Why affluent Indian expats are following Shah Rukh Khan and Sania Mirza to Dubai

Indians have long associated the emirate with menial jobs and construction work, but in recent years it has been attracting a far more affluent crowd heading to its

Pfizer Covid shots, sparkling clean streets and tax-free policies are among the draws. And for investors with US$2.7 million to spare, there are ‘Golden Visas’, too

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Published: 3:00pm, 6 Mar 2022Updated: 4:18pm, 6 Mar 2022

Karan Aggarwal, 54, is a businessman with commercial interests across India and the Middle East. Over the years he has often considered moving to Dubai or at least buying a second home there.

Now, fuelled in part by the coronavirus pandemic, he has finally taken the plunge, relocating to the emirate with his family.

The Aggarwals are far from alone. They are part of a new wave of wealthy Indians flocking to Dubai who have been lured by its sparkling clean streets, world-class infrastructure and – whisper it – tax-free policies.

While Dubai – one of seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates – has long been a favourite with blue collar Indians, its latest incarnation is as a haven for more affluent Indians who have settled there over the past two years. Many of them first went to get jabbed with Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine, which is not available in India, and took their children and nannies with them. The emirate’s Golden Visa scheme, introduced in 2019, has also proved a lure.

“It was a no-brainer moving to Dubai. It’s the perfect confluence of a global lifestyle blended with my Indian culture. I had the opportunity to work at a world-class hospital. Proximity to my homeland, a safe environment and world-class facilities made it an easy destination to move to,” said Dr Rajesh Pattanayak, Chief of anaesthesia at the American Hospital, Dubai.

Dubai is also where upwardly mobile Indians go to shop, trade or party. Its nightclubs are buzzing, its shopping malls glitzy and its beaches sizzling.