The things I wish I'd known before moving to the UAE

The National's Habib Azam shares a few pearls of wisdom for anyone moving to Dubai

Relocating to a new country can be a challenge, but with good advice from people in the know it will be much easier. Getty Images

Relocating your life can be an overwhelming task to say the least.

Thankfully I'd chosen Dubai as the city to relocate to, a place I had visited a number of times before, for work and holidays. Coming to the UAE several times over the past decade, I've seen the city grow, and with that witnessed the improvements in immigration, travel and accommodation, as well as the lifestyle that the country offers.

My relocation to Dubai was drawn out over a 12-month process. The first thing I did was spend six weeks here last summer, a time I chose deliberately to see if I could cope with the extreme heat after spending most of my life in England. The excellent air conditioning in most places helped me make up my mind that a summer here was possible.

During my initial six-weeks research mission in Dubai, I tested all parts of the city, trying to take as much of a residents' approach as I could, rather than living like a tourist. I visited as many malls and restaurants as I could; travelled using the metro, taxis and a hired car; and explored the local job market. This helped me gain an understanding of where I would want to live and the type of employment opportunities available in the country.

From London, I did extensive research on what needs to be done to migrate to the UAE. This included researching different types of visas, accommodation, vehicles, cost of living, how to get an Emirates ID, job sites to apply for employment and social things to do in your spare time.

Expect to move a few times

Much of the moving admin seemed straightforward, but finding accommodation is where things can get tricky. There are many types of accommodation, both long and short term, with something to fit every budget.

Don’t assume that a long-term stay at a hotel in Downtown Dubai will fit your budget – there is better value for money to be found. After many evenings scanning property and travel websites, I ended up booking a one-bedroom apartment. It was a five-minute walk from the Discovery Gardens Metro station and not far from Dubai Marina, an area I knew I liked.

The apartment was well maintained, had a large living room, a guest bathroom and an en-suite bedroom, with lots of wardrobe space in the bedroom and a large balcony with a desert and Dubai Marina view. I booked the apartment for two months, checking out on December 31.

Fast forward to the end of December, and after finding out we couldn't extend into January, my wife and I had a stressful Christmas scrambling to find a new apartment to move into. We soon found a short-term lease in Dubai Marina. Here we learnt another lesson, when signing a lease of any kind – whether short term or long term – there are fees you have to pay in addition to the rent.

It didn't take long for me to learn that the traffic in Dubai Marina can be heavy, adding at times an extra 45 minutes to my one-hour commute to Abu Dhabi. This is a major piece of advice I have for any UAE newcomers: when moving somewhere, check the traffic in the area, if it's a popular and busy place, you could spend many hours in your car in traffic.

Making a house a home

Towards the end of Ramadan, we moved for the third time in five months. Then it was time to take on the task of making a house a home. The place was an empty shell and we had to buy a house worth of goods, including kitchen appliances, living and dining furniture, beds, white goods and curtains. I recommend shopping around and agreeing delivery dates firmly in advance for the large items.

When shopping for second-hand pieces, there is no shame in haggling. And in shops there is often a sale on, whether advertised or not. My wife and I went to many malls, outlets, factory furniture stores, Ikea, and shopped online too. There are bargains everywhere in the UAE, you just have to take the time to find them and try to strike a deal.

When moving into your place, and once your Dewa is activated, check all electrical and water outlets as well as the drainage, we faced a few snagging issues.

Then comes time for the digital necessities. Check which internet provider offers the best cover in your area, factoring in television and film packages. And when they install the Wi-Fi, be sure to check the coverage is strong enough for the whole property; chances are you will require a signal booster. Internet providers can typically organise this for a fee, I’d recommend using them to carry out this work, unless you're technical enough to do it yourself.