Suggestions before Relocating to UAE

PChinna on 07/10/2025 - 07:08
Last edited 07/10/2025 - 09:06

Hi All,

I’ll soon be relocating to Abu Dhabi for work, and one of the first things I know I’ll miss is our OzBargain community. It’s been a huge help to me over the years. So, I’m back here again to ask for your advice.

  1. Moving to UAE – What are the key things I should know before and right after relocating? Anything that would have helped you (or someone you know) if they had known earlier?
  2. Community & Deals – Are there any UAE-based, OzBargain-style forums or communities where people share deals and tips?
  3. Shipping & Relocation – My employer is only covering flights for my family, so I’ll be paying for shipping myself. Do you have recommendations for cheaper and reliable shipping companies from Australia to UAE? Also, what items are worth shipping (clothes, kitchen appliances, etc.) versus just buying new in Abu Dhabi?
    Edit 2: Employer pays the flights while relocating m, first two weeks accommodation, child education, annual flight costs to Australia. They don’t just pay the freight charges for the household things I ship.

Appreciate any suggestions, and thanks again for all the support this community always provides!

Travel Asia United Arab Emirates

Comments

  • BuzzBuzzBuzz on 07/10/2025 - 12:42
    +5

    Have a plan for moving back to Australia. Don't kid yourself that you won't be moving back to Australia.

  • hawthornandrew on 07/10/2025 - 14:24
    +12

    I was in the Middle East for many years and here are a few of my thoughts.

    Check on your residency status in Australia. It is complex but generally you have an intention of staying outside Australia for 2 years to be regarded as a non-resident for tax purposes. If you are resident in Australia for tax purposes you will be taxed on your worldwide income in Australia. Also look at CGT - there are a lot of implications.

    Check your health insurance - the standard health provided in UAE is basic. While there is good health it will cost money.

    I would not ship much over to the UAE. Most household items are cheap and it will be better to buy what you need there rather than ship things over.

    While basic living in the UAE is cheap, luxuries can be very expensive. Basic living means for an Indian labourer so what you regard as essential can be expensive.

    I knew people that flew back home regularly and it cost them a lot of money - meaning they were not saving money over there.

    Good Luck

    • PChinna on 07/10/2025 - 15:26

      Thanks mate! Your response is a lot easier to work with, cheers for that. Appreciate the heads-up on the resident/non-resident tax rules too. I came across something about how it ties into CGT, but I’ll double-check with my accountant soon enough. Thanks heaps again

  • Randxyz123 on 07/10/2025 - 15:02
    +3

    I moved to the UK for 3 years not the same place but in general I'd say not to ship stuff over when relocating. If work isn't paying it will likely be expensive and likely not worth it. It seems a bit strange to me they aren't paying to move all your stuff as well. As a few others have said it is a much different lifestyle over there and you have bugger all workers rights and what is on instagram isn't reality.

    That isn't to say don't go, there is an entire world out there to explore and it sounds like a fun opportunity to do this while you can.

    There is a Aussies in Dubai/Abu Dhabi Facebook page that I am in (at one point I looked into Dubai instead of London). People relocating back to Australia or elsewhere are always selling stuff. Especially things like coffee machines and furniture. I'd suggest reporting your question there as well as you'll get more experienced answers and might be able to nab some stuff cheaply if someone is headed back to Australia.
    You might want to ask in that group as well about an accountant who knows both systems and how to handle tax free wages and just tax in general. If you have HECS still you'll be expected to pay that off.

    • PChinna on 07/10/2025 - 15:23

      Great inputs. Thanks, will look for those groups and find out about my needs including the Tax related ones.

  • hopper on 07/10/2025 - 15:44
    -1

    start a youtube channel "SKIPPY in UAE".

  • Davo1111 on 07/10/2025 - 16:33
    -1

    idk how you do it. It's very expensive.

  • RyanIAm on 07/10/2025 - 18:17
    +26

    I've relocated family to Dubai 2 months ago. Make sure you talk to an accountant specialised in expats - Atlas Wealth or SMATS always come highly regarded. They will do a free introductory call, don't trust what your vanilla every day Australian accountant knows about non tax residency. Don't sign a contract for less than 2 years. At a minimum you will want return trips covered, housing, utilities, car, school fees, good health insurance and equivalent super contributions back in Australia.

    If you aren't covered for shipping your stuff, just sell your stuff in Australia and buy new stuff over here second hand. Don't put it in storage either, that won't satisfy the ATO. If you can liquidate your assets prior it makes it a lot cleaner.

    • blitz on 07/10/2025 - 18:45
      +4

      Upvoted. This is @RyanIAm's third ever comment in 13 years of OzB membership.

      • Bidet Mate on 08/10/2025 - 17:38
        +1

        based on comment trend modelling, we should next see RyanIAm in the year 2378.

        • RyanIAm on 08/10/2025 - 19:33
          +2

          Oh no - i've broken your prediction!

      • Muppet Detector on 10/10/2025 - 17:22

        Well, he did have to come a long way to be here with us.

    • happydude on 07/10/2025 - 19:02
      +1

      don't trust what your vanilla every day Australian accountant knows about non tax residency

      This. The guy I was talking to in my comment above was from SMATS.

  • gstfree on 07/10/2025 - 18:25

    To me the most tricky part is payroll/FBT/PAYG obligations for employer and personal income tax for employee.

  • ozbargain lifer on 07/10/2025 - 20:59

    1. Have a think about which areas you would like to live. Expats usually stay in yas, reem, saadiyat, al raha. If you’re loaded, saadiyat is amazing (check out Mamsha) Good website is bayut or propertyfinders. Just be careful on the photos, they may not be actual pictures of the place. Use a reputable real estate agent (PSI was useful for me) The renter pays the commission not the owner so in theory they shop be helping you.

    2. Dubizzle is your friend. Secondhand website for all your needs.

    3. Don’t ship, save your money. Dubizzle and Facebook marketplace.

    Abu Dhabi is no longer a hardship post that some think.

    Feel free to DM if you have a specific question.

  • agentsho on 08/10/2025 - 04:17

    Fellow Aussies whose been based in Dubai for the past 3 years. Sure it lacks some sense of a soul, but I genuinely have grown to love it for many reasons (eg. safety, location and diversity). It can be fairly cheap but for most expats, to live comfortably similarly to how we would at home, it can get fairly costly.

    Similar to what others have said, I'd avoid shipping most things here. Better to just sell cheaply in Australia and buy here again (can buy second hand from Marketplace or Dubizzle). There are some community style forums mainly on Facebook (Diarham Stretchers is the most popular). Would also join the Facebook group for Aussie expats in UAE (you can get good responses to most questions there).

    Best of luck with the move.

    • PChinna on 08/10/2025 - 20:25

      Thanks.

  • Myone888 on 08/10/2025 - 08:45
    +1

    Everything in Middle East is expensive especially rents are high for expats. Did you have a looke see trip for a couple days? Some employers provide this.
    Normally to work there, one would negotiate for mobilization/demob that is they provide a container to move your personal effects to Abu Dhabi and back to Australia upon resignation.
    You also have to find out about car driver licence, I.e. do you have sit for full tests etc?
    Cheers.

  • skillet on 08/10/2025 - 09:46
    +1

    Did you know you Whatsapp videocall in Dubai is blocked? Yeah so VPN.

    • drspy00 on 10/10/2025 - 01:56

      and audio call.

  • Oztx on 08/10/2025 - 10:17

    Check container and shipping fees on dates of your travel, might not be worth it to ship furniture + big electronics. If you are getting paid well there might as well just buy new things from there instead of dealing with shipping headache and waiting (1-2 months).

  • Dollar Dreamer on 08/10/2025 - 10:42
    -4

    In UAE, Jeans matter. So if you are a tall, good looking white man or woman, you will get a high paid service based job such as customer service representative, working in realestate, marketing, a human face for a local business. If you are a short and ugly man or woman, you can study math and science and get a job as an Engineer, IT or in Medicine because due to your bad jeans, you won't be able to get the high paid but easy to do customer service based / customer interaction based jobs that good looking and fit people can get with no education. Countries like that, jeans matter for success. So if you are a good looking and tall lad or chick, UAE will be super awesome, education or not won't matter for you, you will end up in a high paying job. Protect your jeans though, do not get married to an ugly person and ruin your children's lives just in case they also want to go and work in places like the UAE in the future.

    • 82norm on 08/10/2025 - 11:10

      This reminds me of a post a few weeks back….fking confusing. Btw…. Are you talking genes, genes, or jeans, jeans as in Sydney Sweeney. FM.

      • living4music on 08/10/2025 - 12:06
        +1

        He is dreamer (look at his nick name).
        I am pretty sure he is talking about Gin

    • V2L on 08/10/2025 - 12:31
      +1

      will book in a GAP appointment prior to relocating, thanks

    • tenpercent on 09/10/2025 - 15:54
      +1

      Jeans matter

      Levis?

  • Purp on 08/10/2025 - 17:28

    Stock up on bacon

    • RyanIAm on 08/10/2025 - 19:34

      no need, you can buy it at the supermarket

  • penting on 08/10/2025 - 18:52

    If you have property, please get tax advice to make sure you are not australian tax resident.

  • InsertCrow on 09/10/2025 - 08:41
    +1

    Huge missed opportunity if you don't start a website called Abu DhaBargain.

    • lachhelix on 10/10/2025 - 01:42
      +1

      This ought to have a lot not up votes 😂😂

  • OwMeKnees on 09/10/2025 - 09:21
    +1

    Go out to Al Ain and drive Jebel Hafeet… good lord that was an awesome road.

    Other than that its just a 3rd world country with money, the weird shit I saw there…

  • lltravel on 09/10/2025 - 14:25
    -1

    People here keep acting like the heat in Australia isnt as bad, but honestly if that’s your concern you won’t last a week in Dubai. It’s not the weather, it’s the mindset.

    Australia gets hot and humid too, and if you think Dubai is “oppressive,” try living under the nonsense we deal with here. Australia has become one of the most restrictive countries in the world. We don’t have real freedom of speech (don’t bother arguing that), the banks pull the strings over government, and our assets keep getting sold off with nothing going back to the people. Look up the Surveillance Act if you want proof.

    At least the UAE uses its resources to actually benefit its citizens. If Australia did the same, we’d be a tax-free country by now.

    That’s why I’m moving to Dubai soon. No income tax, no government sticking its hand in my pocket, and no pretending we have freedoms we don’t actually have.

  • CI on 09/10/2025 - 15:50

    Most expats live on Reem Island or Yas Island. 80-90% expats live in apartments, however villas (what we call a typcial aussie suburban home) are starting to become a choice aswell. 1 bed apartment in AbuDhabi is about $35k AUD/year rent (Reem Island) and Dubai double that.

  • LFO on 09/10/2025 - 19:56

    Also, what items are worth shipping

    I have the strong gut feeling they will have better and more modern household items.
    There is money over there, lots of money. Hence quality, sophisticated items.
    So, nothing might justify the cost, paperwork and hassle of shipping

    Otherwise feels like moving to a third world place. I doubt is the case.

    • drspy00 on 10/10/2025 - 01:38

      Also very cheap items that are very good quality.

  • urahara on 09/10/2025 - 21:08

    @OP Curious what domain you work in and how did u land up there ? At one point I was looking to move to Dubai

  • QF1 on 09/10/2025 - 21:41

    I have lived and worked in the UAE.

    I would not bother taking much household goods other than some basic necessities for the 1st two weeks. You get everything there and also costs a lot less. Electrical appliances will require a converter adaptor. Take one or two from here if you plan to take any electrical appliances or for your mobile phones/ laptops etc.

    UAE is one of the more liberal countries in the MEA/GCC. Just respect the local regulations and its easy as. Enjoy your move and wishing you the best.

  • jedimaster on 10/10/2025 - 00:04
    +2

    if you into visiting national parks like here in Australia, there is nothing over there like that. My former colleague who lives there, I see him doing dune bashing most weekends as there is not much to doo there except malls and other man-made stuff. Beaches are there but most of the time it would be very hot!

  • drspy00 on 10/10/2025 - 00:17

    Not lived there but visited there lots and can say the shopping is great. The large department style stores which are often open 24 hours are full of so many things, and the clothing and shoes can be really good quality and so cheap. Seems better than anything from China directly even though it probably is from China, dont know why its so good quality.

  • mungas on 10/10/2025 - 09:23
    +2

    Hey - tax person here. Alot of good points already raised above re tax. Moving overseas is generally a tricky one from an individual residency perspective.

    Essentially moving to UAE does not switch off your AU tax residency (assuming you currently are an AU res). What that means is that your worldwide income will be caught (taxed) under the AU tax system. You may have foreign tax credits available to reduce your tax in AU for foreign tax paid overseas (if any). I generally understand UAE does not levy individual taxes, therefore I dont expect any reduction in your AU tax (in this circumstance). There is also no double tax agreement between the AU and UAE.

    At the essence of individual residency is a concept called 'domicile'. What this means is that the Commissioner of Taxation will challenge whether you have established yourself in a particular place, and whether you have an intention to return. Quite often, expats move overseas however continue having their family in AU, keep their family house, gym memberships, drivers license etc. These factors are considered and will generally show your ties continue with AU.

    If your intention is to return to AU, then do nothing, apart from disclosing your worldwide income with the ATO.

    If you intend to cease residency in AU, then there are various things you should consider to have a clean break from AU; cancelling memberships, selling furniture, selling cars etc. When you however cease AU residency, you will subject to what is known as CGT Event I1, essentially you are deemed to have sold your non-taxable Australian property at its market value when ceasing residency. That means you are deemed to have disposed of assets such as your shares and cars. There is an election to defer this taxing point to these assets to the earlier of when you actually have a CGT event occur (such as selling your shares), or when you cease residency. This means it continues to be captured by the AU tax net, so if these assets appreciate in value, you may strategically consider that taking the hit today on deeming is better than letting accrued gains be taxed in the future.

    I wont go through what would happen with your entity structures (such as companies and trusts), however there is a high likelihood these will continue to be caught by the AU tax net unless you had them structured in a particular way.

    I understand this is alot so would recommend speaking to a tax specialist who deals with residency. Big 4 have global employment service teams who do this day in/out, however there may be smaller niche firms (some noted above)

    • mungas on 10/10/2025 - 18:01

      Sorry just noted a typo, should be “(such as selling your shares), or when you become a resident again”

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join