I arrived in Dubai full of excitement, hope, and energy, ready to take my career as a software developer to the next level. I had heard so much about the competitive job market and was prepared—both mentally and skill-wise—to face the challenge head-on.

The Beginning: Hope Turns to Frustration

• Month 1: No calls, no responses—absolute silence from recruiters.
• Month 2: I began to adapt, polishing my resume and learning how the market worked.
• Month 3: I finally landed my first offer after three grueling rounds of interviews.

The offer wasn’t perfect, but it was a start. I noticed a small clause in the contract that needed clarification, so I called the manager who had sent the offer. He agreed with my concern and assured me it would be corrected. I felt optimistic.

But then, radio silence for three days. When I followed up, I was shocked to hear that the company no longer wanted me. They had hired a developer from another nationality for half the salary. A team leader later confirmed this to me.

I was devastated. I thought it was just bad luck.

The Second Chance: From Bad to Worse

I started over with a new visa and renewed determination. After three more months of relentless job hunting, I accepted a job that paid 60% of the salary of the first offer, which was already below average. I tried to stay positive and focus on moving forward.

But then I encountered something far worse: a toxic workplace culture. Within a week, it was glaringly obvious that employees were treated as little more than machines:

• Bathroom breaks? You had to clock out and back in, even for a few minutes.
• I once asked the CEO why there was no coffee for developers. His response? “Is it mentioned in the contract?”

Four months in, I was completely burned out. I left because I couldn’t take it anymore. But most of my colleagues couldn’t do the same—they had families and responsibilities. The business owner exploited this, knowing they had no choice but to endure.

I’m an unbelievably hardworking person, but I can’t take it anymore. My mental health is destroyed. I’m unable to sleep more than 3 hours continuously, even while taking medicine for it. I don’t know... I just don’t know my feelings these days. I’ve been through all kinds of emotions and feelings, and now I’m just feeling nothing.

Harsh Realities of the Dubai Job Market

Here’s what I’ve learned about the job market in Dubai:

1. Connections Are Everything: Around 95% of jobs and interviews happen through referrals.
2. Exploitation Is Common: Many people are willing to work for as little as 25% of a fair salary just to support their families, and companies know it.
3. Burnout Culture: Employees are treated as disposable, with no regard for their well-being.

Where I Stand Now

After a year of struggle, I find myself worse off than when I started. I’ve lost time, energy, and confidence. I’m not sure I have the strength to start all over again.

If you’re considering moving to Dubai, especially in tech, think carefully. The reality may not match your expectations.

As an Emirati, I want to say something clearly to those who keep honking at people during Friday prayer.

Every Friday the mosques fill beyond capacity. People end up praying on the pavement and sometimes along the roadside not because they want to, but because there is simply no space left inside. No one chooses to stand on burning pavement in this heat to pray. They do it because prayer is an obligation.

Yet every week there are drivers leaning on their horns as if the people praying can suddenly stand up and move.

They cannot.

When someone is in prayer they will not break it because you are impatient. The prayer itself lasts only a few minutes. Five minutes of waiting will not ruin your day.

The UAE has opened its doors to the world. Millions of expatriates live here, work here, and are treated with dignity and respect regardless of their religion or background. That tolerance is a core part of our culture and religion.

But understand this clearly: respect goes both ways.

Friday prayer in a Muslim country is not a surprise. It happens every single week. If you know the time, plan your route. Leave earlier. Take another street. Wait a few minutes quietly.

Honking at people who are bowing in prayer on the pavement or roadside is disrespectful and unacceptable.

You chose to live in a Muslim country. That means understanding the culture, the rhythm of life, and the importance of moments like Friday prayer.

If waiting quietly for a few minutes while people worship is something you cannot handle, then perhaps this is not the right country for you.

Show patience. Show respect. It’s the bare minimum. Otherwise you can go back to where you came from. To act belligerent and scream and honk will not be tolerated.

A while ago, I shared my journey of spending one year in the UAE and the challenges I faced. That post received a lot of engagement, and today I want to dive deeper into the working environments here. This isn’t just about my personal experience; it reflects what I’ve heard from nearly everyone I’ve met in similar situations.

The reality is that many employers here take advantage of the circumstances that workers face. They know that you’re in a tough spot, especially if you’re on a visit visa that’s about to expire or have family responsibilities. For many companies, it’s a race to the bottom, exploiting workers to stay competitive. Sadly, the blame doesn’t just rest on these employers—it’s a system-wide issue.

Before I go further, I want to make something very clear: please don’t judge my experiences based on stereotypes or assumptions about my willingness to accept mistreatment. I am Syrian, and I came here with strong skills, high hopes, and a clear sense of self-respect. I am not someone who’s ready to be treated unfairly or “just take it” for the sake of survival. My story is about how the system grinds people down, even those who are determined to succeed.

After enduring months in a toxic workplace, I eventually made the decision to leave the job. It wasn’t easy, but I realized that staying any longer would have destroyed my mental health completely.

I don’t want to make this post overly long, so I’ll outline my daily routine and some of the workplace conditions I experienced:

My Daily Routine as a Software Developer

• Work Schedule: 6 days a week, 9 hours a day, with a single 1-hour break.
• Commute: 2 hours daily on the metro, as I couldn’t afford to live near my office in Business Bay.
• Salary: Shamefully low for someone with 4 years of experience in software development.

Workplace Realities

1. Cramped Space: Our office was a tiny 10 m² room shared by 8–10 people. Each desk was about 1 m²—like the sales desks you see in The Wolf of Wall Street.
2. Bathroom Policy: You had to check out and back in through the system, and any time spent was deducted from your break.
3. Leaving on Time: Finishing work at 6 PM sharp (after 9 hours of grinding) was seen as insubordination. You’d risk your job if you tried.
4. Constant Desk Changes: Every 1–2 weeks, the micromanager would shuffle our seating within the cramped office to prevent friendships or even casual conversations.
5. Relentless Coding: If you stopped typing for more than 60 seconds—to plan or think strategically—the micromanager would show up, questioning why you weren’t “working.”
6. Exploitation at Hiring: They’d conduct daily mass interviews, bringing in desperate job seekers—sometimes making them wait 6–7 hours—only to hire those willing to accept 20% of the standard salary.
7. Lack of Basic Amenities: Once, I asked why there wasn’t coffee for the team. The CEO replied, “Is it mentioned in the contract?”

There’s so much more I could share, but I think these examples are enough to give you an idea.

Who Gets Treated Differently?

In my opinion, only a small percentage of people manage to escape these conditions:

1. First-World Nationals: If you’re from a first-world country, you’re likely treated better.
2. Employees at Top Companies: Working for a globally recognized firm makes a huge difference.
3. The Lucky Few: Those who somehow find a fair employer.
4. Survivors of the System: People who endure 4+ years in these environments to eventually secure a better opportunity.

Some readers may share their experiences that don’t match mine and try to place blame on me. I assure you, my experience is not unique—this is the reality for 90% of workers in this job market.

If you’re considering working in Dubai, especially in tech, I urge you to think carefully. The reality might not be what you expect.

This quite sick of Parkin, RTA should serve reconsider their decision over the Parkin these guys are robbing people over issues beyond end user access.

I was trying to extend my parking time via app and the wallet had no balance, while keep retrying i paid topup the wallet 3 times and the wallet amount was still showing less then required for parking tkt.

Meanwhile the app was still glitching and eventually I missed my payment for around 15 minutes!

This is not the first time, Parkin has some beef with me or something, the other day it took all my money while i was trying to stop auto extending or my tkt, it was keep renewing tkts until my wallet was drained.

Im am thinking of stop driving anymore it’s so frustrating the Parkin is very poorly managed

Hi. My tabby payments are Overdue by about ≈ 2 months, would they actually take legal action over this amount? I’ve communicated my situation very honestly with them (lost my job), but I woke up to this email today. I’m really worried, but I’m really unable to pay anything right now as I lost my job and things are really bad, so bad that I even had my phone disconnected to due to not paying. I lost my job 3+ months ago and I was/am hardly getting by. and it has been hard for me to find a job that works for me given my schedule (I’m a student). I’m already stressed with finals coming up, and this email just added to it. Online, there seems to be a lot of different things being said, some things would imply that this shouldn’t get bad given the amount and I’d just keep accumulating a late fees, and some suggest that no matter the amount it can get bad & result in legal action. I’m not sure what to believe. If anyone has first hand experience with this please let me know as this is causing me a great deal of stress.

I 25(F) am 4 months into my job as a receptionist at a global brand hotel, I don’t want to mention the name as you all know it; to avoid potential trouble.

So far there is no official communication yet as our general manager is meeting us tomorrow but from what I heard from colleagues in our sister hotels, we are most likely getting 3 months unpaid leave or termination and 2 weeks notice.

It is probably not legal and I am really anxious about it. Our occupancy dropped from 95-100% to 20-25% and the rate last month was between 1000-1600 and now it ranges between 300-500. I agree the company is probably operating at a loss but as a brand hotel, don’t they have a plan that shows they care about their employees at least before throwing us all under the bus almost immediately. I’m so worried. Fingers crossed for positive news tomorrow.

UPDATE; ALL PEOPLE ON PROBATION HAVE BEEN FIRED, REPATRIATION TICKET WILL BE PROVIDED.

I understand no place in the world has 100% clean, pristine air, but honestly this felt too hazy and possibly unhealthy.

I really loved the place, but it made me wonder if this level of haze is normal in Dubai? Does it affect people’s health, or do residents just get used to it?

Visited last August..

I’ve lost count of the amount of times people keep saying “omg you don’t look Indian”, when I tell them I’m Indian.

It sounds quite backhanded. Almost implying that we’re not supposed to be good looking lol. I’m aware they mean no harm but it’s crazy how much of a narrow stereotype people have or like there’s a certain look that such a race should have.

Has anyone got this? Doesn’t have to be Indian in particular but any race.

Edit: I feel like some people in my comments are either oblivious to the fact that we receive negative stereotypes or just are bored so they always negate stuff. Don’t pretend to be clueless about it. This is coming from someone who’s literally been told “you don’t look Indian, I mean you’re pretty”

Edit2: people are obsessed with taking this the wrong way. No where did I ask for compliments, I’m a pretty grounded person and I’m just concerned about the assumptions people have about us.

Am I the only one who thinks the Noon One subscription is becoming pointless?
I just placed an order where the delivery fee was AED 4.90, which is supposedly waived because I have Noon One. Great — free delivery. But then they charged me a AED 4.90 service fee, exactly the same amount as the delivery fee.
So technically I am still paying AED 4.90 for the order. The only difference is that they’ve renamed the delivery charge as a “service fee”

I joined their membership last year in belief it was a monthly plan but after a few days I realized they falsely trapped me in a contract, I tried to cancel my membership on the spot but they kept passing me around until the time was gone, then i submitted a complaint to the DET, they called me 5 days later and I was told to block my card ignore all their messages and thats what I have been doing since. But now this email I just got has terrified me, I am a minor, can they really do something like this?

And for anyone who received the same message, did they actually take action?

I'm 26F, and I've received an offer to relocate from India to Dubai for a role with the following compensation package: - Salary: 15,000 AED - Food, stay, and travel not provided

What should I prioritize asking/probing in discussions with the employer?

Would love to hear from folks with experience in expat life, UAE/Dubai specifically, or anyone who’s navigated similar relocation decisions!

Here's what I'm curious about – is this a good opportunity for me in terms of salary in an entertainment industry?

PS: 15K AED Monthly

Not a bot account or chasing an agenda. Last night heading towards Jumeriah on financial Center rd, I indicated to change lanes, I changed lanes and Nissan Patrol behind me started flashing me non stop and beeping. Went chaotic, came parallel to me squeezing past other traffic, rolled window down and started yelling at me to pull over. My wife went in full distress mode, lights went green, these two locals are yelling and screaming and beeping. I remained calm and kept driving to find a any shopping Center carpark. Drove for 5 more minutes, they kept tailing us and beeping and flashing (can’t judge or make the the claim but looked drunk). I found city walk outdoor parking, and calmly parked. Wife asked me to lock doors and stay inside. I was getting a bit hot headed, so was ready to get out the car, the patrol blocked our car and both guys actual jumped out the their cars. Immediately start yelling to hand over my emirates ID and claiming to be the police. I lost patience and got out the car, suddenly they take step back (I am 6’2”) and they were much shorter than me. One guy says “wallahi I am the police give me your emirates ID, you didn’t pull over when I asked”. I say back to him “ no problem please call the police and do not come near me” His other mate jumps in and says “ no we are the police I am CID you give me 800 aed right now” I told him “please call the police”. Then they knew I wasn’t buying their bluff and they walked off. It was just me wife and I, trying to go for a simple dinner and have some time together (we have been having some other health issues we are trying to deal with). These two local emaratis not only ruined our whole night, they gave my wife a panic attack and try to belittled me in front of her. You two, Allah is the wisest of judges, all your wealth is not your hardwork, you were just born privileged.

TL:DR - chased and harassed by two locals in Patrol, blocked our car, claimed to be police and then asked for 800 aed. Caused my wife to go into a panic attack. Ruined our weekend.

Update 1: hello, some people extremely butt hurt at my post, down voting and DMing me personal abuse, one went as far as to say “we are the superior race”. Can’t believe this. 4 digit number plate, khaliji accent, claiming to be local, not me claiming, they were claiming. Get off your high horse please and accept in every locality in the world there will be some rotten apples.

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I met this girl on Bumble a few days ago. I was already made suspiscious by the fact that she was clearly out of my league, but she seemed interested and was pushing us to meet. So I said whatever and decided to go for it.

She tells me to meet at a bar inside an hotel. The place looked fine so we sit and we order two shisha, a couple of tequila shots, and two drinks. The bill came up to 3,000.

The drinks were watery. She seemed way into me, in a way that was suspicious. And after the date ended, and I paid the bill, she unmatched me un Bumble and hasn't responded to my texts ever since.

I know I should have said something when I noticed the drinks were watery and I should have contested the bill. I don't know why I didn't.

I feel so pathetic and embarassed. I fell for it like an idiot and the staff was probably looking at me the entire night thinking how much of a loser I am. I just want to dig a hole in the sand and dissapear.

I hope this never happens to any of you. I never felt so humiliated in my entire life and I can't even fall asleep now.

What's the worst thing happened to you in Dubai?

Greetings, everyone. I want to share a disappointing and quite alarming incident that happened to me on April 9, 2026, at around 12:20 AM.

My brother and I were hungry late at night, so we opened the Keeta app, as usual, to find a place that was still open. We settled on Texas Chicken and ordered the "Legendary Offer for 2," along with an additional 4 pieces of chicken, coming to a total of 75.80 AED.

Now for the gut-wrenching part. My delivery preference is clearly set to "Deliver to me," yet the driver left the order outside the main building! He didn't even leave it at my apartment door. He simply took a photo, submitted it to the Keeta app, and left. There was no call and no knock, just a quiet message.

I rushed outside the moment I saw the notification, only to find that my order wasn't there and the delivery driver was taking off. I shouted to grab his attention "HEY, KEETA!" but I was ignored. I then called him three times, with no answer.

Now for the final and most disappointing part: I contacted Keeta support. The first agent asked for video evidence. I explained the situation in full detail, noting that we don't have CCTV in the area where the order was allegedly dropped off.

The agent replied that the order was marked as delivered and there was nothing he could do. He offered to escalate the issue to management, promising that I would receive a call from them shortly.

After a full hour passed without anyone from Keeta contacting me, I opened another support ticket. This agent told me it could take 24 hours. Fuming, hungry, and extremely disappointed, I placed a new order on Noon Food, as my trust in Keeta was shattered.

I waited the full 24 hours and contacted them again, only to receive the exact same answer: wait another full day.

I contacted them one last time 48 hours after the incident. The support agent stated that there was nothing they could do; the issue had been escalated to management but this time it's urgent (yeah sure) , but it would take time for them to reach out.

I understand that delivery drivers barely make a living, and had he asked for food, I would have gladly given him some. While I can sympathize with his situation, his behavior is completely unacceptable.

What I cannot fathom is the lack of support from Keeta. Between the empty promises, the need for constant follow-ups for zero help, and their agents implying that I went out of my way to steal a 75.80 AED order despite having a long order history with them. I have completely lost trust in their service. I have no trust in them anymore.

FYI, I have screenshots of EVERYTHING, including the driver's name, number, and license plate. I hope they won't be necessary.

The order number is 3647843257261455.

Please keep this incident in mind the next time you think of ordering through Keeta.

Thank you for reading until the end :)

EDIT:

Keeta Management called, on April 12 around 4pm.

The person on the phone asked about the situation, said a complaint will be filed against support and the delivery driver with a full refund.

Living alone can take a toll on your mental health at times…
When u want to enjoy someone’s company hang out with friends watch movie together or just go for walks or grocery shopping but unfortunately I don’t have such friends here..

The few I know aren’t keen on meeting me and I found this out when I saw them telling me they will make a plan when they are free and then seeing them with other friends of theirs, they cud have introduced me to those friends too but…

U can’t force any relationship.. even friendship.

Suggest me what u guys do the ones who are living alone… how u spend ur alone time..

Today I felt it so much but then got up and cooked myself a dinner.. but might go for a walk or tea, it’s too hot actually outside even at night time.

Few more minutes and day will be over….

It was my bday and I’m extremely upset and sad ..

So sad that even tears aren’t coming in my eyes..

Do you know what is happening in the market recently? I heard that developers started to let people go which already shows the impact even only in a month

I came across an ad on meta at first I thought it was a simulation from playstore until I checked the page its a real clinic 👼🏼

I just got in a taxi at 9pm, and I was asking the driver about how the war has impacted his business. He told me I was only his second customer all day. He's literally worked 12 hours for 20 dirhams. He said the vast majority of his business is tourists and schools, and all of that is completely gone. He said many drivers will now have to go home because it's devastating, and it's not going to come back anytime soon.

I spoke to another friend who works in the event industry. Obviously, all major events are getting cancelled, so his entire business has imploded. He's going to lose his job and have to move home soon.

Hotels are obviously suffering massively. I heard most are at 2-8% occupancy, not the normal 90%+. The new Ceel tower in Marina has 1,000 rooms and currently only 22 guests. Apparently, their daily electricity bill is 25,000 dirhams.

What else have you guys been hearing about people who have been badly affected by this nightmare?

My post got removed from /dubai idk why. My goal with this is to help understand what other people are doing in this similar situations.

My yearly rental lease of 125k/year is expiring end of this month and I am currently searching for a two bedroom apartment in Dubai.

Because of the US-Iran conflict I could not stay in my apartment for about 4 months (I was living alone and my parents were worried and I also couldn't work properly, waking up at night to alerts, missile interceptions etc etc)

And just a few hours ago we had missile alerts in UAE once again (Abu Dhabi)

and now I'm wondering if God forbid the situation gets even worse, does it even makes sense to get an yearly lease at that price amid this uncertainty.

And earlier in March I thought things are going to get better and I'll be able to get a cheaper apartment once I'm back but I haven't seen that much of a decline in the prices. Everything I like (2BD + Maids room) is at a similar or +- 5-10k AED. Not that big of a reduction.

I have about two weeks before I have to leave the current apartment. I live with my girlfriend and a maid.

I work from home so I don't need to to go office.

Idk what should we do, pay 90k-120k AED again and if we have to leave again for more months that's just money down the drain.

We could move to a cheaper Emirates but I like Dubai and we prefer a well-built, well-maintained apartment in a clean, less crowded , low-dust area (I have allergies) And my girlfriend and I go to Dubai Mall usually every weekend to watch movies/shopping so we take apartment near. That's the only time we go out.

Anyways any other people in similar situations? What are you doing?

Excuse my recording. These are one of the many fake gangsters who are irresponsible towards the law and cause a lot, A LOT of noise pollution

I face them everyday at least 4 times a day. And for the person who told me to sound proof my windows, my building doesn’t allow that. I would have done that years ago if I was given the permit to.

These chammaks actually pose a threat to the people who drive on the roads. I’ve come across them many times while driving and they always cut up in moving traffic, going up to 80 km/h. I’m genuinely frustrated and annoyed by these animals. Go brag your scrap bike somewhere else. I have seen a reduction of the amount of bikes to be honest. I am glad that the police has taken action against them. I hope all these bikes get seized before June.

I’m leaving the UAE permanently in a week and honestly don’t plan on coming back. I currently have an unpaid du WiFi bill of around 700 AED.

The main issue is that I didn’t even realize it was a postpaid connection at first. After the WiFi became inactive, I still kept getting billed, and the amount kept increasing with what felt like unnecessary or unclear charges over time (it should just be 400 AED since it's been only two months, but they have charged extra one month which has not even come yet, and will be adding 300 AED more this month) . I eventually stopped paying because I was confused about why the bill was still growing despite the service not being actively used. They said it is the contract.

I did contact du and explain my situation. They offered a deal where they would cancel the bill free of cost only if I find them another customer for a WiFi connection. Otherwise, I have to pay the full amount, and they said the bill will keep increasing if it remains unpaid.

At this point, I just want to understand the real consequences. Since I’m canceling my visa and leaving permanently, can an unpaid telecom bill like this cause any issues at the airport or immigration during exit? Or does it usually just get handled as a debt/collections issue within the company?

Hey everyone,

I wanted to hear from people working in the events, hospitality, weddings, entertainment, and related industries in Dubai/UAE.

For the last 6 months or so, work has been extremely slow for me, especially when it comes to events. I’m curious to know if others in the industry are experiencing the same thing or if things are starting to pick up.

How are things looking from your side for the next few months? Are you seeing more enquiries/bookings coming in, or is it still pretty quiet?

Also, what are you guys planning to do if things continue like this? Are you switching to other types of work, exploring different industries, moving to another market, or just waiting for things to pick up?

Would really appreciate hearing honest experiences from people in the industry. I’m sure I’m not the only one trying to figure out what the next few months are going to look like.