‘Dubai-it’ for 10 years: Why this restless expat never thought of leaving

Dubai: For someone whose default setting is ‘restless’, it can be surprising to find a place that removes the need to be anywhere else. For 39-year-old Russian expat Olga Limanova, that place was Dubai. “I came here in 2016 and the thought of leaving has never even crossed my mind. That surprised me. I'm someone who's always chasing the next destination, the next challenge, the next chapter. Restlessness is basically my default setting. But Dubai did something I didn't expect,” she said. Growing up in Moscow, Russia, Limanova says she always had a love for travel. Somewhere within, she was always on the lookout for a place that had the right mix of the things that mattered most to her – being around people with a fire in their belly and living in a place where the impossible seemed achievable. From the moment she landed in Dubai, she says, she knew it was the place. “To me, it is very important to be around good people and have good conversations. The density of smart, brave people here is genuinely high. For real. Everyone has a story to tell and not once has anyone disappointed me on that,” she said. One of the reasons for the high density of talent, Limanova says, is the fact that the city rewards ambition. “I've travelled to more than 40 countries and worked across MENA, Europe and Central Asia, and I genuinely can't think of another city that does what Dubai does. For business, for energy, for the feeling that anything is possible if you show up and work for it,” she said. The early days When she first landed in Dubai after getting a job in the Danish Consulate, Limanova said she had very little knowledge of the city, beyond the fact that it was a popular tourist destination. “I basically just grabbed my two suitcases and started my new life without knowing where I land. It was a very nice experience, though, and I was really impressed by the city, because I didn’t expect Dubai to be the way it was, and the way it still is,” she said. Not unfamiliar with the fast-paced city life, Limanova said she was still surprised by the speed with which any issue was handled in the city. The other big pull for her was the people she was able to meet, from different corners of the world. “It really transformed me. Some of the most important people I have met in my life, they were with me here. Friends and acquaintances from South Africa, Spain, France, Cameroon, Germany, Singapore all from different backgrounds who you might at first sight think have nothing in common. But we had so much in common. All of us were not scared of leaving the place we were familiar with and moving to a place we barely knew,” she said. “We managed to develop a good career in the city and build friendships as well. Today, even though some of those people have moved to other countries, we are still in touch, and I still keep those memories I made with them. Dubai connected me with so many people and every time we meet, whether it is on a holiday in Europe or any other place, we always speak about our time in Dubai,” she added. ‘Dubai-it’ is how the city always felt In the 10 years, Limanova says she has first-hand experience of the ‘Dubai-it’ philosophy , working on ambitious ideas with speed and precision. The unmissable feeling that anything is possible. “When I have an idea or anyone has an idea this person can make it work in Dubai. You can find the resources the right people to make it work, and I find that really special. In other places, you would probably need more time, more connections and more handshakes. That’s also very important to me, because I am a person who wants to try different things and to even just have this feeling that it is possible is very important on its own,” she said. Another big plus, Limanova says, is the weather. With all-year-round sunshine greeting you as you wake up each day, it is the perfect environment for someone who wants to build and grow. “I have worked in different companies, and even tried to develop my own business in education technology. It was a nice experience but then I decided to switch back to developing partnerships, where I work with different companies and people to present the UAE as a place where they can develop their business. So, I have been pretty happy doing what I’m doing,” she said. Today, she lives in the city with her eight-year-old daughter Daniella Nikoravesh and their toy poodle, and every time she returns to the city, she remembers why it feels like home, even before the wheels of the aircraft touch down. “Seeing the city outside the airplane window, there’s this feeling that washes over you, it’s so nice to just be back,” she said. That sense of connection and loyalty she feels for the city is perhaps only matched by her daughter’s. “No matter where we travel, whenever someone asks her where she’s from, she promptly says, ‘I am Dubaian’. For her, this is home and this is where she belongs. And ever so often when we are in another country, she’ll be the first to ask w