It’s been over 5 years since I have been in the UAE and tomorrow as the country celebrates its 51st National Day, I thought it would be nice to revisit the reasons why I stuck around here for so long despite having no plans to do so, when I first came here in 2017.
Well, for starters, UAE is truly a land of opportunities, which I experienced first hand after coming here. The day I was leaving for Dubai, a friend of mine had told me that this is the country that will become your calling and before I knew it, it had already become one.
Movies released here before anywhere else, and that helped me review them before anyone else for the Times of India. A huge Indian diaspora gave me an opportunity to tell stories of Indians for the various language services of the BBC. I worked with the most listened to radio station in the UAE 89.1 Radio 4, becoming the voice that delivered fresh news, every day, every hour and last but not the least, I could finally make my own brand Reviewron – a budding platform that brews news, views, reviews and experiences from the UAE and beyond.
Then well, life here is easy. No potholes, no back breaking roads, and no punishing jams at ungodly hours and surely no roadside corruption in the form of chai pani. Paying for tolls like Salik means you get the worth of your money and a hefty traffic fine ensures almost everyone toes the line.
No dealing with various problems in your building society, maintenance issues and issues like builders not doing what they are supposed to, society members doing as they please and daily ruckus for parking – something I have always faced in Mumbai. Here the contract is given to a private maintenance company that takes care of everything you need.
Then, you just have to worry about your own job and your work. Living life is easy if that is sorted because your work ensures you have a valid visa and a steady source of income to live here. And if you’re eligible, you get a Golden Visa, which is valid for 10 years straight – something that reaffirmed my resolve to spend the most productive years of my life in the UAE when I got a golden visa last year.
Of course, no tax on income and income in dirhams is a definite plus and above all, it’s much closer to my home in India and will always be a home away from home.
Haters can say what they want to but I believe in giving credit where it’s due and so I am grateful to have experienced life in the UAE because this is the sun kissed land of sand that has turned its barren desert into an oasis of life and opportunities.
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