Reasons why living in UAE is great

The land of dreams is what many call the UAE. For some, those dreams come true, for others they don't. For many others, the country gives them reason to believe, and hope.
So why is it that people want to come here? Young, old, poor and rich. It doesn't matter what religion or nationality, expatriates are pouring in - leaving their families, friends, their homes - everything behind.
What is the happiness all about in the country? Why is it that people call the UAE a home away from home and why is it that even if they have a chance to live in the West, they still choose to come here?
One answer to all these questions is that we are the first country in the world that takes happiness seriously. From Happiness Minister, to happiness officers, to happiness summits and happiness meters, the UAE government has left no stone unturned to create the right conditions for people to be happy.
With a majority of UAE population being expats, we posed a crucial question on how they manage to fulfil their dreams in the UAE? Was the journey worth it? And most importantly, are they happy?
Although many said it is family, health, job satisfaction that bring happiness, they also confessed that it is the money, standard of living and safety the country offers that make them want to stick around here.
Pakistani national Komal Aqeel came reluctantly to Dubai after her fiancé (now husband) encouraged her to take up a job here, where they could get married and lead a 'good life'. But when Komal landed in Dubai about five years ago, she realised that the country is a gold mine of opportunities. You grow in terms of wealth but also gain a lot of international exposure and skills.
Komal had never interacted with any other nationality other than Pakistanis and now her best friend is an Indian (not a small achievement, considering the strained relations between both the countries)! "UAE is now my home, my life and I owe a lot to this beautiful country in terms of not only blessing me with a comfortable, safe environment to live in but also providing a solid financial backing for me and my family - both here and back in Pakistan."
Komal's younger sister (back home) was suffering from major thalassaemia and required a bone marrow transplant procedure costing over Dh100,000. "We never imagined that we would be able to get her operated as the cost was too much. The doctor had given us an ultimatum that your sister could at the most live till the age of 18. She was 13 when I left Pakistan in 2012."
Komal worked her way up in the banking industry and managed to save about Dh50,000 for her treatment. She borrowed Dh50,000, that she is comfortably repaying gradually from her salary. "She underwent surgery and she just celebrated her 18th birthday at home. I owe it to the UAE for giving a new lease of life to my sister," said an emotional Komal.
A mother of twins, Komal says her decision to move here was worth it. In fact, she wishes she could stay here forever and raise her daughters in safe and secure environment.
For Komal it was the opportunities, great friends and money that helped her set up home here in the UAE but for Indian expat Manisha aka Khadeejah it was love that made way into her life in the form of her Pakistani husband Shiraz, whom she met here in Dubai.
'Best decision of my life'
After going through a bad relationship, Manisha was left destitute to fend for herself. But life took a positive turn when she landed here. "I had lost trust in any and every kind of relationship. Life for me was only work, work and work. Away from family (parents in India), I had no happiness in my life until I was introduced to Shiraz by a common friend. We got along at once and never did a thought cross my mind about Shiraz being a Pakistani until we decided to tie the knot. My family disowned me initially when I told I was marrying him but as time passed by they have gotten back to at least talking to me on the phone."
Manisha embraced Islam before getting married to Shiraz and now she even wears an abaya. She cannot live in Pakistan and Shiraz cannot live in India (because of visa issues) so for them their world - home, life, family, happiness - is here in the UAE. "I was able to change my religion, learnt to make Pakistani dishes, and embraced another culture all because I was here in the UAE. I dared not even think about getting married to a Muslim (let alone a Pakistani) back home. I belong here to the UAE and I don't ever want to go back because I feel this is the only place where my husband and I won't be bothered for practising our religion and being of different nationalities. The UAE gave me love, home and a family."
"Coming to the UAE has been the best decision of my life - it has made me complete. We may not earn that much but at least we are with each other and can live safely in a secure environment of this country," she said.
But not all stories end on a happy note. Some are still struggling in their pursuit of happiness, waiting for lady luck to smile on them. Twenty-six-year-old electrician Saddam earns a meager Dh1,300 and sends home (Bangladesh) Dh900 as he has two younger sisters, a brother and old parents to look after. Although, it is hard to survive in just a few hundred dirhams, I am still hopeful I will get a better job here. My family is happy that I am in Dubai. Also, I feel my being here is a matter of respect for my parents and will help them find a suitable girl for me too," he said.
A brighter future?
All the way from Indonesia, single mother Risma has been working in Dubai for the last two years as a housemaid. She takes care of her sponsor's two-year-old son while leaving her own six-year-old with her parents in Indonesia. "All because I want him to have a good life. Yes, I miss him and I speak to him almost everyday but coming to the UAE has helped me save a lot and send back home so that he could have all that I probably wouldn't have been able to provide for if I'd be with him. Nothing comes easy in life. My goal is to work here for two years, save good money and then go back to my son and raise him well. Had it not been here, I would never have been able to save any money back home. Plus I live in a good safe environment of this country where I am treated justly. I have no reason to complain. Yes, I am happy, dreaming about a better future."
In short, expats feel that happiness is not something in your hands, it's something you carry in your heart; and living in the UAE is a blessing they would not exchange for anything in the world. For most expats here happiness is synonymous with the UAE. Reason: It is a country that follows the motto "live and let live". It lets you live, earn, save, have a goal in life and over and above all it gives you what is most needed for a good life "contentment, peace and yes the most importantly "happiness".
saman@khaleejtimes.com