When Joanna Della-Ragione left the UK in March 2020, she did not know what lay ahead. Now she is part of the rapidly growing business community in the UAE.
Her husband, a UK citizen she met in the region, is a leading business consultant. A female pal of hers runs an AI start-up. She moved to the UAE as the country sharpened its focus on cutting-edge innovation. Another couple who are friends with Ms Della-Ragione are similarly doing well – he works in private equity and is benefitting from the UAE’s position as major international finance centre, while his partner is in real estate, profiting from the property boom.
They are among the foreigners seizing opportunities that were not available in their homeland, or at least not to the same degree. A poll for The National showed respondents in the UAE pointed strongly to opportunity, stability and quality of life as defining factors in their preference for the Gulf state. Questions on life in the UK revealed worries over the rising cost of living, concerns about crime, and a perceived decline in safety, even if they cherished symbols of Britain.
The UAE’s status as a global trading hub and the huge strides the country has taken across myriad fields – in the digital sphere, science, research, media, retail, transport, you name it – have enabled it to become a magnet for finance, commerce and innovation funding. The UAE was once largely perceived in London as a bridge for trade between Europe, the US and Asia. That is still true, but now it has a burgeoning dynamic, constantly evolving and entrepreneurial ecosystem behind it.
Ms Della-Ragione and her close circle of expat friends knew what they were leaving behind when they quit the UK. She was leading a full-on lifestyle in London, working, partying and living in a flat in the super-trendy, buzzing Shoreditch area.
Her departure to the Gulf coincided with the Covid pandemic and global lockdown measures. She had a job offer as a marketing director, and, keen for a change, she took it.
Now 38, she lives in the Al Zeina area of Abu Dhabi, near Yas Island. She’s a consultant and GCC communications specialist, while her husband, Lawrence Hunt, works for Deloitte Abu Dhabi. They have an 11-month-old son.
She is one of many to have taken the plunge and moved from the UK to the Gulf. Soon, depending on what the UK's Chancellor Rachel Reeves unveils in the budget this week, many others may be convinced to follow suit.
The flow of people in the UK seeking new opportunities in the UAE has increased, particularly since the Labour government took power with a substantial majority. Almost daily, or so it seems, there are reports of people choosing to leave Britain, with the UAE a favoured destination.
They enjoy a standard of living that would be the envy of many Londoners. “There are loads of young families here, they’re really friendly. It’s a wonderful place to bring up a baby,” Ms Della-Ragione says.
“There are playgrounds galore and museums and attractions. And when you want to eat out, there are great restaurants galore to choose from – the world’s biggest names are here or looking to set up here.”
Those stories inevitably contain accounts of how their finances have improved as a result. As the UK government appears intent on adding to taxes, especially those aimed at the country's better-off citizens, and as the burden of business regulations becomes ever more onerous, more are likely to follow.
Top of the class
Those looking to build new lives in the UAE are not simply from the younger generation. Older people are also moving in pursuit of a better life and economic freedom.
Once, it may have seemed a tough decision to make. But it’s getting easier all the time – helped by the policies of the UK government, but also the appeal of life in the UAE. “The sheer number of developments in tourism, culture, leisure, housing, transport, everything pretty much, is producing a society that is multicultural, diverse and yet peaceful and safe,” Ms Della-Ragione says.
For those with children, the country's expanding array of private schools are a major attraction. British schools in the UAE offer high-quality education at prices far below the rates at their parent institutions in the UK, which were increased by the current government's imposition of VAT.
All this means, crucially, that expats can enjoy the lives they led previously or would lead if they stayed in the UK, for less. There are fewer hassles in the UAE, and things work. The broad use of English is also an attraction for British citizens looking to relocate.
“I lived the high-octane life for a long time and this is perfect for me,” says Ms Della-Ragione. “I can afford a full-time nanny/housekeeper – in the UK that is reserved for the super-wealthy, here it is normal. A middle-class household can get help, which enables the couple to work and enjoy careers. That is not the case in the UK.”
The swell of people leaving the UK has also chimed with a shift in many industries to remote working. That has helped convince people they can lead the lives they want – but in a place where it’s comfortable and sunny virtually all year.
Ms Della-Ragione points to high-end fashion as further evidence of businesses shifting focus to the Gulf. “This is the biggest growth market in the world and they are setting up large operations here,” she adds. “The UAE has become cool. They see it as a primary market, it’s not secondary any more.
“A lot of the world’s wealth has moved out here. The fashion houses are investing much more in locally based people. They need to understand the nuances – of appealing to expats, but also to very high-value locals. They both require talking to in different ways and that can’t be done in London, Paris, Milan or New York.”
It’s not just designer labels. Business is broadening and deepening right across the spectrum, drawing in more people. Sotheby’s UAE used to concentrate mostly on luxury watches, fine jewellery and real estate. Now it is selling art and other internationally-sought items, much like its traditional bases in London and New York.
Long-term plans
Previously, some expats may have planned to stay in the UAE for about three years or so, before heading home. That is not the case any more. People now move with the aim of staying long term. Ms Della-Ragione says a friend from London has enrolled her child at an Arabic school. Ms Della-Ragione is determined to do the same, partly as she wants her son to learn the regional language, but also because “we’re living here, we’re not going back”.
Many have quit the UK for the UAE and more will follow. The “tipping point”, as Ms Della-Ragione describes it, may prove to be the budget put forward by Ms Reeves. The Chancellor must be careful, she is playing with fire.
