If you’re relocating to Dubai, whether it be for business or personal reasons, there are a number of things you may want to make yourself aware of before making the big move. With this guide, we hope to make your move to Dubai as easy as possible.
| UAE Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Language: | Arabic |
| Population: | 9.2 million |
| Capital City: | Abu Dhabi |
| Largest City: | Dubai |
| Currency: | UAE dirham (AED) |
| Timezone: | GST |
| Date Format: | dd/mm/yyyy |
| Dialling Code: | +971 |
| Top 10 Reasons To Relocate To Dubai: |
|---|
| 1. It is a city of endless leisure possibilities. |
| 2. The weather is favourable, it is a sun-lover's paradise. |
| 3. The financial incentive of tax-free living. |
| 4. Healthcare and education standards rival any in the world. |
| 5. The public transport system is efficient and reliable. |
| 6. Accommodation is generally of a very high standard. |
| 7. You can enjoy affordable luxury. |
| 8. Its hugely diverse and culturally rich culinary scene. |
| 9. It is a perfectly positioned gateway to the globe. |
| 10. It has an enviably low crime rate. |
Moving to a new country overseas is a life-changing, but nonetheless daunting experience. There is a lot to consider, and thorough research is necessary for easing any hesitations or concerns you might have in the months leading up to your move. With it being such an expensive process, it’s important to know exactly what you’re getting yourself into. From understanding the way of life, the cost of living and the weather, as well as wrapping your head around the healthcare system and language— here are just a few of the most important things you need to know before up and moving to Dubai.
As with any country, the cost of living largely depends on where exactly you live and the type of lifestyle that you lead. Rental prices are fairly high in some of the most popular areas of the city, however, if you move slightly out, you can rent quality accommodation for much less. As well, many would say that Dubai’s tax-free living makes it one of the best places to live in the world. Salaries go untaxed, as well as food, restaurants and all other goods. It goes without saying that this saves people a huge amount of money.
Dubai has an extremely favourable climate, which makes it a very attractive place to live. Generally speaking, sunshine remains year-round and temperatures rarely drop below 68 degrees Fahrenheit, which makes it a sun-lover’s paradise. Compared to unpredictable weather found in many locations around the world, such as the UK, Dubai is much better.
Each and every country around the world is different. Each has its own laws, values, rules and way of life— and Dubai is certainly no exception to this. However, contrary to popular belief, it isn’t quite as restrictive as many people believe. That said, a certain standard of behaviour is expected. Generally, people are expected to cover up from shoulders to knees in public places as a mark of respect. Avoid swearing, making rude hand gestures, picking fights and public displays of affection, as these things aren’t tolerated and could land you in trouble. As well, out of respect to the country’s Islamic heritage, consumption of alcohol is restricted to restaurants, hotels and bars or clubs owned by hotels— but that certainly doesn’t mean you can’t let your hair down in Dubai. Just keep yourself out of trouble, and never, ever drink and drive. All of these things mean that Dubai is one of the safest cities in the world, with a crime rate that is enviably low.
The healthcare system in Dubai is of an incredibly high standard. Medical facilities are modern and easily accessible, and even public hospitals offer good quality healthcare either for free or very low cost. That said, many expats choose to opt for private medical insurance, which ensures you get the very best care in excellent facilities in the city.
Thanks to its huge expat population, Dubai has a culinary scene that is influenced by international culture, which is music to any foodie’s ears. Throughout the city, you will find restaurants serving almost every cuisine from Greek, to Japanese and Middle Eastern.
Although Arabic is the official language of the United Arab Emirates, English is in fact the most widely spoken language in Dubai. Due to its huge expat population (around 75%), most of whom speak English and/or their native language. The city is truly a melting pot.
Convenient and Reliable Services
Relocating is exciting, however, that certainly doesn’t make it nonetheless daunting. When it comes to transporting your worldly belongings to a destination far away, it’s only natural to feel slight apprehension at the thought of handing it all over to a removals service, entrusting that it will all arrive at your new home overseas in one piece. With that in mind, we at My Baggage strive to provide an alternative international removals service that you know you can trust every single time. We have partnered with some of the world’s leading courier services to bring you the highest standard of service.
From the moment your booking is confirmed on our website until the moment your boxes, bags and suitcases arrive safely at your new home in Dubai— My Baggage keeps you up to date on every aspect of the journey. We give access to full online luggage tracking information, so that you can keep an eye on the status of your shipment every step of the way. Your tracking information can be accessed at any time just by logging into your My Baggage account. During the booking process, you’ll also have the option to opt-in for text and email notifications so that you can stay up to date even on the go.
My Baggage’s convenient door to door collection and delivery service means you don’t have to worry about arranging for the transportation of your belongings to a port, nor do you have to worry about collecting them at the other side. My Baggage collects all of your belongings from your doorstep and delivers them straight to your destination.
If you have any pressing questions or concerns along the way, our dedicated customer support team will always be happy to assist in any way that they can. Thanks to so many years of experience in logistics, our team are experts when it comes to shipping personal effects to Dubai and the rest of the world. Contact us via telephone, email and live chat.
Super Fast Transit Times
At My Baggage, we understand that when it comes to relocating, getting your personal belongings transported to your new home as quickly as possible is what most people want. After all, it beats having to wait weeks for everything you own to arrive, possibly having to purchase temporary belongings to keep you going in the meantime.
In comparison to traditional international movers, which in some instances can take months to arrive— with My Baggage, you don’t have to worry about waiting. We offer super fast removals, with a 2-5 working day transit time to Dubai and worldwide.
Value For Money
Without a doubt, the best thing about My Baggage is our fantastic low prices. Hiring a traditional international removals company may not be suitable for all budgets, and airline baggage can be risky due to the restrictions involved. My Baggage can offer a welcomed and affordable alternative, designed to suit all kinds of relocation budgets.
We aren’t just affordable— our service offers fantastic value for money. We offer a huge 30kg/66lbs weight allowance per item for as little as £117 to Dubai. And, if you happen to find a better price elsewhere, you can even use our handy Price Match tool.
4.7
16 hours ago
Very professional and easy. Delivered on time from US to England. Competitive pricing!
3 days ago
Instructions, pick and delivery from US to UK went very smoothly. Delivered on time in great condition.
3 days ago
Have used MyBaggage twice and will continue to use them in the future. The customer service team are super helpful and I had two bags collected from very remote locations and both processes ran smoothly. The bags are fully tracked and both arrived securely and signed for. Five stars!
3 days ago
Absolutely excellent
3 days ago
While I'm grateful I found the service and grateful for whatever help they actually provided, the reality is that DHL did all the actual work and that the only reason I needed to use a service like My Baggage was because Thai Airways wanted to charge me $1500 dollars to add a second suitecase to my flight. In the end it cost me $500 dollars to ship my suitcase to a new location plus the time I lost organizing my belongings so that I would have what I needed until my second suitecase arrived plus the time I spent finding the service and filling out documents, etc. So while I am relatively grateful, it's a painful reminder of a bad experience overall. Super stressful. I hope you'll never need to use their service.
4 days ago
Everything went well. The only issue was that DHL didn't pick up the bags when we understood they were going to. It was very difficult to contact them. However when My Baggage was contacted they got onto it right away. Relieved my stress for sure.
4 days ago
Everything went as planned. I am happy that my daughter received her parcels at the University of Bath as planned before she arrives. The cost of this services was very affordable and I will use them again.
4 days ago
This ended up being a blessing in disguise for our travel. We had all 3 of our flights rescheduled the day of international travel, had we not shipped our bags, we would be embarking on a 30 day journey with no luggage. The only comment non positive was the inability to definitely pinpoint the time of pickup.
4 days ago
They were extremely helpful when I had problems with the delivery of my luggage to my student accommodation and always responded fast. I would definitely use their service again, it made the moving in process much easier.
4 days ago
Excellent service. Will recommend
4 days ago
Kept the promise of delivering my 7 heavy bags from Sweden to UK. Met the delivery dates committed.
6 days ago
Collected and delivered as arranged
My Baggage specialises in shipping personal effects all over the world. However, for security and customs reasons, there are certain items which are considered prohibited.
As a general rule, you can be sure that the following items are prohibited:
When sending to the UAE, the following items are also prohibited:
It is also important to be aware that although certain items can be carried on our services, some may not be covered under our compensation cover and so are sent at your own risk. If you choose to send any non-compensation items, please ensure they are packaged appropriately, with plenty of internal packaging for fragile items.
Find out more about My Baggage’s prohibited and non-compensation items.
Please note that import allowances, security and customs processes differ all around the world, so we recommend that you do your own personal research into what may be prohibited in your destination country before booking your shipment with us.
4.716 hours ago
Very professional and easy. Delivered on time from US to England. Competitive pricing!
3 days ago
Instructions, pick and delivery from US to UK went very smoothly. Delivered on time in great condition.
3 days ago
Have used MyBaggage twice and will continue to use them in the future. The customer service team are super helpful and I had two bags collected from very remote locations and both processes ran smoothly. The bags are fully tracked and both arrived securely and signed for. Five stars!
3 days ago
Absolutely excellent
3 days ago
While I'm grateful I found the service and grateful for whatever help they actually provided, the reality is that DHL did all the actual work and that the only reason I needed to use a service like My Baggage was because Thai Airways wanted to charge me $1500 dollars to add a second suitecase to my flight. In the end it cost me $500 dollars to ship my suitcase to a new location plus the time I lost organizing my belongings so that I would have what I needed until my second suitecase arrived plus the time I spent finding the service and filling out documents, etc. So while I am relatively grateful, it's a painful reminder of a bad experience overall. Super stressful. I hope you'll never need to use their service.
4 days ago
Everything went well. The only issue was that DHL didn't pick up the bags when we understood they were going to. It was very difficult to contact them. However when My Baggage was contacted they got onto it right away. Relieved my stress for sure.
4 days ago
Everything went as planned. I am happy that my daughter received her parcels at the University of Bath as planned before she arrives. The cost of this services was very affordable and I will use them again.
4 days ago
This ended up being a blessing in disguise for our travel. We had all 3 of our flights rescheduled the day of international travel, had we not shipped our bags, we would be embarking on a 30 day journey with no luggage. The only comment non positive was the inability to definitely pinpoint the time of pickup.
4 days ago
They were extremely helpful when I had problems with the delivery of my luggage to my student accommodation and always responded fast. I would definitely use their service again, it made the moving in process much easier.
4 days ago
Excellent service. Will recommend
4 days ago
Kept the promise of delivering my 7 heavy bags from Sweden to UK. Met the delivery dates committed.
6 days ago
Collected and delivered as arranged