A social life in Dubai is vital!
When people are looking to move overseas, whether for business or other reasons, there are many factors to consider including employment, income, housing, healthcare but one issue which seems to be dismissed by many is meeting people in your new country. Very often if you move to a new country as a couple you will depend on each other for comfort and company although there are potential drawbacks if you depend upon one person or one group of people.
Meeting people in a foreign country
Before moving to any new homeland you will no doubt have done your homework, read the newspapers, possibly believe the stereotypical opinions of years gone by and may well believe that you know exactly what you are doing. However, if you ask any expat they will tell you that the reality can often be different from the theory and ingratiating yourself into the local community, both nationals and non-nationals, is a vital part of your new life.
Dubai is one of those countries which has developed and evolved over the years, accepting and encouraging many Western beliefs and actions, while ultimately attempting to stay true to the country’s long-term cultural values. As such while it would be wrong to suggest that ladies are seen as second class citizens in Dubai, there are different cultural aspects and values attached to ladies in the country than possibly men.
The way ladies dress and carry themselves is often of great interest to many people in Dubai, especially westerners who still attract some suspicion from many of the locals.
Expat communities
Dubai is one country which has attracted a vast number of expats because of employment opportunities and an economy which, until the ongoing recession, has blossomed over the years. As a consequence we have seen a massive increase in the number of expat communities in the region and there is likely to be a welcome for expats from anywhere around the world. However, while an expat community can open many doors and allow people to build their own social networks there are drawbacks.
Inclusion within the local community
If you’re looking to live in Dubai, in the long-term there is a real requirement for you to acknowledge the local culture, local practices and local laws. It can be unhealthy to be seen to be “different” from the locals by not including yourself in the local community, no matter how hard this may be in the initial stages. It is worth remembering that many expats come and go and if you build up an exclusive network of expats in the region and slowly but surely many of them return home then you can leave yourself wide open to long periods of loneliness and lack of inclusion in the local community.
Dubai is a country which has developed and grown over the years but is also one which still holds many Westerners and many Western values with suspicion. The Dubai authorities are more than happy to take investment from the Western world and perhaps overlook some Western activities and cultural differences but ultimately it is down to the local Dubai population as to whether they accept expats on the whole.
Religious issues in Dubai
Islam is the official religion in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates and has been known to cause some friction between non-followers and followers in the region. While religion is not the be all and end all when looking at integrating yourself into a new community there can be issues which need to be addressed to pave the way for closer links. History has shown us that every religion in the world seems to be, to some extent, suspicious of other religions and Dubai is no different.
While obviously staying true to yourself, your own beliefs and your own religion we all need to address and accept that other religions do exist and need to be respected in their own right. Many people will focus upon the tiny minority who follow Islam and show a total lack of respect for any other religions, when in reality the vast majority of Islam followers have no real problem with other religions or non-nationals.
Social events in Dubai
It is well documented that Dubai does not officially allow the consumption of alcohol in the country even though unofficially this is often overlooked, especially in expat communities, with many people coming from places such as the UK where the role of alcohol in a social environment is fairly deep-rooted. This can potentially cause problems when attempting to mix with the locals although if all parties respect each other, the local laws and use their own discretion there is no reason why expats and Dubai nationals cannot mix freely.
Working in Dubai
If you are moving to a new workplace in your former homeland the chances are you would be able to take advice and receive assistance from locals who would often be only too willing to take you under their wing. This will allow you to ingratiate yourself into the local community and can often enhance your social experience. However, the vast majority of expats who move to Dubai are likely to be working for Western-based companies where the vast majority of workers may well be from Western countries. This can in some ways cut off a possible route to including yourself in the local community but the chances are there will at least be some Dubai nationals working with, working for or at least associated with your employer.
Social life in Dubai
As in your former homeland, building up and creating your own social network and social life is part and parcel of everyday life. It is not healthy to lock yourself away in your home outside working hours because there is so much more to do and learn when in Dubai. Dubai is a country which continues to develop and while there are still some difficulties in certain areas with regards to integration of different nationalities, there is no doubt that progress has been made in this particular area.
For many people the easy option is to sit back and hope that other people will approach them and assist with their integration into the local community but in reality, the stand-off approach can be seen by many as a snub or even impolite. When in a foreign country you should not expect foreign nationals to fall over themselves to include you in their social activities and friendship networks. You need to give a bit to get a bit and while it can be difficult to push yourself at the beginning, in the long term there are substantial benefits.
Finding new interests in Dubai
While very often the early days of a move to a foreign land will be dominated by work issues, accommodation issues and settling down, once you are over the initial stages of the move then you need to address the issue of new interests and new pastimes. Whether you like sport, flower arranging, exercise or any other activity there are likely to be other people in the same boat as you who would like nothing better than to mix with people with similar interests and extend their own social networks.
The Internet, while censored to a certain extent in places such as Dubai, will still be one of your best information outlets for local interests and local pastimes in the region. For many people the e-mail system will be a godsend and will allow them to check out various activities and social events so that they are forearmed and forewarned before they attend. There is nothing worse than attending a new activity or a social meeting where everything is new and you do not really know what you’re letting yourself in for.
Using Internet forums to arrange social events
Forums such as the Expatforum.com have been, and continue to be, worth their weight in gold for many expats in foreign lands such as Dubai. Not only do they allow non-nationals to address certain issues which may be concerning them but they can often be a useful way of finding like-minded people in the region who ultimately could become friends and help them to join the local community, both nationals and non-nationals.
However overdependence upon expats in the region, as we covered above, does have its drawbacks but the ability to ingratiate yourself with the local community via expat contacts is very useful indeed.
Planning for the future in Dubai
The vast majority of people who move to Dubai may well move there on a short-term contract or short-term time span although things do change and ultimately a large number of people have found themselves with a long-term future in the country. As a consequence, when you arrive in Dubai it is vital that your outlook is focused on the medium to longer term with regards to your connections and social network, rather than focusing on short-term issues which could see you excluded from local activities and local networks. Everybody needs to let their hair down at some stage, everybody needs to relax and everybody needs to get away from the work environment outside of office hours.
If your focus is purely upon the work element of your life in Dubai you may have issues in the future with regards to pressure and stress and we should not underestimate the ability of social integration to release stress and release pressure on an ongoing basis. If in fact your time in Dubai is only a short stay and you do return home, then at least by building up a network of friends in the region you will have contacts there in the future, should you wish to return, and ultimately many people will find “friends for life” – a social life in Dubai is vital!.
Finding new friends in Dubai
For those moving to Dubai, or any other foreign country, the bottom line is that unless you make the effort to find new friends in your new homeland you will probably end up with a very small network of friends. While it does take two people, or to parties, to make a friendship and contact each other, it is often the role of the non-national to step forward first and break the ice. Even today many Westerners are seen as arrogant and unapproachable by the population in some countries even if this particular impression is only given by a small minority. It does not take much to break down the barriers and old stereotypical views but ultimately it will probably take one person to step forward and make the first move to break into the local community.
Conclusion
There are many issues to consider and take into account when looking to move to a foreign land and a move to Dubai is no different. While the worldwide press often pick up on certain areas of life in Dubai the truth is that every country in the world has cultures, regulations and activities which are often specific to that region. In many ways the issue of religion is one which continues to dominate the relationship between areas such as Dubai and the wider western world and many of the ongoing terrorist activities around the world have caused significant friction between different religions.
The truth is that the vast majority of these activities are carried out by a tiny minority, on both sides, and unless we are careful there is a chance that they could scupper the possibility of expats and local nationals in countries such as Dubai integrating more. If you move to a foreign country, even if your main reason is for employment, it is vital that you have your own social network and the ability to relax outside working hours because ultimately all work and no play can be very dangerous to your mental and physical health.
Mixing with both expats and local nationals in Dubai will not only allow you to relax and release the pressure and stress of everyday life but also open new doors and new avenues to you with regards to your social life and possibly your working life. We are all very inquisitive by nature and many of us, given the time, would like to know more about local cultures, local activities and the local community – so what’s stopping you?
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I want to spent new year n Xmas with my freinds in Dubai this very year.Does anyone advise me on price of visa at the airport and maybe information on guess house or un expensive accomodation for young professional students.Thank you