How To Make Friends In The UAE: Your Guide

Welcome to the UAE, a vibrant melting pot where cultures intersect and friendships bloom!

Adjusting to a new country can be overwhelming, especially when you’re far from home and familiar faces.

Humans are social creatures, and we need to communicate with others to maintain our sanity.

But don’t worry!

This article is your trusty guide to breaking the ice and forming bonds in this unique expat paradise.

From understanding cultural nuances to sharing helpful tips, we’re here to help you turn strangers into best buddies.

Making Friends Through An App 

Apps have recently become really popular in the UAE to connect with others around you.

These apps provide plenty of valuable features, making them one of the most convenient ways to talk to people.

Imagine that you do not have to move out of your room or bed to talk to like-minded individuals. This makes this method preferable for many introvert expats who find it hard to break the ice of that first conversation with someone.

These days, apps allow users to set up a profile and interact with others using filters and other fun features to break the ice.

Apps even have matchmaking features and can help you land a date!

Make sure to check out apps like Bumble, Meetup, Hey!

We even wrote an article focused on dating apps in the UAE that you should definitely check out if you are in UAE and want to expand your social circle! 

Take Courses 

Several courses you can take will allow you to learn a new skill or something to bond over.

Photography classes, cooking lessons, or learning an instrument. All of these skills have been known to be great conversation starters, and hence can give this one a try.

Even if you do not meet someone with similar interests who can talk to you about them, you will still have learned a valuable skill that will most probably stay with you for the rest of your life.

These skills will give you some substance to talk to somebody, and it won’t just be a casual greeting or small talk. 

You should work on yourself, reflect on yourself, and grow; that is how you will interact with like-minded positive people.

These courses are an excellent chance to network as well in UAE, where you will find people with different nationalities and backgrounds in these classes! 

Offer Volunteer Services 

Volunteering yourself for good causes has numerous benefits and is an excellent way to make friends too! 

Volunteer work can help you spiritually to cleanse your soul and reap the benefits of the feeling you get after doing a good, selfless thing.

Volunteering will help portray you in an excellent light to potential friends and partners, and you will have something worthwhile to discuss at a party or a gathering. 

Volunteering will also help you personally and will aid in helping you to grow as a person.

There are numerous well-connected and established organizations in the UAE where you can volunteer. Some of the most prominent ones include Make a Wish UAE, Dubai Cares, and Red Crescent. 

Organize Meetings With Other Expats 

Other expats are mainly in the same situation you are in!

So, it is vital to keep in touch with every other expat you find! There are platforms like InterNations, which works like a dating app and can help you to connect with people from your currently residing in the UAE. 

Meeting with people from the same background as you can prove to be quite therapeutic and beneficial.

These people will have undergone the same hassles and problems as you have, so you can talk to someone about them or ask them for further guidance.

There are many famous Facebook groups as well, which closely knitted expat communities are where you can meet people from your home country.

Hence, make sure to acknowledge and link up with expats, whenever and where you can.  

Plan Trips 

Planning trips and going on them is easily the fastest way to make friends.

There are many adventure clubs in the UAE where you can get a membership and meet people.

When you are on a trip with a group of people, away from home and other necessities of life, you interact with them on a deeper level and form deeper bonds subsequently.

Hence, it is often said that those people you plan a trip with will often come back as a family with you due to the profound nature of friendships forged during these trips.

Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone will be enough to break the ice with people and make friends.

Hence, as an expat, save up and explore the UAE as often as possible and make friends along the way!

There are several beautiful sighting places in the UAE. 

Play A Sport 

There are a lot of sports famous in the UAE. Football, rugby, polo, motor racing, and other team-based sports are popular in the UAE.

Sports are some of the easiest ways to break the ice with people around you and become friends. 

On the field or racetrack, when you give yourself a hundred percent, you are the most vulnerable and open to others around you.

This makes it incredibly easy to break the ice and avoid those awkward conversations.

A great game, a great win, or a tough defeat are excellent ways to bond with your teammates and fans and make friends.

We would highly encourage you to choose a sport and make it your hobby. This is one of the best methods to stay fit and mentally stimulated, network with people, and increase your social life healthily. 

There are many sports-based events, tours, and other festivities where you will meet tons of people to interact with. 

Join A Club 

Another fun way to interact with people and skip the awkward introduction phase is to meet people who share similar interests with you.

You can do this by joining clubs you like and share a passion or values with.

This will allow you to meet like-minded people.

Networking while staying as an expat in the UAE is very important, and these clubs will help you make connections that will help you later in life. 

Hence, we urge you to try some of the finest men’s or women’s clubs if you are interested in an upscale environment and want to mingle with the upscale community of the UAE.

We must warn you every other person at these exquisite clubs is possibly a millionaire.

So, it might be beneficial for you to rub shoulders with some of the wealthiest people in the UAE.

However, it might not be suitable if you’re just looking to chat and make friends. 

For that, you should join some of the local clubs in your neighborhood, attend their meetings and volunteer with them to build a healthy connection with others.

This way, you can make friends without trying too hard! 

Conclusion

As you navigate your new life in the UAE, remember that each interaction is an opportunity to build connections that could become lifelong friendships.

By embracing local culture, pursuing shared interests, and stepping out of your comfort zone, you’ll be forming a diverse network of friends in no time.

So, dust off any lingering introvert tendencies, and dive into the vibrant social scene that awaits.

After all, your UAE adventure is as much about the people you meet as it is about the places you’ll explore.

We hope this article will prove helpful for expats with an introverted nature!