London Vs Dubai

Question

I know this kind of questions is confusing and basically doesn't mean anything, but I'll try my best to get my idea across:

I have two full-time offers now and I have to decide on one soon. One is a second tier firm in London, the other one is an MBB position in Dubai.

The two firms are highly respected, but the MBB name is definitely better, and starting a life in a new city should also be exciting; furthermore, the tax-free income is something to consider. However, I'm still inclined to London, simply because fears of new life. I know life in Dubai is roughly similar to what I can expect in London. But, the majority of projects are based in Saudi Arabia, which I try not to worry about too much. But as a European female, I got hoards of friends and classmates scaring me off already LOL. I hope I don't come as obnoxious & entitled here, but that's my decision point.

If you were in my shoes, what would you choose?

Answer 1

Hey,

Congrats :). Incredible options in these times...

Please search the Q&A forum broadly as London Vs Dubai question has been answered many times.

From my perspective, consider the following to help you make the decision:

YOU must be 100% comfortable with your choice; great to get advice from various sources but it will be a mistake to get someone else to decide for you. Its the stating the obvious but I have seen many people do this
Money, brand name etc is important but perhaps the most important attribute is going for that option which is a better fit with your career aspirations, life values & risk apetite. Go for that option where you estimate to be happier and joyful
Situation in London & UK generally is not great with COVID and lockdown is expected till Spring. So factor this in...its not going to be easy at all working remotely in a new job and building your credibility in a fast pace environment. I believe Dubai and ME generally is handling COVID much much better than UK
Given this is new event in your life, there will be risk. Nothing is perfect and there will be ups and downs regardless of what you do. So make sure you factor this into your planning and remove the pressure of wanting to make the "best" decision

Wish you the best!

Answer 2

Hi there,

Congratulations on your offers!

Whatever you choose is totally fine, in both ways you'll have some positive and some negative sides, but it will be a great opportunity and experience.

My advise is to try to identify your own concerns and those of other people. Sometimes friends and classmates want to "help" projecting their own fears on you.

I am sure that if you decide to take a risk, you'll be able to handle it. And if you decide not to, you have your own reasoning which is completely understandable.

Good luck!

Cheers,

GB

Answer 3

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations! What an amazing problem to have.

Please, try and think about how happy you would be to have either of these offers! The human mind is funny...we would all be happier without choice and yet we want options...again, remember that your excitment level for either of these opportunities would be through the roof if you didn't have anxiety about making the "wrong" choice.

Remember: No matter what choice you make, it's the right one.

I would say a few things for you to consider (and measure against your own values)

Dubai is not roughly similar to London
That said, I have met a lot of expats who had an absolute blast living in Dubai
That also said, yes, being a woman in the Middle East (especially travelling to Saudi Arabia) is definitely not fun (but, Dubai is a bit of an oasis here)
MBB is an incredible brand to have that opens up a lot of doors

Where are you in your life right now? Want to settle a bit, be comfortable? Or want to take a risk/leap and have an adventure? (No answer is the "right" one)

Answer 4

A lot of women consultants are working in the Middle-east including europeans. To get an honest opinion, I would recommend you to reach out to people working there on Linkedin. Hear them out and then take a decision.

Most of the 'experts' here will be biased either because they think working in US, EU is superior to working in ME (not the case when you hear about the scale and impact of projects they do in the ME region) or they just don't know much about the region.

Answer 5

Hi there,

Congratulations on the offers.

On paper the MBB offer seems the most appealing. It should also not be too difficult to go back to London in a 2nd Tier after a few years if you want so, while the other way round would be more difficult, so you can keep doors open.

However, I agree with the answer of Anonymous: the best thing is to talk with someone who did the move before you.

When I wanted to move to Asia I had 2 locations in mind. I called all my entrepreneur friends with experiences in the two cities. It became easy to pick Singapore after that.

Two 30-min calls with two people who followed the options you are considering will help more than any answer on this Q&A. I will take a bit of time but will help you to make a far more informed decision.

Best,

Francesco

Answer 6

Hello!

Congrats!

From an outside perspective is a no brainer: pick the MBB.

To me, one of the key things is the doors this will open for you in the future, and MBB is clearly dominant ther.e

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

Answer 7

First of all congrats in being in such a fortunate position!

Some great answers below already. Clearly the MBB brand is a gamechanger here, but it is important to be clear on what your lifestyle will be like as an expat in Dubai. You are right in the sense you'll be spending a lot of time in Riyadh.

I would probably go with the MBB brand with a view to making a geographic move later on