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by Sofia Brontvein
Loneliness: What To Do About the Main Problem Of Life In Dubai
23 Jul 2024
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Dubai is an amazing metropolis where you can order food, cleaning, flowers, taxis, refrigerator repairs, gasoline, a new computer, or a car 24/7. Modern malls, cool restaurants, good bars, the latest fitness centres, green parks, well-maintained beaches, infinity pools, museums, festivals… Name it — Dubai has it.
More and more people are moving from Europe to Dubai because the income-to-expense ratio here is much more pleasant. Good professionals are valued, there are no taxes, you get vacations, and employers provide insurance. This city is perfect for building a career and saving money for a beautiful retirement. Despite all the talk about Dubai being extremely expensive, if you find a good stable job here, you feel safe.
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Many people move to a new city or country with families or significant others, so social adaptation is easier. At work, you can talk to colleagues, at home, you are awaited by family or partner, and gradually you will make friends among neighbors. But it is much harder to move alone, especially if you chose Dubai.
Of course, you will also make friends with colleagues, but sooner or later, you will need a life outside the office. Because let's be honest — any party with colleagues ends up discussing your boss or annual reports. Plus, you might be thinking about finding a romantic partner, and intimate relationships at work are always a terrible idea.
Everyone looking to make new friends in Dubai starts with sports. Running, padel, cycling, boxing, yoga, tennis, golf — this is a very active city where everyone is engaged in at least some kind of sport to stay in shape and relieve work stress. In the end, walking in Dubai is not very convenient (especially in summer), and if you skip workouts, your daily step count will be around 500. After 3–4 months in such a mode, you will definitely lose muscle mass and gain fat, which is simply harmful to your health. Sports communities in Dubai are very friendly, so you will definitely make new friends there quickly.
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Personally, for the first time in my life, I built an ideal routine precisely in Dubai. Workouts 4–5 times a week (cycling and fitness), proper nutrition, 7–8 hours of sleep. Almost perfect work-life balance. But work and sports alone are not enough. Humans are social creatures; sometimes they just need to unwind, meet new people, start a romance.
I absolutely don't believe in dating apps in Dubai. I know some of my friends managed to build strong relationships after matching on one of the platforms, but personally, I am scared of the prospect of sitting in a restaurant for 1.5 hours with a stranger, retelling my life story for the hundredth time. I prefer to meet new people through friends or at events, which, fortunately, or unfortunately, I have plenty of due to my job.
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Dubai, like Europe or the USA, is a friendly and open city. Here you can talk to anyone — in an elevator, in a bar, in an art gallery, at a beach club, or at a festival. Don't worry about breaking someone's cultural code by introducing yourself or asking a question. In Dubai, everyone greets, meets, and engages in small talk literally at every step.
I also highly recommend attending workshops. As in any metropolis, millennials in Dubai are drawn to something crafty. They don't just want to tap on a laptop keyboard in an air-conditioned office but to make something with their own hands. This desire woke up in me this summer because constant staying at home (I work remotely) literally started driving me crazy. It turned out that in Dubai, you can learn furniture restoration, floristry, pottery, cooking, and much more. At all these workshops, you can meet great new acquaintances and at least not be bored at the next classes.
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Now let me tell you about two key mistakes you can make after moving to Dubai. The first is isolating yourself from new friends by focusing on your compatriots. There is nothing wrong with socialising with fellow countrymen, but it will be much harder for you to expand your contact base in the future. In Dubai, there is a tendency for French people to be friends with French, British with British, Russians with Russians, but it would be nice if these barriers gradually broke down. This is a cool international city where it is important to exchange cultural experiences to make Dubai an even more pleasant place.
The second mistake is to spend the whole summer in Dubai. If you haven't yet built a close circle of friends (though most likely, even if you have, they've all left) and haven't met your significant other, you will lose your sanity staying in the UAE all summer. If your boss allows remote work, leave for all of July and August, you won't regret it. Dubai dies out during this time. If this option is not available, take 10 days off in July and 10 days off in August. The slogan of summer in Dubai: if you can leave — leave immediately.
At first, emigration is always difficult, especially in Dubai because the lifestyle is significantly different from the European. But over time, you will definitely settle in. The main thing is not to expect the situation to improve by itself while you sit at home in sadness. Dubai requires proactivity and perseverance.
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