What Took Me So Long - Why I Left The UK and Why I Won't Be Going Back

The difference between the UAE and the UK can be captured in one word: vision.

In the UK, government feels like a revolving door of short-term politics. Policy today, reversal tomorrow. Growth sacrificed to headlines.

Here in the UAE, leadership feels entirely different.

Vision is not debated — it’s implemented. From HH Sheikh Zayed’s founding dream to the D33 and Vision 2030 strategies, there’s a golden thread of continuity: long-term thinking, decisive execution, and measurable results.

When the UAE’s rulers set their sights on something — whether it’s creating economic hubs, building islands into a hospitality destinations, or sending a mission to Mars — it gets done.

No committees, no posturing. Just delivery.

And that’s what makes the UAE not only efficient, but inspiring.

A Country Built on Safety and Stability

One of the most striking differences, though, isn’t economic — it’s personal.

 In the UK personal safety should be a right not a privilege. Sadly it isn’t, but in the UAE safety is a constant.

According to Numbeo’s 2025 Safety Index, the UAE ranks #1 in the world with a score of 85.2, ahead of every Western nation. Its Crime Index sits at 14.8, one of the lowest globally.

By contrast, the UK’s Crime Index is 53.4 — more than three times higher.

That gap isn’t theoretical. You feel it.

Children play outside freely. Families walk the corniche at midnight without hiding their jewellery and without looking over their shoulders.

In Ras Al Khaimah, where I now live, the Numbeo Safety Index hovers around 83.8. Locals and expats alike cite security, order, and community as defining features of life here.

It changes how you think. How you plan. How you live.

Momentum

The UK feels like friction. Everything’s difficult, takes time, needs a committee. How long has Heathrow’s third runway been talked about?

The UAE has reminded me what momentum feels like.

Here, infrastructure isn’t discussed — it’s built. Economic zones aren’t theorised — they’re delivered.

The UAE announced plans to construct the world's largest airport in 2024. By 2030 it will be operational. Not just a runway, an entire airport! 

RAKEZ has become one of the UAE’s fastest-growing free zones, attracting over 18,000 companies from 100+ countries.

Wynn’s upcoming integrated resort on Al Marjan Island will redefine the region’s hospitality landscape — and with it, create thousands of new jobs.

That growth drives opportunity across every sector: real estate, tourism, logistics, technology, and professional services.

And beneath it all lies stability — political, fiscal, and social — the kind you can build a future on.

A Lifestyle That Works

Beyond the data, there’s something deeper — a sense of balance, of a sociological system that works as it should. My children grow up in communities that are safe, inclusive, and globally minded.

The UAE offers an enviable blend of opportunity and lifestyle:

• Zero income tax.

• Year-round sunshine.

• Seamless digital governance.

• A meritocratic culture that rewards drive, not seniority.

In my work with @DeanProperty, I get to help others discover what I have — a country that doesn’t just accommodate ambition, but encourages it.

Why I Won’t Be Moving Back

People often ask if I’d ever move back to the UK.

The answer is simple: why would I leave a place that still believes in building the future? The UAE values progress over politics, results over rhetoric, and optimism over cynicism.

In a world that often feels fractured, the UAE is quietly writing a different story — one of vision, unity, and stability.

To anyone sitting in London, Paris, or elsewhere, feeling that familiar frustration: Come and see it for yourself.

You’ll find what I did — a place that doesn’t just welcome you but invites you to share in its vision.

Giles Dean

Founder, Dean Property

Ras Al Khaimah, UAE