Should You Move to the UAE?

Insights and reflections from people who've done it: Dubai edition.

This next edition of Should You Move differs from many past survey respondents because we are not in Europe. This time, we are zooming over to the Middle East with Catriona Knapman of the excellent Notes from Saving the World. Catriona is well-travelled and has learned much about herself and life abroad after spending many years outside her native Scotland.

Catriona in her favourite Myanmar teashop.

Reading through her answers about navigating that difficult balance between the thrill and intensity of life elsewhere and the comfort and stability of our home countries, I kept nodding in silent agreement. So much of what she wrote resonated with me in that way you get when someone finally articulates what you’ve been feeling but hadn’t been able to put into words yet.

If you’re a long-time foreigner, immigrant, or expat—or simply contemplating a move abroad—Catriona offers valuable insights into the emotional and practical realities of living overseas.

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Catriona Knapman, Dubai

Country of origin: Scotland, UK

Country of current residence: Dubai, UAE

Length of time living abroad: Coming up to 20 years.

1. Motivation

What was the primary reason for your move? (e.g., work, study, retirement, lifestyle):

I have now lived in many countries (Luxembourg, France, Italy, Nicaragua, Egypt, Myanmar, United Arab Emirates, and England (vastly different from home (!), plus shorter stays in Switzerland and Ecuador.

Primarily, I moved for work opportunities, including my most recent move to Dubai.

Once you start on an international career path, I have found it harder to find good career opportunities at home. Although part of me would like a more rooted life these days, I find myself mainly qualified for jobs that take a more global perspective and don’t exist in Scotland.

How challenging was the visa and work permit process?

When I moved for work, the organisation provided support for visas, etc. In Dubai, this was straightforward—you have to do a health screen and some admin to get a national ID.

In other places, like Myanmar, the NGOs I worked for offered me a business visa, which required that I fly out of the country every 70 or 90 days. It was nice to go to Bangkok ( the nearest city) for the weekend. But I did that for around 8 years, which didn’t offer a strong feeling of stability.

What were the biggest hurdles in setting up your life abroad (e.g., housing, healthcare, banking)?

In Dubai, all of the above was fairly smooth. I had healthcare with my work, and there was a bank liaison officer at our company who set up an account.

I don’t drive and, as Dubai is a very car-focused city, that made my housing search tricky, as I needed to find a place near a metro station. In summer, it is over 50 degrees here, and I knew I couldn’t walk very far outside.

The hardest thing about moving for work is that you often have to start working as soon as you arrive. In Dubai, I had to run a large event within the first five weeks of starting. That meant long hours and very little time to get to know the city. There was no company support to help me find a new place, which meant I had to rely on some kind colleagues to connect with a legitimate agent and navigate all the rules—which was pretty stressful.

In other roles, like my first job in Myanmar, my NGO gave me accommodation in staff housing and sent local staff with me to buy furniture and view flats. That was such a huge help. When you are in a new place, having someone with you to help you understand how things work in their country makes a huge difference.

2. Cultural Adaptation

What were the most significant cultural adjustments you had to make?

In Dubai, workplace culture was hard to navigate, with different expectations and rules from other countries where I had worked. I had to learn a completely new way of operating.

Life in Dubai takes a different form than in Scotland, especially because of the summer heat. I have had to learn to walk less and consciously make time to exercise. In Scotland, I used to walk and cycle everywhere; here, you need to dedicate time to the gym. I have also successfully learned to be inside malls– which I used to avoid like the plague as they stressed me out. I am happily writing this in Mall of the Emirates, which I now quite like now I know my way around.

Over time, I have shaped a life that works for me in Dubai, but it was a big contrast to my life in Scotland.

Living in places like Myanmar, Nicaragua and Egypt all came with their own cultural rules. Sometimes, I found those beautiful; other times, they were very challenging. I have got better at balancing my own culture with the places I live.

In the past, I lost sight of my own values, as I was so immersed in my host countries and trying to adapt to their cultures. Now, I want to be open to the world but also hold onto my own values. There is a happy medium.

How did you handle language barriers and cultural misunderstandings?

I think it depends on the place you live and how you sit culturally compared to a local population.

Moving to Dubai as a Scot in an office job is different than moving here from India to work in the service industry. The same is true with moving to Myanmar—whether you like it or not, your country of origin and the job you do shape some dynamics abroad. There is always a layer of socio-politics playing out, whoever you are. You need to be sensitive to that and allow local residents to feel how they feel about you being there. You are the one who chose to move.

For language, I have mostly learned or already spoken my host country's language. In Dubai, most things are in English. In Myanmar, I was very frustrated by not being able to communicate, so I learned Burmese, which vastly improved my life there, although that took time.

With cultural misunderstandings, the trickiest ones I have found were in close relationships – either with colleagues or romantic ones. Day to life, you mostly work it out; in closer connections, different cultural values can be much more confronting.

3. Quality of Life

How would you rate your overall quality of life compared to the US or where you lived last?

I find the quality of life in Dubai has layers. In many ways, it is very high. There is lots to like here. It is very safe – I never feel unsafe in the streets, and crime is very low. I accidentally left my phone in the café and returned 40 minutes later to find it still sitting at the table. Most apartment buildings have a swimming pool and gym. There are many nice places to eat out and fun things like the beach and different classes etc. I enjoy my quiet neighbourhood, which feels very calm, unlike the big city you see in pictures. Healthcare is good. There are lots of little comforts which make life simple.

That said, there is a work-focused culture, as most people come for the economic opportunities—which means long days in the office, no work from home, and often lots of pressure. There is not much access to nature, and it is hard to build a social community. Public transport works well but doesn't cover the whole city and is often packed full.

Scotland had fewer extra comforts but was rich in nature, connection and community. I find that interesting now when I go home, the richness we have around us for free.

4. Professional Experience

How has living abroad impacted your career?

It has made it.

My whole career has been built on a patchwork of international opportunities, from my first paid role as an intern at the European Court of Justice to my latest role as a Director of Programmes and Events in Dubai.

Moving internationally for offers of employment has given me a wealth of experience, many opportunities and access to new opportunities.

Yet, for me, that has come at a cost and a loss of connections at home. I hope one day to root back home again in a way that still feels expansive in my career.

Were you able to find employment easily?

For that first job, no, I wrote over 200 letters to organisations in French-speaking Europe, and around 8 months later got that one offer.

Other roles have been similar; I searched for a year before I found the job, which took me to Myanmar.

For this role, I had connections in Dubai from a previous project. They were famiiliar with the work I had done designing event programmes for Expo 2020 and they really liked my creative approach.

After two years in Dubai, I am looking for work again because the company that brought me here has restructured, and my role was removed in that process.

That is unsettling and logistically complicated.

I gave up a life I enjoyed in Scotland to come here. I now feel settled in Dubai, but I am not sure if I will find another suitable role here. I have had similar experiences in other places. When you move for work, you move your whole life, not just your professional self, and I have found myself more than once picking up the pieces of company changes. It is hard to uproot. It takes time to settle.

There was a period when I was very unsettled after living in Myanmar. I knew I didn’t want to stay there, but I didn’t know where to move, and I found it a difficult transition—everywhere, including home, felt foreign. Navigating uncertainty and lots of change can be very challenging.

5. Advice for Future Expats

What are the top three things you wish you knew before moving abroad?

• To research long-term career and life plans, not just short-term opportunities. If you move for a couple of years, this is not an issue, but for longer periods, I would ask if there is a chance you might want to move back. If so, how might your life abroad support you find work in your home country?

• Wherever you go, there is still laundry, dinner, housecleaning, and yourself to deal with, it doesn’t matter that you can see the Eiffel Tower from your window. Life is still life.

• That I wouldn’t find the things I wanted from life in my travels; I thought they were out there to come across in the world. But they weren’t. I had to shape them myself.

What advice would you give to someone considering a similar move?

Moving to Dubai can be stressful but also has benefits in terms of salary and lifestyle. Once you adjust, it is a comfortable place to live and there is more to it than the stereotypical images of the city and of the Gulf in general.

6. Overall Experience

Looking back, would you say moving abroad was a positive experience? Why or why not?

I would say it is mixed. There have been so many wonderful experiences and memories in the different countries, and I have learned and discovered many new insights in each place.

Yet, spending so much time abroad has often been lonely. I know so many people around the world who I love, but it is hard to stay connected. I want to find a way to stay rooted somewhere and still have the same career opportunities that I have had through travel.

I think that is the next phase for me—finding that balance between the two worlds—the child who grew up in Scotland and the adult who lived across four continents. Both shaped me, and I want to find that space where I can harness what I know from travel and also be more rooted.

Working at COP 28 with my colleagues Stephanie and Ieva, Dubai.

Want to read more from Catriona? Of course, you do! Her substack is a rich resource full of wonderful stories about how she navigates her path as a global citizen and creative person.

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