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I’ll try and be as objective as I can. Some of this is obviously based on personal experiences, although many of my fellow expat friends cite the same pros and cons.These 2 articles can also help:10 Frustrations For Newcomers15 Things I Love About GermanyPositivesA distinct lack of idiots looking for trouble on a night out. Germans generally don’t get aggressive and want to start fights after they’ve had a few beers.Cities are much more “liveable”. Even in large metropolises there are very few no-go areas. The streets are cleaner, everything feels more orderly (except maybe for Berlin, which does feel a bit grubby in some places).Housing is much more affordable, unless you want to live in a smart area of Munich, Frankfurt, Stuttgart or Hamburg. Rented accommodation is generally also of a much higher standard if you avoid the cheapest places advertised.Good work-life balance. The general calibre of senior management / board level executives in SMEs is much higher than in the UK. Very difficult to get fired unless you’ve done something really, really stupid or illegal.You can get by in major cities without speaking German, although I certainly wouldn’t recommend it for anyone looking to settle here long term.It’s very easy to live without a car in major cities (I have never done this but it would not massively inconvenience me to give up my car).Summers are noticeably warmer and sunnier. You can organise a barbecue or camping trip without stressing about the weather too much. Yes, it rains and there are some bad days, but it’s consistently warm enough to walk round in shorts and t-shirt most of the time in July and August.Neighbours generally tend to mind their own business. Of course this can be seen as a negative too I guess but I enjoy the anonymity of my neighbours not knowing my whole life story.There seems to be a more general consensus of what constitutes anti-social or inconsiderate behaviour. It can sometimes infringe on your freedoms i.e. not making too much noise on a Sunday, but generally it seems to work out pretty well.People tend to have hobbies other than drinking, shopping and watching TV. Recreation is much more accessible here.NegativesHigh level of taxation. If you’re what they classify a “high earner” then you’re paying top rate tax of 42% on anything above EUR 54,000. The real killer is social security contributions though. Fair enough if it was for your own personal pension plan but it’s not. On average you’ll pay around 45% of your gross salary in tax and social security contributions.Big government / very regimented society which does not tend to question why certain rules and regulations are there. They just follow them like sheep and assume that their government and lawmakers know best. Case in point, the no jaywalking rule is observed almost religiously, even at night when there is no traffic.Germans tend to be quite negative and pessimistic and have a glass half-empty mentality. They love to moan and complain about small, irrelevant stuff and find problems instead of solutions.Everything is planned to an inch of its life. I wish people would chill a bit more and be spontaneous.Germans are very suspicious of and resistant to change, which manifests itself in a whole manner of inconveniences: Everything being closed on Sundays, the cash economy and general lack of credit card acceptance in small & medium sized businesses, digitisation of civic / bureaucratic processes only happening at a snail’s pace etc.Germans can be quite insular and closed (they value their privacy very highly) meaning that it’s difficult to penetrate close friendship circles and bond with the locals. Many expats who have been here for years still have mainly foreigners as friends (myself included).Customer service is poor and it is quite normal for people to be rude or moody in shops and restaurants. Chit-chat and small talk with shop assistants or office clerks isn’t really a thing here.“Banter” is not really a thing here. Socialising with Germans can often feel quite stiff and awkward (obviously this depends on the social setting and people you’re with!). This has nothing to do with the language - I speak fluent German.German TV is truly awful, costs more in the licence fee than the BBC and then they even have the audacity to run loads of ad breaks. Also, you can’t avoid paying for it, even though they say it’s not a tax. Whatever.Lack of variety of food unless you’re in a major metropolitan area. Smaller German towns will have kebab shops and an Italian restaurant but that’s about it.

I have been an expat for 9 years. Where you live now, is largely irrelevant to your investments.Sure, some things make a difference. For example, if you live in US as an expat, there are tax implications.But in general, there are loads of expat focused accounts, which are designed to be flexible, that are portable, and move with you when you move to another location.Often all you need to do is update your credit/debit card payment or just send from a new bank account.What matters is what you invest in, as well.The best way to invest, according to a lot of academic research is:Investing 80% in long-term assets and 20% in something “sexier”.Long-term beats market timingLow-cost diversified index funds beat over diversificationMarkets beat property long-termNever think “now isn’t the right time to invest”. There will always be elections, unexpected events and various crisis. I was recently invited to make a media comment on this and mentioned how many people made the same mistakes before the 2020 US Election as they did in 2016 - To Humanize The Securities Markets As Rational Is a MistakeMost DIY investors, whether expats or non-expats, fail for the same reasons.They don’t understand risk - they either take none and lose to inflation in the bank, or get seduced by get rich quick scheme .One of the key changes these days is the “death” of the lifetime expat.No longer are expats having just one assignment. Often expats are being moved around every 3–4 years.The coronavirus has only exaggerated that process, with many expats being unexpectedly moved on.So an online solution which is portable and can be “taken with you” when you move is essential.Get in touch today concerning expat-specialised solutions - Personal Investment Services - Adam FayedSome readingMarch 31st Webinar - The Stock Market Outlook And Expat Mortgages - Adam FayedThe stock market outlook in Q2 and a quick review of Q1. What are the trends and the general outlook, given considerations like the Biden stimulus? How can you get expat mortgages and invest in UK, and Portuguese, property as a non-resident? This could especially be interesting for people who want to take advantage of the UK’s decision to freeze stamp duty tax on homes worth less than 500,000GBP for the time being.https://adamfayed.com/march-31st-webinar-the-stock-market-outlook-and-expat-mortgages/How to become rich by investing: Rational Investing Based on Evidence vs Speculation - Adam FayedHow to become rich by investinghttps://adamfayed.com/howtobecomerichbyinvesting/

Consider some inescapable facts if you are an expat in the UAE:You will probably return to your home country one day, or keep moving around the worldYou won’t retire in the UAE unless you have a lot of money investedRegardless of how high your salary is now, you might be investing less than people back at home, because there is no compulsory investment schemes in the region. Whereas, back home, the taxes partly pay for thatWe will all probably get sick or old, unless we die in our sleep unexpectedlySo given these facts, it makes sense to invest in something which is globally portable, meaning you can take it with you if you leave the UAE.I have clients, friends and associates all around the world. Sometimes people get overly invested in the country of residence and investing.I saw it with Dubai property in 2011–2014. So many Dubai expats got their fingers burned and couldn't sell their condos.So in the `Dubai expat market` , the fundamentals are the same as any other placeBe globally diversifiedYou will probably one day move home or go to another market. So you need something which is globally relevantYou are probably busy as an expat. So best to have an option that will save you time and money. Online options are good in that regardsLow cost index funds which are long-term oriented. Not get rich schemesNot focusing too much on the local stock market.Not investing in too many individual shares and the speculative behaviorsIt is best to ignore media sensationalism about events like elections, virus and other indicators.Watch your currency risksSo a good investment in the UAE isn’t much different to a good investment for an expat in Hong Kong, Singapore or Belgium.By definition, a UAE-only investment isn’t a good option if you are an expat moving around.So focus on long-term, quality, diversified and global investing.To get in touch about expat-specialized solutions - Personal Investment Services - Adam FayedSome readingHow to become rich by investingAdam Fayed PodcastWhere are the 120,000+ billionaires?