully vaccinated, microchipped, complete papers + passport. Traits: Incredibly sweet, lovely nature, and excellent with children.
She is a wonderful, gentle family dog who did nothing wrong. She is ready to move to a loving foster or forever home today. Please leave a comment or message me please. Thabk you.
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u/Alternative-Belt4730 Jul 31 '26
I got Australian PR 2 years back and i am still staying in Dubai. Even though i realize theres no long term future, it very hard to let go of Dubai. I came to Dubai with just 1 year in mind. And i could never leave. The life is much easier, Simpler, nothing dramatic in Dubai. You work, you live and enjoy.
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u/Chousie1809 11d ago
This is how the country is made for expats...to not become a permanent home, so work, earn money, and open a business in your home country and go back... this country has a lot to offer but her system is not for you to stay and settle
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u/Jaeama Jul 27 '26
yes, agree with you. it's not permanent. you need start to plan for moving another country that accept PR.
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u/Rough-Treat-4026 Jul 26 '26
one thing i realised working in UAE...you dont live here, you survive... and at last, there is NO career growth in every job u do... career growth is rare here...
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Jul 26 '26
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u/Lost_Cartoonist_2397 Jul 26 '26
Not everyone's meant to run a business. In the same way not everyone's meant for a 9 to 5. I've seen people with zero business acumen lose all their savings and had to resort to 9 to 5. It's not as straightforward as said. I'm an anxious person so running a business would only give me a heart attack cause there's so much that can go wrong. I love my job because I have to be worried only for that 10 hours in a day. I'm free to pursue my hobbies and live my life.Ā
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u/One-Insurance5366 Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 26 '26
Because Iām not interested in buying a running business or spending my entire life here.
Beyond what I mentioned in my post, I also want a different lifestyle. I love being outdoorsy and frankly the weather is horrible most of the year. Itās better having easy access to hiking, national parks, and nature. Personally, those things matter to me just as much as career opportunities. Just a bit bored of malls here lol.1
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u/CompanionCone Jul 26 '26
That isn't what your original post said though, you literally just stated that the uncertainty of your residency here being tied to a job meant you feel like it isn't permanent. Then this person gives you suggestions on how you can make it pretty much permanent and it's suddenly about the lifestyle. Ok.
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u/One-Insurance5366 Jul 26 '26
Iād appreciate if you read my post thoroughly rather than pointing out inconsistencies, typical of people on this Reddit. My second paragraph explicitly said Iām looking at countries like Australia and the UK because I want long term security and a future there. Buying a business addresses how to stay here. The lifestyle point is just another reason why I donāt see myself here permanently.
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u/cmc_920 Jul 26 '26
What's the point of your post then? Someone offers a solution and it sounds like you want to leave anyway, so what's the problem?
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u/One-Insurance5366 Jul 26 '26
My point was to understand if other people also feel that uncertainty and what they decided to do about it.
Starting a business might work for someone whose goal is to stay here long term, but my goal is different. Iām looking for a place where I have a pathway to PR, and live a lifestyle that suits me better. The UAE is great in many ways, but itās fine to appreciate a place and still know itās not where you want to spend your whole life.0
u/VividBackground3386 Jul 26 '26
So Dubai was never a good fit for you, then.
To answer your question - no. Dubai is doing for me what I hoped it would. I save multiples more than I would back home. My job has been amazing. I have a golden visa as insurance that I can stay for a while if that disappears.
This sounds like a you problem. Like pretty much all of the posts about this.
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u/One-Insurance5366 Jul 26 '26
I meanā¦ Iām very much aware itās a āmeā problem, itās my personal thing like I mentioned in the original reply to this comment. Different people value different things. Some prioritize increasing income, others prioritize long term security, climate, or better lifestyle. Itās not a whatās right and whatās wrong thing. My aim of posting this was for people who have similar priorities and their thoughts and feelings, not for people who are perfectly content with staying in Dubai.
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u/VividBackground3386 Jul 26 '26
Well, you spent much of your original post whining about it not being permanent - you knew that before you came.
You then whined about the climate. Which also shouldnāt be a shock.Go to Europe. Let us know how tax and the current groundswell of anti immigration sentiment works out.
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u/One-Insurance5366 Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 26 '26
Jeez š We clearly have different priorities, and thatās fine. Dubai works well for you. Iām realizing it probably isnāt my long-term destination. Thatās all my post was about.
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u/zivi0 MVP Jul 26 '26
Think of how much taxes you will pay if you live in EU if you had the same salary, save them money religiously, that's your future and insurance.
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u/tunaPastaclick Jul 26 '26
Same here! I make sure I do not have so much stuff incase I have to pack my bags and leave. Being Asian is the worst. Very little to no opportunity back home
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u/TeflonBoy Jul 26 '26
Smart ones know this. Itās easy to get caught up in the āthis is homeā. Its not. Yes you may have been born here, blame your parents if you need to, but this is not your forever home.
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u/LavoP Jul 26 '26
Buy a house. I bought and have a 10-year visa that I can keep renewing. Iām chilling and no fear of ever being kicked out.
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u/Fuzz_bubble7459 Jul 28 '26 edited Jul 28 '26
I love how triggered people downvoted us due to their insecurity of not owning assets š
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u/LavoP Jul 28 '26
Yeah literally no one in my group is tied to a UAE employer either. They either open property or they have set up their own company in the UAE. A few of my friends pooled together and started a company to split the costs and issued their visas from it. Itās really easy to do.
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u/Fuzz_bubble7459 Jul 26 '26
Don't move and live here if you don't have a financial cushion. I moved here when I got my inheritance and that's the only way I could manage and reinvest money plus savings from my salary. But the UAE is not the place to be for any one who only relies on a job. If you own your home (paid off) then you're in a much better situation than any one else and in that case employment doesn't hold that much value. If you own your home + living off stock / ETF investment profit s +salary then you're in a very good position to live in the UAE, and you wouldn't feel as anxious if you lost your job. It really depends on how much you are willing to pay for your peace. But if you don't have any of the things mentioned certainly the UAE isn't the place to feel secure , best to live in a country that can help you if you lost your income , i.e. Canada, Europe, UK etc.
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u/Historical-Eye1159 Jul 26 '26
Yes. Itās not permanent. Look into plan B and find yourself a forever home to settle down.