Many expats have chosen Dubai as a way for them to seek greater career opportunities. However, experiencing new life in a different location you’re not familiar with can be extremely overwhelming. There are so many things to take in and learn about that may reach the point of leaving your comfort zone. From the climate to the traditions and practices embedded in their culture, there’s no way you can familiarize everything at once. That’s the challenge with living the ex-pat life. Apart from that, you also have to worry about your residence, food, and other living expenses during your stay in a foreign land.

Also Read: 21 Do’s and Dont’s when Visiting Dubai & the UAE

However, the struggle will always be there but the process of how you gradually overcome these challenges will soon become your motivation in the future. You would look back and wonder how you were able to do all that. In addition, you have gained newer opportunities, memories, and potentials you thought you never had. So, to assist you with your adjustment in Dubai, we have gathered the possible issues you will be encountering and the solutions you can apply.

1. Adjusting to Culture

Sundays are the beginning of the week. You have to wear conservative clothes in public. There is a Ramadan month of fasting. You cannot just post anything you want online. Public Display of Affection is not allowed. There’s a kind of culture shock you may experience especially for expats coming from Western countries.

UAE operates on Islamic traditions and values. While you are not advised to follow the rules of the Muslim religion, you must respect them. Plenty of expats have easily adjusted to the culture and lifestyle here so if this is your first time in the UAE, make sure to learn about the do’s and dont’s.

2. Residence

As soon as you arrive in Dubai, your place to stay is another stressful matter of concern to deal with. You have to look for houses that could be near to places that are essential such as the market, grocery, hospital, and your workplace. Aside from the location, you also have to check the cost since you will be paying for the rent weekly or monthly, depending on the terms and conditions of the landlord. You can request the lessors for a visit to their flat or apartment to check the interior condition and choose whichever fits your budget and location.

On the other hand, to help you with transporting your luggage and other essentials, you can search the Internet to look for movers in Dubai. They can help you deliver your items especially if you have already booked a place to stay and purchased necessary pieces of furniture. The schedule can also be adjusted depending on the time you prefer the movers and packers to arrive. Their services are a great help especially if there’s no one to offer with moving your stuff to your new place of residence.

3. Cost of Living

Living expenses are not something that you can escape from when you are abroad. Spending money for your basic needs is inevitable and will always be part of your stay. This is why we suggest that you do research on countries’ living standards and compare the expenses you had in your previous country because money management is not planned overnight.

Do not simply expect changes in the costs of living, what you have to do is prepare for those changes because chances are the expenses will either be more or less expensive than your home country. Aside from that, we do not want you to come empty-handed as soon as you arrive in the country as there will be cases of emergencies that would require you to spend money.

4. Building relationships

Establishing your social life in a foreign country is another situation to think about. It is an advantage if you know someone residing in the place you have just arrived and they can be there to help you in your adjustment period and meeting your other needs. But for those who have nothing to rely on but themselves, it would be quite an issue simply because there’s no one to ask for help at all times. Despite that, you have to remember that you are not alone.

We suggest that you look for an expat community or a community filled with people similar to your nationality that could answer your questions about living in the country and assist you every step of the way because these people knew first how it feels to be in your place. They’re the most capable ones to help you in adjusting and can refer you to people they have trusted.

And the list continues…

While there may be countless issues that many expats face while staying in a foreign place, there are also numerous ways to combat these issues. Some proven ways are finding a strong support system, enrolling in a language class, and many more.

Living the expat life will bring you both rewards and challenges. The stress and confusion that you will encounter along the way may hinder you for a short time but these will help you become the best version of yourself. Sooner, you’ll be able to stand up to mentally face all the struggles of being an expatriate in Dubai.