Dubai-it: Fast internet, Tesla taxis and midnight safety – the things this Indian expat misses when she travels

Dubai: Whenever Indian national Rosa Ravindran, 32, travels abroad, she misses the little things about Dubai.

High-speed internet that doesn’t leave you with a frozen screen. Spotless washrooms everywhere. The feeling of safety, as a woman, when you’re walking alone at midnight. Booking a taxi ride on an app, and finding a Tesla coming to pick you up. Speed and efficiency at the airport. Clean public places and public transport services.

The list goes on.

When the city achieves excellence quickly and constantly, every single day, it’s hard to stop comparing it to other places that inevitably fall short of the Dubai-it standard.

A standard we take for granted

Ravindran speaks from experience. She works as the head of marketing at a Dubai-based company, and travels often.

In many other cities, the lack of attention to detail is noticeable. She said: “Sometimes, things like broken-down taxis, unprofessional driving, or waste lying on the streets make me realise how much effort goes into keeping Dubai clean, organised and efficient. We take these things for granted because we experience them every day.”

Aside from the care given to infrastructure and cleanliness, there’s a sense of consideration and safety that’s unique to Dubai. Ravindran says she feels this keenly, as a woman.

“The safety you have here is indescribable. Sometimes, when I cover events, I return home very late. Even at 1am, I don’t feel scared driving or walking alone. That is something every woman deserves, but unfortunately, it isn’t the reality everywhere.”

In Dubai, people look out for each other. That’s a lesson she quickly learned in her early years here.

She said: “I had a Tissot watch that was quite new. I took it off and left it on a table while I was in the washroom. I walked away and only remembered it sometime later. I immediately ran back, worried that it would be gone. But when I asked the cleaner, she handed it back to me immediately. That experience stayed with me.”

Today, when she accidentally leaves something behind in a public place, Ravindran says she doesn’t panic. “I have this confidence that I’ll get it back.”

Now a seasoned Dubai resident, she is reminded of how she has become used to everyday luxuries, when her family visits her from Kerala, India: “I feel proud when I see them surprised by the luxury, cleanliness and efficiency here. Sometimes you experience something every day and forget how extraordinary it actually is until someone seeing it for the first time points it out.”

The Dubai dream

Ravindran was new to Dubai once, too. She arrived in the city seven years ago from Kerala.

She said: “My uncle used to work here, so I had visited Dubai briefly when I was younger. I was mesmerised by the beauty of the city, but I never imagined that I would one day live and work here.”

In 2016, her childhood sweetheart and long-time partner, Sabin, moved to Dubai for work, and Ravindran felt the pull of the city again. But it wasn’t time yet.

She said: “Ours was a 10-year-long secret love story, so naturally, I wanted to come to Dubai, too. But I didn’t want to come as a dependent. I wanted to come on my own and build my career. My mother had always taught me the importance of being an independent woman.”

The couple got married in 2017 in India, but had to manage a long-distance relationship. Ravindran, who was working as a journalist at the time, visited her husband in Dubai and stayed for a month, while attempting to look for a job.

She said: “I got just one interview. I never heard back from them, so I left the UAE and continued with my life. Then, unexpectedly, I received an offer letter from the same company. I still remember how that moment felt. It reminded me of author Paulo Coelho’s famous words: ‘When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.’”

In 2019, at age 25, Ravindran arrived in the city with her bags packed, ready to Dubai-it.

As someone who had grown up in a remote town in Kerala, she said: “I was excited but also scared at the same time, as I had never lived in such a big city. The Metro stations, huge buildings – everything was new for me. Every day, when I went in to work, I would get goosebumps because I still couldn’t believe I was living in the city of my dreams, building my career and living the life my husband and I had dreamed about for 10 years.”

The next chapter

Now, with their three-year-old daughter Jovia Rose, every day feels like a blessing in the city she loves.

Ravindran, in true Dubai-it spirit, wants more for her daughter. She wants her to seize every opportunity, be brave, and take risks – just like she did.

She said: “My family always encouraged me to choose a government job in India because they believed it offered security. Today, I sometimes ask them, ‘Why should I spend my entire career in one organisation in the same role when I can explore different paths and keep growing?’”

Starting out in Dubai as a content editor, she now leads a marketing team. Ravindran said: “The career growth and opportunities I have found here have been incredible. Beyond my career, Dubai has allowed me to give my daughter the life I dreamed of giving her... I want to show her through my life that she can build her own path. The choice will always be hers.”

Living in Dubai – a city of safety and opportunity – is already giving her a headstart. It’s why, no matter where she travels to, Ravindran is always ready to return home.

She said: “People often imagine retiring and spending the rest of their lives in their home country. For me, I honestly can’t imagine leaving Dubai permanently. When I go on vacation, I love being in Kerala. I enjoy being around family, eating the food I grew up with and spending time there. But after a few weeks, I start missing Dubai. This isn't my second home. This is where I built my life, my family and my career. This is home.”