Why I Left Dubai And Moved Back To The UK

Overview

The video is a personal account explaining why the creator left Dubai after living there for about three years and moved back to the UK. It addresses common assumptions that leaving Dubai would be irrational given the city’s perceived benefits.

Why They Originally Moved to Dubai

• Business reason: They already worked with expat clients across the Middle East and wanted an in-region base to better understand local markets—meeting investors, building relationships, and learning firsthand what clients wanted.
• Personal reason: They wanted to experience living abroad, taking advantage of a narrow life window when international moves are more feasible—especially before children fully form school/friend routines. They moved when their children were 7, 6, and 2.

What They Said Was Better About Life in Dubai

• Overall mood and happiness: They felt Dubai was more optimistic than the UK, where they believed people had normalized complaint and negativity. In their view, Dubai had a “can-do” attitude, with people excited to build, start businesses, and try new things.
• Efficiency and convenience: Many daily-life tasks felt more digital, seamless, and delegatable, freeing up time for business and higher-value activities rather than errands and admin.
• Help in the house (biggest lifestyle difference): They emphasized domestic help as the most significant benefit. With less day-to-day workload, they could focus more on:
  • earning income,
  • spending meaningful time with their children,
  • and improving time with their wife and social life.

They also criticized a UK pattern where men may spend long hours on low-value household tasks instead of sharing/delegating.

• Easier social matching: They felt Dubai attracted people with similar motivations—ambitious, curious, internationally minded—making friendships easier to form.
• Unexpected benefits of moving abroad:
  • More active visiting and better hosting skills: Family and friends came more often to stay, and the kids learned how to host properly over longer visits (not just brief “tea” visits).
  • Stronger family self-definition: Being away from extended family reduced default routines based on family gatherings and forced them to consciously choose what they enjoy as a family (weekends, evenings, traditions), which they say brought them closer.

Reasons They Left Dubai (and Why Coming Back Felt Necessary)

• Perceived risk and pressure: They felt there was less cultural/behavioral “forgiveness” in the UAE, where one mistake could lead to serious trouble (even if the danger may have been exaggerated in their mind).
• Freedom of speech felt psychologically constraining: They noticed this even though they don’t see themselves as someone seeking controversy—choosing not to speak, while knowing you can’t, felt stifling.
• Smaller quality-of-life complaints: They mentioned poorer air quality and missing UK staples like British dairy and bakery.

The Decisive Factor: Schooling for Their Children

The creator frames the return as driven mainly by the children reaching secondary-school age.

• They argue British schooling—especially private schooling—is superior for their children at this stage, while acknowledging that many people disagree and that Dubai schools can work well for others.
• They stress that parenting choices can require giving up what you love, and they say they don’t regret the move—Dubai was right for that life stage.

Overall Conclusion

• They reject the idea that life decisions must be permanently “locked in.” Dubai was valuable at the time, and the UK is now better suited for the next stage.
• They end by saying they’re happy to be back in Bolton, inviting viewers to share whether they returned or stayed abroad.

Presenters / Contributors

• The video creator / narrator (name not provided in the subtitles).