8 Reasons Why Expats Live and Work in Dubai

Dubai, like the GCC area, is now a hot spot for expatriates. Being a a state member of the UAE, a recent report by the Dubai Statistics Centre reveals a 5% increase in population over 2012 to 2.1 million.

Interestingly enough, most of them are expatriates. Given that Dubai and Abu Dhabi have ranked first and second in the best places to live in the Mena region, this is hardly a surprise. It is not surprising either that the most populated areas in the city are actually those where workers live and work.

Other estimations indicate that over a million people travelled to Dubai daily in 2012, which represents 2% more than in 2011. This number includes commuters and other people who also live in the region.  

Dubai certainly seems to be a busy area. Let’s have a look at some of the reasons why professionals live and work in Dubai.

1. Trade is thriving and employment is on the increase.

Dubai is currently an international market which is viewed in the same light as London or New York. According to Dubai's government, their international trade has been growing by an average of 11% since 1988.

Employment is also on the increase in the whole UAE. The Vice President of Sales at Bayt.com said that the GCC area’s broad mass appeal seems in the increase only. A January Job Survey showed that 67% of employers in the MENA region planned to hire during 2013.

Another interesting fact is that they don’t mix business and politics, as their trade with Iran shows.

2. Stable economy in a safe area.

The recent Consumer Confidence Index published in March showed that professionals expected their personal finances to improve during the next 6 months. It is also worth noting that salaries are tax-free and higher in some industries than in the same industries in other areas in the world.

Safety might be a concern for expats. But, Dubai is a low-crime area. Also, the fact that most of the population are professionals makes this area safer than many others.

3. Strategic location.

It is a bridge between the Far East and Europe on the East-West, and the CIS and Africa on the North-South.  Dubai boasts good infrastructure, including a solid airline carrier. This certainly helps international business, with numerous companies headquartered in the area. 

4. High-quality facilities and services.

Expats living or working in Dubai are enjoying high-quality services in most aspects of life, eg, automations of bills, etc. As IExpats.com mentions, Dubai and UAE offer a high standard of living.

Medical facilities are also good. However, expats would only enjoy this service free of charge in case of life-threatening cases or emergencies. That’s the reason why expats need international medical cover if they wish to live or work in that area. Talking to a specialist health insurance broker can only be beneficial for them.

5. Entertainment.

Business conferences aside, events and outdoor activities are easy to find. Dubai is a buzzing city, and expats feel that there is always something going on. Anything from sporting activities (there are many sports clubs available), exhibitions and music concerts can easily be found. Acts as varied as The Killers or David Guetta have played there.

6. Breath taking buildings and scenery.

Source: Palordinia

7. Multicultural society.

Expatriates can do business with and live alongside people of different areas of the world. This tiny area is a global village where expatriates learn to appreciate and live in a multicultural environment.

8. Weather.

If expats are looking for a warm, sunny place to live and work, this seems to be the one. It is warm for about eight months a year. 

Any others that you might have? Thank you for reading.

Expats in Dubai - Remember April 2012 For ID Requirements

From April next year expats in Dubai will need to register for an identification card before they can renew their residency visas, officials have confirmed.

The cards will be needed before they can complete the medical tests needed for visa applications.

Dubai is the last of the United Arab Emirates to impose the new rules. From 01 April all emirates will require expats to produce a valid identity card before beginning visa applications.

"This condition will be applicable to Dubai in co-ordination with the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs by early next April,’ the Emirates Identity Authority (EIDA) said in a statement.

The new rules were supposed to start next month but they have been pushed back to April because not enough new registration centres were ready.

‘We needed more time. The centres at Al Muhaisna and Al Baraha will be the biggest in Dubai and in the country. Al Muhaisna will be able to register more than 3,600 people per day. But currently these are still under construction,’ the spokesman explained.

 

In July, Dubai ruled that workers in any of Tecom’s 11 free zones would need to register for an ID card before applying to renew their visa.

The Emirates Identity Authority has faced an uphill struggle in convincing UAE residents to sign up for mandatory identification cards, despite announcing a series of deadlines for applications.

The scheme, which began in 2005, was designed to integrate information from labour cards, visas and other ID documents, and to make government transactions easier.

Each card contains the holder’s address, photo, date of birth and fingerprints, and can be used as an official source of identification in the Gulf state.

In November, the EIDA introduced penalties for UAE nationals who failed to apply for ID cards before the final deadline of June 30 this year, in a bid to boost the number of card holders.

Fines of AED20 per day were to be issued for late registration, failure to renew cards and failure to update important biographical data, with a maximum fee of AED 1,000.

Expats will face daily fines from 2012 for failing to have a valid identity card. Sharjah residents will be charged from 01 Feb, Abu Dhabi from 01 April and Dubai from 01 June.The Northern Emirates applied the ruling from 01 December this year.

EIDA said in November it had seen a surge in applications for ID cards since the threat of fines was introduced, with more than half the population registering for the scheme.

When you are working or living abroad, or have plans of relocating into another country, it is very important that you protect you and your family’s health and their wellness.

Expatriates make sure you are covered for International Medical Insurance, April Medibroker assists & advises clients living or working abroad to both choose & place the right international Health and Medical insurance products, to suit their needs & budget.

April Medibroker is here to help you - from the initial advice on what expatriate health insurance policy to buy, through to any assistance that you may need in the future. Our staff are only a phone call or email away. Whether you need changes to cover or payment, need help with a claim or have questions about your international medical insurance policy we will gladly help.

Expat housing tax rules tightend in Dubai

Rules are being tightened in Dubai to make sure that expats pay housing fees by the end of June next year in a crackdown aimed at reducing the numbers not being billed for the tax.

Dubai Municipality said that it is going to be more efficient in terms of sending out bills and tracing people as well as chasing non payers.

According to Addullah Hashin Abdulghafoor, fees and revenues officer at Dubai’s housing fee department the new rules should be in place by June 2012.

He defended the decision not to backdate fees.

‘Customers who haven’t been billed up until now are not going to be backdated. If we did that would mean customers facing a large bill through no fault of their own and it’s not something we feel is not appropriate to do,’ he explained.

Housing fees, billed through residents’ monthly utility bills, are calculated at 5% of the tenant’s annual rent or 5% of the property’s freehold value.

It was introduced in 2005 but Emiratis do not pay the charge, leading some residents to dub the fee an expat tax. Expats have long criticised the tax as unfair.

Dubai authorities are currently collecting fees from 17 out of a possible 27 zones across the emirate, Abdulghafoor said, including all new residents in the remaining 10 areas.

Among the areas not yet fully covered include Al Barsha, Discovery Gardens, Palm Jumeirah, Burj Khalifa area and Dubai Marina.

Plans are underway to issue non paying residents with reminders to fill in online forms to ensure they are correctly billed. Those that fail to complete the application will see their housing fee calculated on estimated rent or property values from the city’s Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA).

When you are working or living abroad, or have plans of relocating into another country, it is very important that you protect you and your family’s health and their wellness.

Expatriates make sure you are covered for International Medical Insurance, April Medibroker assists & advises clients living or working abroad to both choose & place the right international Health and Medical insurance products, to suit their needs & budget.

April Medibroker is here to help you - from the initial advice on what expatriate health insurance policy to buy, through to any assistance that you may need in the future. Our staff are only a phone call or email away. Whether you need changes to cover or payment, need help with a claim or have questions about your international medical insurance policy we will gladly help.