Dubai: How do you leave a place you call home? Some try. But it doesn't take long for people to realise that the UAE leaves a permanent imprint on whoever has lived here – and if you want to return, it always welcomes you back. Rifah Salman, a Canadian based in Abu Dhabi, was born and raised in the UAE. The Dubai-based Canadian said: “I feel very confident in the UAE’s commitment to safeguarding both citizens and residents.” However, when recent regional tensions began, Sally Maddison, a Dubai-based British citizen, opted to return to the UK temporarily with her children so she could be closer to her family, especially her mum, who was coincidentally celebrating her 70th birthday at the time. Maddison had lived in Dubai for 15 years prior to moving back. She moved to Toronto, Canada, when she was 28, and spent five years there before returning “home”. The risk and controls consultant said: “Deep down, I think I always knew I’d come back.” Since she had spent 31 years in the UAE before moving abroad, Chohan had to leave behind her big, lively extended family – and she missed them terribly. Coming to a new place, I felt like I lost my identity and sense of belonging. She said: “We let our guard down, or expected the kind of safety and protection we get in Dubai. Never did we imagine our secured car could get stolen, but it did.” Despite the unfortunate experience, Chohan and her husband sincerely intended to settle in Canada permanently. Even while living in Canada, my heart was still in the UAE. Being abroad gave me perspective, but it also made me appreciate the lifestyle here even more – the comfort, the convenience, and the sense of familiarity that you don’t fully realise until you’re away from it.” Although she tried to make her home in Toronto, she found it to be a difficult task. “The city didn’t care about me, and frankly, I didn’t care about the city that much either,” she said. The draw of safety, stability and community Safety is often another deciding factor for residents moving back to the UAE. She explained: “[It] made me realise how much I value the lifestyle the UAE offers — not just in terms of weather or convenience, but the energy, the ambition, and the diversity of people.”
