Life in the UAE
Abu Dhabi and Dubai are unlike
anywhere else on earth
Sunlit, safe, ambitious and surprisingly gentle once you find your rhythm. The families who love it are the ones who found their community early.
Life here is genuinely good. Winters are glorious, the beaches are world class, the cities are safe and the international community is warm and generous with newcomers. Most families say the same thing after a year: they wish they had come sooner.
The families who struggle are rarely struggling with the country. They are struggling with the first few months, before the friendships, the routines and the favourite places have taken shape. That period can be shortened dramatically.
Where it goes wrong
Landing in the wrong season
Arriving in July with no plan for the heat is a different experience from arriving in October. Timing your move, and knowing how to structure the first summer if you cannot avoid it, changes the whole first year.
Finding the community late
Every neighbourhood, school and interest has a network. Knowing which groups are worth joining, which are noise and who the connectors are is the difference between six weeks and six months of feeling new.
Building a life around the wrong assumptions
Getting around, day-to-day admin, the apps that run everything, what weekends look like. It is all straightforward once you know it, and quietly exhausting until you do.
Not knowing what you do not know
The best beach club, the paediatrician everyone recommends, the dentist who speaks your language, the school-run coffee. None of this is in a guidebook. All of it makes a place feel like home.
What we handle for you
- An honest picture of what daily life looks like for a family like yours, before you commit
- Introductions to the community, school and interest networks that will actually matter to you
- The practical setup that makes daily life run, from getting around to the apps you will use every day
- Our own recommendations, from restaurants to weekend escapes, shared personally rather than published
- A friendly voice on the ground for the first months, when the questions are small but constant
Questions families ask us
What is it really like to live in the UAE with a family?
Safe, sunny, well organised and sociable, with excellent schools and healthcare. Most families settle happily. The first three months are the hard part, and they are much easier with someone who knows the place.
How hot does it get and how do families cope?
Summers are very hot and life moves indoors and into the water. Winters are close to perfect. Most families plan the year around it and quickly find it becomes normal.
Is it easy to make friends?
Easier than almost anywhere, because nearly everyone has been new. The difficulty is knowing where to start, and that is something we can shortcut for you.
Ready to start your Abu Dhabi life?
We know this city. We live here. We will help you love it.