Elbi Henshaw left the UK in search of a different way of life after becoming ‘depressed’ with Britain
When personal trainer Elbi Henshaw became tired of the UK and the lifestyle here she decided to uproot and move to Dubai, looking for a different and better way of life. The 23 year old made the life-changing decision to leave ‘miserable’ Britain and start a new life in the UAE city after a holiday there.
Having also worked in Saudi Arabia, she took the leap In January saying she had realised how ‘depressing’ life in this country was. And Elbi, from Barnet, North London, moved to Dubai with financial help from her parents and she found herself full-time work at a gym.
While she is now settled in her adopted home city, which has gorgeous weather, beautiful views and a luxury nightlife, she admitted she has to work six days a week to be able to afford to live there.
The cost of living in the city is high with a tub of yoghurt costing an eye-watering £12 and a coffee setting her back at least £7.
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Elbi admitted it’s a ‘dog eat dog’ lifestyle and said it’s not unusual to have to work six days a week and pick up extra work to make ends meet, reports the Manchester Evening News. She said she may even have to work daily to be able to have a good standard of living.
She said: “I work full time but it’s hard not to just spend all your money – you’d need about £5k a month here to live comfortably. But you can pick up extra work quite quickly – at the moment I work six days but I’ll probably end up working seven.
“Paying no tax is a perk but the cost of living out here is so expensive that it ends up the same as in the UK. But here, you get the sun and a much better lifestyle – although I miss the pubs.”
Elbi initially lived in a studio flat before moving into a shared flat with two other young women.
After attending a local run club, she got speaking to someone who connected her with a gym manager and secured her first job in Dubai as a personal trainer.
She was immediately overwhelmed by how much there was to see and do in the city – including dining at luxury restaurants and shopping at the famous Dubai Mall.
While she now loves it, she admitted the first few months were hard. Part of this was because she had to get the right documents to live there and sort bank accounts.
She said she recognised quickly that working long hours every week was the only way to afford to be able to stay in the luxurious location which is loved by celebrities and influencers.
She said: “The rent is more expensive than the UK and you have to pay big deposits on things like apartments and cars. Clothing is more expensive too – and coffee is like £7 minimum, sometimes as much as £10 a cup.
“I’d say the average salary for a normal person here is like £3k a month but you want more like £5k to live comfortably if you want to go out for meals, and buy new clothes.
“I try to work, work, work so that I can enjoy Dubai – there’s lots of group chats and apps for companies to advertise weekend work.”
But she said it doesn’t equate to much more in total than life in the UK – where you pay taxes – except Dubai has the bonus of stunning views and weather.
Eight months in, she’s loving her life there, working as a PT at a luxury gym visited by “high end clients”. Now she has made friends, and has no immediate plans to return.
She said: “You have to put your ego aside and put yourself out there – I messaged other women out of the blue inviting them for coffee.”
Elbi said she loves the cleanliness of Dubai – as “everywhere is spotless” and “it makes you realise how dirty the UK is.”
On her time off work, Elbi says she goes for walks around the air-conditioned mall, and takes trips to Dubai’s uber-luxurious cinemas.
She spends her free time visiting the pool – beach clubs such as Summersalt, loved by the likes of Molly-Mae Hague and Kady McDermott, and Twiggy club, loved by Paris Hilton.
But she said Dubai can be tricky as there is less of a “sense of community” for young adults – making it harder for her to date without using apps. She said: “It’s so hard to meet guys, because there’s no authentic meet-ups.
“People don’t stand in the streets around pubs – you have to schedule it in. And it’s hard to date as everyone is so busy 24/7 that you never find the time. I do miss the sense of community and pubs in the UK.
“I love it but I can’t really imagine meeting someone out here and it becoming serious. People come out here who already have a partner or family, and the ones that are single are never looking for anything serious.
“I could see myself building a life here but if I get to 27 and I’m not in a relationship, I’ll move back to the UK as I want to start a family.”
Costs in Dubai
- Cappuccino 34dh – £6.86
- Mince meat 25dh – £5
- Strawberries 30/40dh – £6-£8
- Fage yoghurt 1L 60dh – £12
- Cheapest thing in Zara 130/150dh – £26/30
- Glass of wine when out minimum 99dh – £20
