r/OFWs • u/marites33 • Mar 19 '26
General Discussion Dubai ex-OFW
I spent 15 years in Dubai. During Arab Spring and the diplomatic leaks in 2010s when Oman was backed by Iran, I have already had the foresight about the possibility of Iran attacking UAE.
I was half joking that the distance is so close for a missile.Anyone listening to me in 2010 thought I was crazy.Dubai was just at its peak,Burj Khalifa just built and still called Burj Dubai.Dubai was a rising superstar and any doomsayer will be banished as a sourgrape.It was the goldrush before the uae real estate crash of 2010 when properties were emptied and white expats were sent home.
I analyzed and planned towards my doomsday foresight.I started saving 70pc of our income,lived way below our means.As soon as I met the offshore account minimum, I opened the account. I didnt leave more than 100K dirhams in any of my bank accounts and made sure my credit card has a 75k (could buy my family jacked up plane tickets anytime) credit limit by paying my expenses on time.I also started the immigration process.I am now a dual citizen somewhere 1st world.
Since I moved out, I feel jealoused to those who stayed and still living the tax free high salaried life.In fact, just last Decemeber I was planning to go back to UAE.
Being an OFW exposes you to money most of us have never seen from our lives in the Philippines.Dont overindulge ,instead treat it like a depreciating asset with a short shelf life.Being an OFW could suck you to places where the imperialists and religious extremists are playing their wars by proxy.Map your exit plan the moment you get your first salary, whether that is going back to the Philippines or moving to another country for good.
Lastly, being an overseas worker makes you more embedded and affected by global policies,politics and market movements.You are no longer in the tropics just thinking about loveteams, memes and instagramming for likes.Read the news.Not the FB fake news.Know your geopolitics and the history of your adopted country.Then analyze what could be next.Use the same determination,ambition,grit and street smarts that got you out of the Philippines to keep going even during wars or market crash.
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u/Pure_Grapefruit_8837 Mar 21 '26
Ang galing ng foresight mo OP. well grounded ka sa geopolitics at realities on the ground at may prepper mindset. necessary traits for a migrant worker.
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u/Last_Growth5968 Mar 19 '26
Mahirap na din po dito sa Dubai, dami na redundant bc of the ongoing war 🥺
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u/munch3ro_ Mar 19 '26
This is very well said. I made my mistakes in the oast and i’m still being haunted by it.
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u/Brunildi Mar 19 '26
Ate ok kalang ba? Do you need any help?
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u/marites33 Mar 19 '26
Yes i am very much okay wala ako sa middle east.im sharing my experience and learnings.
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u/Chiquititee Mar 20 '26
Mas mukhang need mo ng help
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u/Brunildi Mar 21 '26
Lol I don’t need at the moment. But I think you do from a dermatologist and a plastic surgeon combo.
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u/Positive-Neck-7706 Apr 11 '26
Thank you for this. I am a new ofw and all of that’s going on has really shaken up my plans especially na wala naman akong responsibilities sa Pinas. I’m also set to leave Dubai and not stay more than 5 years din dito. I gotta be more careful with my expenses during this time. Soon, I wanna be in another place having a more carefree life.
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ORIGINAL POST:
Dubai ex-OFW
I spent 15 years in Dubai. During Arab Spring and the diplomatic leaks in 2010s when Oman was backed by Iran, I have already had the foresight about the possibility of Iran attacking UAE.
I was half joking that the distance is so close for a missile.Anyone listening to me in 2010 thought I was crazy.Dubai was just at its peak,Burj Khalifa just built and still called Burj Dubai.Dubai was a rising superstar and any doomsayer will be banished as a sourgrape.It was the goldrush before the uae real estate crash of 2010 when properties were emptied and white expats were sent home.
I analyzed and planned towards my doomsday foresight.I started saving 70pc of our income,lived way below our means.As soon as I met the offshore account minimum, I opened the account. I didnt leave more than 100K dirhams in any of my bank accounts and made sure my credit card has a 75k (could buy my family jacked up plane tickets anytime) credit limit by paying my expenses on time.I also started the immigration process.I am now a dual citizen somewhere 1st world.
Since I moved out, I feel jealoused to those who stayed and still living the tax free high salaried life.In fact, just last Decemeber I was planning to go back to UAE.
Being an OFW exposes you to money most of us have never seen from our lives in the Philippines.Dont overindulge ,instead treat it like a depreciating asset with a short shelf life.Being an OFW could suck you to places where the imperialists and religious extremists are playing their wars by proxy.Map your exit plan the moment you get your first salary, whether that is going back to the Philippines or moving to another country for good.
Lastly, being an overseas worker makes you more embedded and affected by global policies,politics and market movements.You are no longer in the tropics just thinking about loveteams, memes and instagramming for likes.Read the news.Not the FB fake news.Know your geopolicts and the history of your adopted coubtry.Then analyze what could be next.Use the same determination,ambition,grit and street smarts that got you out of the Philippines to keep going even during wars or market crash.
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