EXCLUSIVE I know why so many young people are quitting depressing Britain for Dubai - the UK made me sick and gave me acne and my life felt like a waste
Ela Reeves, 25, from Essex, was struggling with a series of health conditions prior to the move, including chronic fatigue, sore joints and acne.
With her body 'crying out for change', she decided to try life in sunnier climes – and jetted off to Dubai for a new life in January.
Working remotely there for her job at a luxury travel company, Ela says her quality of life improved immediately – and now feeling healthier than ever, she's not surprised that so many Brits are making the same move, tempted by tax-free salaries, better weather and more job opportunities.
More than 240,000 UK expats are estimated to be living in Dubai, with many attracted to the city by the 5,000 British companies operating in the UAE, with famous faces including Amir Khan, Ant Middleton and Kate and Rio Ferdinand among their numbers.
There has been a 420 per cent rise in the five years to 2024 in enquiries from UK nationals wanting to relocate to the country, according to John Mason International Movers – with a 45 per cent surge in the 12 months to last March alone.
'Leaving the UK has been the best decision I've ever made for my health,' Ela said. 'The UK was quite literally making me sick.
'I thought that I had all of these autoimmune diseases because I was constantly tired and fatigued, I was constantly getting ill and I constantly had anxiety.
'I just didn't feel my best self despite being somebody who is always health conscious, always eating the right things, going to the gym, and getting eight hours of sleep.
'It was so draining to the point that I was focusing on my health so much and wasn't really getting the results that I should have been.
'I was like 'What the hell is wrong with me?'
Prior to moving to Dubai, Ela says she had 'severe' acne, struggling with bloating due to high cortisol levels, and says the lifestyle and weather in the UK limited her.
Since leaving, she has noticed a huge difference in her health and has lost weight.
Ela said: 'I'm [now] doing 20,000 steps a day, and my skin is the softest and clearest it's ever been.
'I have so much energy – I never thought I would have this amount of energy.
'Despite getting eight hours of sleep and trying to stay off of my phone before I go to bed and stuff, I just always felt drained and tired.
'I just kind of gave up on that for a bit and thought that was just me as a person – but not here.
'I can work till late at night, I can get up early in the morning and I feel fresh.
'Even if I get less sleep now, I've still got the energy because I'm constantly outside getting fresh air and sunlight.'
Ela describes the UK as 'such a depressing place to live' and said: 'Because it is so miserable, it is affecting your health and your body in so many ways.'
She cites the weather as a 'huge factor', saying she now walks a lot more, and spends her afternoons at the beach and sitting in the sun.
Ela said: 'I'm not wasting hours indoors anymore watching TV.
'There's always something to do here, and that shift alone has made me feel more energised and productive.
'Life feels full again, not wasted.
'In the UK, the days felt so repetitive, scrolling on my phone and watching TV.
'And with WhatsApp, FaceTime, and social media, I don't miss my family as much as I thought I would.
'I've actually loved the experience of moving abroad solo and have made so many friends here. 'My family has also come to visit, and thankfully we all have the flexibility to travel and see each other when we want to.'
Ela has visited home to sort out visa issues and says her health issues have immediately resurfaced as a result.
She said: 'I'm back in the UK temporarily and already my acne has flared up again, and I'm feeling constantly fatigued.
'It honestly just confirms what I suspected: being in the UK really does impact my health.
'In my opinion, the UK isn't a happy place anymore.
'So many people are struggling with their health, finances, and, let's be honest, the weather.
'There are incredible opportunities for young people abroad – go and find them!'
On the flipside, some expats have claimed that life in Dubai is not all it's cracked up to be, and have returned to the UK, citing fears over job insecurity, and claiming they're exhausted by the work-life balance and bored by the 'soulless' culture.
However, brand Kelly Lundberg, who has lived in Dubai for 22 years after falling in love with the city when she started working as an air hostess for Emirates, says that those who can't hack life in the UAE are approaching it the wrong way.
After moving to Dubai, she launched a personal styling business, working with celebrities and royalty and has collaborated with the world's biggest brands, from Chanel to HSBC, but insists that there's more to the emirate than just being a 'glitzy playground'.
'Having grown up in Edinburgh, and lived in Dubai for 22 years, I've been lucky enough to experience the best of both worlds,' she told MailOnline.
'So I can say with absolute certainty that those who see Dubai as little more than a glitzy sun-drenched playground for the ultra-rich aren't looking hard enough at what this beautiful emirate has to offer.
'And as for the influencers announcing their departure, calling the city "soulless", while bemoaning how they thought they'd be better off, I'd beg to differ. Perhaps they didn't look beyond the brunches and the Burj.
'For those who are open-minded, Dubai offers opportunities that are hard to match anywhere else in the world right now. And I'm not alone in this thinking.
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