As we enter the New Year with much hope and anticipation, there are a lot of choices that we also have to make including the kind of job(s) we’d like to have at the start and for the rest of the year.
Also Read: 14 Business Etiquette Tips for Expats in Dubai
And while the pandemic hasn’t left, and is showing little to no signs of letting up anytime soon, the future of work remains somewhat blurry and people are simply making do of what is available for them.
Contents
- Dubai: A Great City for Digital Nomads / Remote Workers
- 1. Public Wi-Fi Strength
- 2. Security and Safety (COVID-19 Management One of the Best)
- 3. Smart City and Ahead of the Digital Age
- 4. Huge Expat Community and Network
- 5. Opportunities
- 6. Remote Work Visa
- 7. Working Hours
- 8. Flights – Hotels – Transport
- 9. Dubai Experiences
- 10. Tax-Free Salary
Dubai: A Great City for Digital Nomads / Remote Workers
And for others who have the technical proficiencies and capacity, one of the most appealing options is to become a digital nomad. Say, what? A digital nomad is someone who uses online or digital tools to work from wherever they choose. In other places, they are called remote workers or work-from-home employees, sometimes, even online freelancers.
Cool, right? Since the office set-up isn’t recommended as of now (or perhaps anytime soon), working from home has been the best alternative. So this means that wherever you may be in the world, as long as you have the tools and internet connection to be able to work, then you can do so without much hassle. But, with a new set of lockdowns being implemented in place due to the newly found coronavirus strain, where in the world is most ideal to work as a digital nomad?
In this post, we look through the top 10 reasons why Dubai is the ideal place for that:
1. Public Wi-Fi Strength
When we’re talking about remote work/work-from-home setup, one of the primary things that you need to consider is the internet connection that you have to ensure that you won’t be in a difficult situation when you’re about to work from anywhere you’d like to be. That could be at a café, a restaurant, a resort, or in your hotel room. And Dubai is known for having one of the best FREE public Wi-Fi services in the world. So, if you have a meeting or an important call to take, you won’t have to worry about connectivity issues. And if you’re wondering what back-up you can have to ensure that you won’t get into any problems while working, then you might want to consider getting high-quality 5G services, which are also available in the UAE.
2. Security and Safety (COVID-19 Management One of the Best)
And as the pandemic still rages, you need to carefully consider the actual number of new cases versus those recovering, in treatment, deaths. And Dubai is at the top of the list when it comes to case management efficiency, as well as the least number of deaths at only 1%. But don’t take our word for it, as many people including famous celebrities know that Dubai is at the top of its game since Day 1 the pandemic has shut off the rest of the world. Progress has never stopped and there’s much to commend with the way the government, as well as its people, have handled the situation, compared to the rest of the world.
Aside from the COVID management, security and safety is something that Dubai is best known for. While crimes do take place, there’s a minimal percentage of crimes. Many women can attest that they feel safe even as they go out at night. Although it is still important to be alert and follow common safety guidelines.
3. Smart City and Ahead of the Digital Age
If you’re full-on ready to go digital, then you’d be pleased to know that Dubai is among the top cities in the world that are rapidly developing to become a smart city. This means that most if not all of the transactions will be paperless (digital), and data and information can be readily accessed online. It may sound ambitious, but that’s what Dubai is aiming for! If you’ve never heard of the GITEX Week, a week-long event where the latest and newest technologies in the UAE are presented to the public to showcase where the UAE is in terms of advancing modern technologies and innovations.
4. Huge Expat Community and Network
If you’re visiting Dubai for the first time, chances are, you’re not the only one staying here from your home country. This is because Dubai is considered a ‘melting pot’ of the world, where all kinds of people, cultures, and lifestyles meet and come together in the spirit of tolerance.
That said, you’d feel at home right away when you meet your countrymen staying on this side of the world. There are plenty of ways for you to actually connect with them, especially nowadays, where everything can be found online and accessed using an app. Also, taking the traditional route by asking around and getting referrals from people you meet at work will take you far (or closer) to people you’d like to connect with within the city.
5. Opportunities
Starting anew in Dubai is ideal for many expats because the opportunities are just brimming due to local businesses thriving and the sudden surge of tourists landing in Dubai on a regular basis. Also, if you’ve never been in the city (or have stayed longer than a few days or weeks) you’d learn that the city is a melting pot of culture and ideas from different kinds of people from all walks of life. If you’re looking for new things and ideas, there’s enough going around if only you explore the government services and programs as well as the technology they employ here.
6. Remote Work Visa
Also, did you know that Dubai has launched a new program that allows overseas remote workers to live in the emirate while continuing to work for their employers in their home country?
The new visa program is part of the Dubai government’s efforts to attract global residents that meet its requirements to work from the emirate under the Remote Working Visa.
To apply for this visa program, applicants must have a:
- Passport with 6 months validity
- Health insurance with UAE coverage
- Proof of employment from their current employer with a one-year contract validity
- Minimum salary of USD 5,000 per month (supported by a payslip and three preceding month’s bank statements)
Can you imagine? Even the Dubai government is inviting remote workers to stay and experience everything the emirate has to offer in terms of lifestyle, work, and conveniences. You won’t find this kind of program anywhere in the world!
7. Working Hours
And finally, depending on where you’re coming from, Dubai pretty much has an ideal time difference going for most virtual workers. As with the case of many people, the key is to adjust your schedule accordingly to be able to accommodate both work and life, even during the time of a pandemic. If you’re wondering what exactly this time difference is, you may use this time difference calculator to help you make that important decision of visiting Dubai for work as a ‘digital nomad’.
8. Flights – Hotels – Transport
If you have the budget for traveling and temporary relocation overseas (as do most digital nomads do), you’ll realize that Dubai offers some of the most cost-effective flights from anywhere in the world. You can also choose from among a large selection of hotel rooms, with over 100,000 of them since 2017 and continuously growing in number. You also wouldn’t have any issues going around with the use of transport apps in the city such as Careem, which is considered much cheaper than Uber and the like. Also, Dubai’s public transportation system can compete with the best in the world.
9. Dubai Experiences
Google up Dubai and you’d find that it is one of the most exciting places to be on the planet. With spectacular attractions, services, and amenities offered to all residents, there won’t be a day that can’t be considered exciting or an adventure – at least for visitors. Even residents don’t have all the time to explore everything the city has to offer.
There’s just so much inspiration everywhere you look; it’s like Dubai has gone to each country and tried to replicate what they do and often do it better. From the world’s biggest shopping mall, Dubai Mall, to an indoor ski slope, a 10-million-liter Dubai Aquarium tank, one of the largest suspended aquariums in the world to a long list of the best restaurants and hotels.
Aside from Dubai experiences, this place is within easy access to many destinations and nearby countries. It’s a travel hub in the Middle East for exploring other regions.
10. Tax-Free Salary
Who doesn’t love taking home all their pay from work? If you’re living here in Dubai, you wouldn’t have to worry about the government taking a cut from your salary, even if you’re working from a company on the other side of the planet. However, you’d have to clear this up with your employer because taxation rules vary from one country to another. At least, you wouldn’t have to concern yourself with this when you’re in Dubai, or in the Middle East for that matter!
2020 has indeed challenged the way many of us see work, but with it, we have also seen what is possible and even beneficial for others. With that, we are left with more options as to the kind of work and lifestyle we’d like to have looking beyond the current pandemic. And hey, vaccines are now available in some parts of the world, too, so chin up!
Do you think the lifestyle of a digital nomad is for you? And if you’ve been to Dubai, what else are the other factors that make it the ideal place for digital nomads to visit? Let us know by leaving a comment in the section below!