I WAS AN EXPAT WORKING IN DUBAI FOR 4 YEARS. THE CULTURE OF SPLURGING ON LUXURIES MADE SAVING HARDER THAN I EXPECTED.

• Victoria Blinova worked in Dubai for four years at a boutique marketing firm and Nestlé.
• She grew up in Cyprus and moved to the UAE in 2013 to attend NYU Abu Dhabi.
• Expats don't pay taxes, but Blinova found saving in Dubai hard because of the luxury lifestyle.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation and emails with Victoria Blinova, 30, about living in Dubai and moving to London. The below has been edited for length and clarity.

I grew up in Cyprus and moved to the United Arab Emirates in 2013 to study at New York University Abu Dhabi.

While there, I studied Arabic. Immersion in the culture was a significant part of my daily life. I wanted to stay in the region after graduation to continue my immersion.

I spent four years in Abu Dhabi and then worked in Dubai for four years. I initially worked in management consulting in a boutique firm and later got a job at Nestlé, where I worked for a couple years before moving to London.

In Dubai, people are very transient. Everyone's an expat. By my fourth year in the city, most of my friends had left. I felt like I needed to explore somewhere new.

Dubai has amazing work opportunities, and I plan to return at some point. People are so generous, open to learning, and hungry for opportunities.

If you're at the right company, Dubai is one of the most lucrative markets for entry-level jobs.

I was making a good tax-free salary at Nestlé in 2019.

When I left Dubai, I'd saved about 30% of my salary over four years. But I thought I could've saved even more.

It's easy to get sucked into a glamorous life in Dubai

A lot of people in London are like, "I'm going to move to Dubai. It's like 40% to 100% more salary."

But I had a period where I spent a lot more in Dubai than in London. In London, you can be very thrifty and it's not frowned upon.

In Dubai, being frugal isn't part of the culture. Luxury is much more affordable, and a lot of people adopt that lifestyle.

I very often went overboard.

It wasn't unusual to book a one-night stay at a five-star hotel for 200 dirhams, or about $54, to treat myself.

It was also very common to go to yacht parties — I've been to many.

In 2021, I remember paying £80 for a yacht party. When I told my friends in London, they said, "But that's 80 pounds?" I responded that it was cheap for a day on a yacht.

Bottomless brunch is also very common. I'd spend about £100 every weekend going to luxurious bottomless brunches to experience something unforgettable.

If you go out in Dubai, you're not just going to go to a cheap place around the corner.

I felt like I couldn't walk outside my house in Dubai without spending a significant chunk of money.

In London, I feel like everything is so unaffordable that I end up just not spending. The lifestyle in London differs because social plans can include going on a walk or spending a day in the park. You're not expected to drop £100 on a dinner. You don't have to spend money to enjoy your weekend.

Trying to save money by getting a roommate or buying a used car wasn't the norm

I split my rent of 70,000 dirhams a year, or about $19,058, with my flatmate, which isn't common in Dubai.

My Nestlé colleagues in Dubai asked, "Why do you live with a flatmate?" They weren't bullying me, but they found it a bit weird.

I also drove a used Nissan Juke, which is considered a nice car in London. But in Dubai, people would ask, "Why are you not driving an Audi?"

My response was, "I'm 25. I'm not going to buy a Mercedes or an Audi, especially a new one."

I rarely went to clubs. Clubbing is a big deal in Dubai, and people spend a lot on it. I also didn't spend money on luxurious brands, clothes, or handbags because I didn't really care for them.

My mindset is that if I have money to spend, I have money to save.

I'd say 80% to 90% of my peers would literally live paycheck to paycheck. People live luxuriously in Dubai because it's relatively cheap to do so compared to other places.

It becomes part of your lifestyle, but I found it an ongoing problem.

If you're a part of family, I think it's easier to spend less. You're probably more accustomed to staying at home.

As long as you're staying at home, living in Dubai can be affordable.

But if you're in your 20s or early 30s, single, part of a young couple, or like going out, prepare to spend a lot more than you ever imagined.

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2024-12-03T11:21:28Z