My name is Anastasia Kim, I am developing WEE, a marketplace on the UAE market, and I have been living in Dubai for almost three years now. I’d like to share with you what surprises, irritates and inspires me here and what gives me strength to keep going.

There Are Restrictions for Women, but Not in Business

In the past, women couldn’t walk around Dubai with bare arms and legs. Nowadays, due to the increasing flow of tourists, this rule is gradually becoming a thing of the past. However, there are still areas where revealing clothes are unacceptable, such as the old town and the city center.

I respect these requirements. I gladly wear a kimono or abaya, a traditional Muslim robe-like dress, even for weekday meetings. It’s a beautifully constructed piece of clothing and a gesture of respect towards the local population, as I am a guest in their native homeland.

As for the business world, men in Dubai comfortably conduct business with women. They may even greet women with a handshake, which used to be unacceptable in a Muslim country. Women’s opportunities are expanding both at the government level and through various organizations. Women in Dubai are becoming company leaders and top managers, which is truly inspiring. Every year, various conferences dedicated to women empowerment are held in the Emirates and new funds and support programs for women are being launched.

It’s Hard to Find Familiar Food  

I moved in March 2022 and, initially, I really missed the delicious vegetables I was used to in Russia. I don’t know why, but in Dubai, the same cucumbers and tomatoes don’t taste as good. The solution was simple: we found several suppliers of Uzbek vegetables and connected them to WEE, so now aromatic and juicy Uzbek tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs, etc. are sold on our marketplace.

It also took me a long time to find new favorite restaurants. Now, I have a whole list, some local, some opened by Russian restaurateurs. I love The Farm Restaurant in Al Barari, located in a beautiful green area and SEVA Experience, which reminds me of Bali with its atmosphere. As an ethnic Korean, it was important for me to find good Korean restaurants and after visiting a lot of them, the restaurant in the Asiana Hotel Deira became my absolute favorite.

Business Partners Care About Who You Are  

Business here is done only after understanding what kind of person you are and whether you can be trusted. I still haven’t gotten used to how long seemingly simple issues take to resolve here and how often deadlines shift by the will of the Almighty. But there is great wisdom in this, as this approach is what helped build one of the most successful and attractive cities in the world within just a few decades.

In European or American culture, it’s common to resolve business matters quickly: attend a meeting, strike a deal, shake hands. In the UAE, you can communicate with different partners for months or even years before reaching an agreement. But with this approach, partnerships tend to be stronger in the future. In this sense, the Arab business mentality is similar to the Chinese one, where long-term communication and building trust through actions, not words, is the norm. Business in the Middle East is conducted person-to-person. It’s very important who recommends you and what kind of reputation you’ve built over the years of living here.

Patriotic Arabs and Effective PR

Modern Dubai has been built by businessmen from India, Pakistan and other countries who invest in it. And this is largely due to the local government’s well-thought-out policies, which give the green light to entrepreneurs and the best minds from around the world. The UAE presents itself as one of the most successful countries and a safe space and I admire this approach.

In most public places and even in private homes, you’ll find portraits of the emirs, the rulers of various emirates, on the walls. Arabs are patriotic because they are grateful for the conditions created for them.

Hot Climate  

Dubai is a place of eternal summer. Especially high temperatures occur from May to September. In the first two years, it wasn’t so noticeable, but this year, the summer was extremely hot.

Even now, in the fall, the temperature sometimes rises to 40 degrees. Recently, floods after heavy rains have added to this. For me, these climate conditions are more of a disadvantage.

Poor Air Quality

The air pollution level in the UAE is high. I bought an air purifier for my home, which monitors pollution levels and cleans the air from dust and dirt. When I go for walks, I use an app that tracks air quality.

The air is partly dirty due to dust, emissions from industries and the limited amount of greenery. In Russia, there are many forests and parks where you can walk freely and peacefully, but such spaces are rare in Dubai. That’s why places closer to nature are particularly appealing. My favorites are Dubai Hills Park and Mushrif Central Park.

What Helped Me Adapt in Dubai

After three years in Dubai, I feel that I’ve fully adapted to the local conditions and lifestyle. Around 80-90% of the people in my social circle are expats like me. We are all far from home and this shared experience and mentality truly unite us.

The Vision Club Dubai entrepreneur community also helped me feel more welcome and at home. I chose it not only for business benefits but because the members share values close to mine. Vision has managed to create a circle of like-minded people who want to grow together. It’s where I found friends and business partners who helped me with the adaptation process.

Three Main Benefits of Living in Dubai

Despite all the challenges, I consider Dubai one of the best places for business. Here are the three main advantages of this city for me.

• A space for people with the right mindset.

While having lunch in a restaurant here, you might run into Jeff Bezos or Tatyana Bakalchuk. Everyone here is open and friendly, perhaps more so than anywhere else.

• High quality of life

Everything you need for life is here, with high-level services, while Dubai continues to develop actively.

• Opportunities for business

My team and I have gone through an amazing transformation in these three years. Things don’t happen as quickly as you’d like in Dubai, but they happen in the best way. Sometimes it seemed like nothing was going right, but persistence brought us to where we are today — in ways I never imagined. The UAE is all about opportunities that you must patiently, persistently and respectfully uncover.

Many consider Dubai “artificial” and it was hard for me to settle in at first. But one day, a friend said something that changed my perspective: “It’s man-made”, she said, and it truly is. Every tree on the streets has irrigation pipes, parks and gardens are being built, canals and water bodies are being created and a whole city was built on sand in just a few decades. This is a city of opportunities, abundance and people. But it’s also a city that either embraces you, testing you through many trials and opening up opportunities, or filters you out and leaves you with nothing.

The choice is up to each person. You can think from a mindset of abundance or scarcity. You can choose the path of respect and partnership or come with your own rules and try to “cut your way through the space.” You can learn patience and find meaning or rush, judge and condemn. The choice is yours.

Dubai continues to surprise and inspire me every day. There is no better place in the world to build up your business, plunge headfirst in the entertainment world or enjoy everything that a truly modern metropolis can offer. If you haven’t yet, do consider a trip to Dubai. You won’t be disappointed.