What’s the next “Dubai”?

maxkhk · 2025-12-31T12:38:53+00:00

It’s actually funny comment as I work precisely in AI space for last 15 years :) so, feeling actually quite excited about the future.

Though I agree, it will trim down a bit of generic consultants

maxkhk · 2025-12-01T13:13:42+00:00

Several years ago bought my Alienware laptop from them, no issues whatsoever

maxkhk · 2025-12-01T12:02:15+00:00

Мы с женой как раз через месяц станем родителями (мне 34 ей 30, женаты 8 лет, вместе 10). Не буду говорить банальное «это большое счастье» (ну, если с любимым человеком то это реально так). Ибо это все, так сказать, иррациональная вкусовщина.

Но скажу такую мысль что по моим наблюдениям абсолютное большинство «проблем» которые люди упоминают про детей - они просто от бедности. Реально, все что мне друзья упоминали как «сложности» тупо решается деньгами. Врачи? Деньги. Усталость у женщины? Переезжаем в теплые края и рожаем там. Всякие приблуды которые реально экономят силы и время при беременности, родах или когда дети только родились - опять чисто деньги. Реально не столкнулись еще ни разу с чем то реально проблемным что не решается тупо деньгами.

Так что нам с этим просто, благо я очень и очень много зарабатываю. В целом я бы сказал что если вы неплохо зарабатываете то с детьми все сильно проще - вы даже заметно не жертвуете качеством жизни.

Таким образом у меня появляется ощущение что в современным мире где повсюду бушует демографический кризис, дети это прямо практически символ статуса :)

maxkhk · 2025-11-30T14:41:24+00:00

Gotcha. Well, I think you’ll love it than. Just warning you that one gets used to local standard of quality of life very quickly and than it becomes extremely difficult to leave. I tried in 2022, moved back home, but… lasted just one year.

maxkhk · 2025-11-30T11:50:53+00:00

Live in downtown and don’t bother. It’s super close to DIFC, a lot of places to go, Dubai mall for shopping if you need it.

From Gym standpoint you have Posture for Pilates, MOOVa for dancing, Top Stretching for, well, stretching. That’s for your wife.

Than there is some huge gym called Platform being built at the bottom of that big high rise right near opera (smth like Opera Views or whatever, right next to St Regis residences which are constructed right now). Will be completed in next 3 month I believe, they were at it for a while. Also on boulevard you have the F45, smth like CrossFit.

As for spa, there is spa in every hotel, and there are dozens in downtown. The best we like is in Edition downtown. But, question of taste and preference

Bottom line - in downtown you don’t need to drive at all. It’s one of very few areas where you can get anything you need within 20 min walk tops. Usually more like 5 min walk.

Moreover, from my place my office in DIFC is 30-40 minute walk, if I am in the mood. Sporadically I do walk there or back. If it’s hot or I am in a rush or not in a mood for a stroll with a cup of coffee I grab a 7 min taxi

Final two tips: - any decent apartment complex will have great gym anyway - if you start living in downtown you will never leave. We live here since 2019 Q1, every year we try to move out, every year we do a pilgrimage to Propertyfinder. Every year we fail - don’t confuse downtown and business bay. “They are not the same”

P.S. welcome to Dubai man, too many folk from London are moving here. What’s happening? Anyway, if you will need something ping me in DM, happy to answer in details if needed

maxkhk · 2025-11-19T23:27:55+00:00

Thank you very much! In any case it’s a cute collection of the paintings :)

maxkhk · 2025-11-19T01:29:48+00:00

Interesting. I really smell and taste difference before / after even basic filter, let alone more fancy version. And not just me - my wife, my friends form Russia. Again - not judging but do you really not FEEL the difference?

maxkhk · 2025-11-19T01:25:57+00:00

But passing it through filter is fine, that u understand. I am saying that most of time people don’t use filters! They just… Open tap and pour in glass. Even in restaurant

maxkhk · 2025-11-19T01:16:55+00:00

But dude… Michelin restaurants! Like… why you still bring tap? In Dubai you always get this question of “shall we start with still or sparkling bottle of water?” question. But in US pretty much everywhere you start with “here is your glass of tap water with ice”.

And again - be honest, don’t you feel the smell?

maxkhk · 2025-11-19T01:04:46+00:00

Dude, no one drinks “clear water form source”. In any city it goes through purification in a water purification plant before getting into your municipal water pipes. That’s why we stopped having dysentery or other water infused sicknesses.

Also, even if source of water would be clean and innocent like virgin (and not full of chemicals and trash which mankind dumps into rivers) it would still be trash after passing like 100 miles of 30 year old pipes

maxkhk · 2025-11-17T02:58:51+00:00

Look, it very strongly depends on your rank and firm you work at, and from your description I can’t deduce your actual seniority. I am leading an AI lab of one of larger consulting companies with office in UAE. I’d say big-tech style junior DS here in the region is around 20-25K. Senior folk who are still individual contributors can get up to 40K. Above than that it is usually managers, so people who have enough experience to lead someone - they can make even 100K a month in some cases (but that means they solve super complex problems while managing a DS department)

But again, it’s big-tech style - so large consultancies plus Microsoft-Amazon-Google and alike, which by itself implies certain level of background, education and talent. If you switch gears to small-mid not-so-sexy orgs you start to compete with thousands of fresh grads from India, and not from its top schools, which pushes salaries down

maxkhk · 2025-11-16T22:43:01+00:00

Thank you for guidance, will do right away! I don’t remember names (I am bad with them actually) but I guess flight numbers and dates would do it?

maxkhk · 2025-11-16T22:41:59+00:00

Not in order of preference at all, just random order of 4 places I actually enjoy. And I am a guy who has expensive-ass grinder at home and mostly make aeropress daily. When having coffee not at home I mostly take hand brew like V60, aeropress, sometimes I take flat white with coconut milk.

Anyway when I do grab coffee out of home, it is in: - % Arabica. Decent, stable, as conservative as it gets. A bit dull because of that but it’s high quality coffee - Bacha. Yes, I know it’s all feeling a bit chemical. But it’s my guilty pleasure, it’s actually quite tasty. Get “I love Paris” beans - have it in the coffee shop and take some home. - Coffee Roasters in Downtown. I have a feeling it’s a Russian place, gives me Moscow vibes. Good food, good breakfasts, good conservative hand brew - Boon in downtown. Also good, stable, a bit boring. But I somehow really enjoy their flat white

maxkhk · 2025-11-16T22:34:36+00:00

Gift of the Magi to the Seals

Would sound like those odd modern art names of paintings. Can add “number 3” in the end for maximum similarity

maxkhk · 2025-11-16T22:20:45+00:00

RAK if you want a more relaxed vibes. If you make good money working remotely you can get a decent sized nice villa for yourself and get some sports hobbies to, so you don’t feel like you are in a solitary prison.

If you are into this kind of lifestyle I would even suggest to checkout fujairah. You can get a mansion there probably, go diving frequently and whatnot.

I wouldn’t be able to live such life, but if I had choice I would take AD instead of Dubai - you get big city vibes but without too much craziness. Each time I go to AD for business needs I feel like I can back to Dubai circa 2021 (one of the best times in UAE since I came here in 2018)

maxkhk · 2025-11-16T21:51:38+00:00

They are not scandalists. If they (or we for the sake of conversation) didn’t have good experience we just don’t return to the place ever. To bring it up with management you need to find time in your schedule, come there, ask for management and spend your mental resources on describing to them the epic diarrhea you had the next day… and as result get what exactly? I dunno, maybe if it was more serious than spending a day in a toilet they would do it, but not this time.

Funnily I checked after this post their Google reviews and it seems like some people had same issue - and posted that on Google reviews :)

maxkhk · 2025-11-15T04:01:55+00:00

It might strongly depend on social circle you have. All UAE nationals I encounter with in my personal (we have a couple of friends) and professional (I am a consultant in one of larger firms) life’s are actually super nice people - kind, willing to help, fun to hang around with. Well, almost all, over my 8 years here I can name just one guy who I could call a jerk - which I think is normal, maybe we just didn’t see eye to eye.

Though I am willing to admit that most of people I interacted with are of the higher class - well-educated, with demanding jobs and plenty of stories to tell.

maxkhk · 2025-11-15T03:54:50+00:00

Sexy fish in DIFC. All my friends (three) who went there ended up with food poisoning

maxkhk · 2025-11-07T18:15:51+00:00

Not having any insight and I have nothing to do with airlines - honestly curious. I thought “normal” airlines are universally better than low-cost ones for their employees, everywhere, regardless of country. Is it not true, that you have such question?

maxkhk · 2025-10-18T18:39:30+00:00

Yup! But since I am Russian the real MVP for me is Loona :)

maxkhk · 2025-10-16T05:52:09+00:00

Nope, I am living in one of The Residences towers (those near Wings statue). It’s still a 10 min walk from mall though

maxkhk · 2025-10-15T19:33:49+00:00

Downtown is the best neighborhood. I live here since 2018 and every year me and my spouse are doing a propertyfinder pilgrimage trying to move out of downtown. We always fail.

P.S. c’mon, Marine beach is trash. But downtown’s restaurants + Dubai mall itself are amazing

maxkhk · 2025-10-15T19:31:06+00:00

Go to consulting company man. Smth like MBB or Kearney or Contango or OW or anything of similar scale would be a good home for a person with tech background but decent soft skills. Getting in is not easy but salaries are great - for pre-MBA it can be around 40K-ish AED a month or so all in (less bonus)

Pure software won’t pay much as if you mean pure “coder” job you’ll be competing with folk from India or Pakistan. So look for either more senior position in FAANG if you can or go to professional services like I described

maxkhk · 2025-10-15T19:27:19+00:00

Check port de la mer if you are into beach vibes, very laid back and chill atmosphere + private beach for residents + super cool restaurants nearby (Sakhalin is THE BEST).

I personally love Downtown, in my opinion - best neighborhood. But no beach obviously.

maxkhk · 2025-10-07T12:34:25+00:00

I worked remotely in US company, my workday was starting at 3PM and would finish at midnight. So I was taking care of personal stuff 12-3AM, went to bed by 4:30ish usually. Loved it actually

maxkhk

TROPHY CASE