All The Cons About Dubai You Must Know BEFORE Moving

Here are some of the cons of living in Dubai. If you have lived in Dubai before have I missed anything? Let me know in the comments below.

ABOUT ME:
Education - I studied Economic History at the London School of Economics
Work - I spent 4 years working in the Investment Bank in London & Dubai

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Time Stamps -
0.00 Never Becoming a Citizen
2.00 Living in A Desert
3.58 Walkability & Transport
5.55 Communication & Water

[Lamideelizabeth]

If you haven't already figured from the intro of this video or my other videos, I love Dubai, these are just some of the cons that jump out at me. If you are highly sensitive or unable to critically think and understand that each country/city has it's pros and cons then this is NOT the channel for you 😊

[hayaabdulla]

People need to remember Dubai is only a city in the UAE, if you want more greenery go to the suburbs or Oman☺️ you’ll enjoy the hiking their

[Ohdearyme-xd]

You nailed it. I was born in Abu Dhabi and mostly grew up in London, then remaining teens years in Qatar and loved the experiencing and the country. Everytime I went back as a brat of a big mouth teen, I grew to know how to get myself from the airport to my parents place, then meet buddies the same night (my parents had an odd arangment where my dad worked there and mum raised us in the UK). Like you said, the lack of seasons is wild, the feeling of your time being here being borrowed and to enjoy the NOW, the subject matter of nationality is everywhere. The polite and respectful people, women being able to go for a jog at night, kids out and about at 10pm. I remember my little sister 'casually' being driven about by my dad as she sat on the centre arm rest. Being TOTALLY cool with people talking on the phone at the cinema...the kissing scenes being cut out of movies :D Loved it. If anyone had the chance to move out there, and experience it, I would highly recommend it; like properly live there, even for a year...it's like a different, beautiful planet. I have way too many stories :D

[sharissharee-pmkq]

What people don't understand if a place looks too perfect something is up.

[plavaovcica]

I just watched a tiktok of a girl who was put in Dubai prison for 6 months just because her boyfriend accused her of posessing drugs which were NEVER found on her and her substance test came negative. The conditions in prison were extremely inhumane and way way worse then in the mens prison.

[kogepannyanko]

I think the tap water is like that because they don't have a lot of fresh water, so they desalinate sea water.

[FatmaFairooz]

I’m an Emirati 🇦🇪 born and raised in Dubai, I can’t imagine living anywhere else, except maybe Singapore or Australia, but definitely not the UK, I love the fact that we don’t have a variation in seasons, I find having to layer clothes in cold weather a burden. I also think the water problem is from the pipes or the tank in the building. water is clear where I live, although definitely not to be ingested.

[ThePinkPantha]

When I lived in the Middle East the only time I turned off AC was from October to March. Any other time was hell. Lack of greenspace and poor air quality was the deal breaker for me. Other than that I loved the ME.

[high-reshallucinations]

Dubai gets most of its water from desalination plants, where seawater is treated to remove salt and impurities. This process is designed to meet international safety standards, so tap water in Dubai is generally safe to drink. The government, through the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), ensures it’s treated and monitored.

That said, some people still find the tap water a bit "dodgy." Here’s why:

Taste and Odor: The desalinated water can have a slightly different taste or smell due to the treatment process or minerals added for safety.
Distribution Issues: Old pipes or storage tanks in some buildings can affect water quality, adding sediment or a funky flavor.
Perception: Many residents—especially expats—aren’t fully comfortable with it, even if it’s technically safe.
Because of this, bottled water is super popular in Dubai. You’ll see it everywhere—supermarkets, hotels, even offices. Lots of people also use water filters at home for extra peace of mind. It’s less about the water being unsafe and more about personal preference or distrust in the pipes.

So, is the tap water dodgy? Not really—it’s safe by global standards—but it might not always taste or look perfect. If you’re visiting or living there, you can drink it, but don’t be surprised if you end up reaching for a bottle instead!

[LAmilesaway]

Hey! Living in Dubai. Totally agree with what you said. The lack of green spaces is the biggest con with the quality of air for me. But the city is evolving and they are more greenery and cool walks compared to five years ago for example. The pros like the safety of this city and the easy lifestyle make up for it for me. It's true that summer can be tough but half of the year the weather is perfect. Living inside for me is not different from five months of winter in Europe. We prefer all to stay inside there too. I don't think that we will live all our life there but honestly when we see all the problems in the West we are not in hurry to leave and consider ourselves lucky to live in Dubai.

[MN-ggqk]

I have live in dubai for more than half of my life, I am an expat. Dubai will always have a special place in my heart and I love it. I would choose it over several countries to live in. However, one of the biggest cons for me is work life balance. That is nearly impossible to find here.

[tjr-tt]

When she showed the cup of “water” I thought it was tea 😂. That’s insane. I also heard Dubai doesn’t have a proper sewage system.

[ronfarkas]

Just to clarify the WhatsApp thing: you CAN text on WhatsApp, but can't make calls without VPN, same with Skype btw.

[klutch]

I don't know i hear good things And bad things about Dubai im just gonna go there and see myself In Shaa'Allah

[barood]

Forget about citizenship, I know people born in seventies and their father came in 50s and never lived in another countries till today the pay visa to stay in the country !!

[aneliaguteva]

Is there good cycling infrastructure, or is cycling not very common there? Thanks for all the other information. 😊

[jasminekelson]

Thanks for this. Really interesting to find out about the water. It looks miles worse than even Ghana which I am surprised about.

[Memo-gutp]

The fire in the background just feels so wrong 🥵☀️🔥 😂😂

[Cantetinza]

Dubai is impressive, but it's not all that. I was there with the military and all that glitz and glam is a smoke screen to the modern slavery that is there. You can do great shopping, but I pegged the major cons first visit. Yeah the taxis can get super expensive.

[darkvalue]

You should make another episode about the people and the community. Talk about that many fake friends exist in Dubai because you are only valuable to how much you can offer the other person. If you're average, you will have no friends. You must be a part of a company, a brand, or have many followers in order to get respected.