SUMMARY

Jack Hopkins, an entrepreneur and YouTuber, shares his candid one-year review of living in Dubai after moving from Thailand, highlighting business advantages, safety, networking, and lifestyle trade-offs for ambitious professionals.

STATEMENTS

• Jack Hopkins relocated from Bangkok, Thailand, to Dubai just over a year ago primarily for business setup certainty, including only 9% corporate tax and zero personal income tax, allowing significant deductions like pre-tax salaries.
• Dubai presented a culture shock compared to Thailand's freedom, with stricter rules and less immediate adventure, but Hopkins adapted by using Dubai for focused work and fitness while traveling elsewhere for relaxation.
• Despite online perceptions of strict laws, Hopkins experienced no legal issues in Dubai, emphasizing its exceptional safety with minimal visible police presence and widespread CCTV monitoring.
• Dubai fosters a culture of excellence where people relocate to build top-tier businesses, network ambitiously, and pursue wealth, contrasting with Thailand's more laid-back attitude toward money.
• For entrepreneurs earning under $10,000 monthly, Thailand offers more freedom and affordability, but Dubai suits those hitting $30,000–$40,000 in profit, requiring at least $10,000 monthly to maintain a comparable lifestyle to Thailand's $2,000.
• Hopkins moved to Dubai at $100,000 monthly revenue, finding it humbling amid greater wealth, which motivated him through friendly competition rather than ego-driven complacency.
• Networking in Dubai is superior due to its spread-out, busy environment; Hopkins' New Elite community provides workouts, events like yacht summits, and access to million-dollar earners, unlike Thailand's smaller high-level entrepreneur scene.
• To network without communities, one can approach people politely in luxury spots like the Royal Atlantis Hotel, where a $15 coffee enables casual conversations leading to millionaire contacts.
• Dubai excels in fitness and recovery with world-class gyms, on-demand services like 30-minute house calls for massages or IV drips, and 15-minute deliveries via apps, enhancing entrepreneurial efficiency.
• Rent in Dubai requires large upfront payments (e.g., six months at a time), but savvy deals like Hopkins' townhouse at 280,000 dirham annually offer value comparable to Miami or London when furnished appropriately.

IDEAS

• Dubai's safety allows wearing luxury items openly without fear, normalizing wealth in a way that contrasts with more envious or crime-prone locations, fostering a sense of normalcy around success.
• The city's party scene is vibrant but overpriced for the fun value, prompting Hopkins to reserve high-energy relaxation for cheaper destinations like Thailand or Europe.
• Relocating to Dubai acts as a motivational "wake-up call" by surrounding oneself with extreme wealth, shifting focus from ego to competitive growth without needing more luxury.
• High-level networking feels inaccessible in Dubai's vastness without structured groups, but simple politeness in elite venues can spark connections with millionaires.
• Dubai's on-demand lifestyle, from 15-minute deliveries to instant wellness services, eliminates logistical hassles, allowing entrepreneurs to prioritize business over daily chores.
• The heat in summer months is manageable for travelers, turning Dubai into a quieter, less crowded hub for indoor activities like pool time or air-conditioned malls.
• Dating dynamics in Dubai favor top earners, making it feel transactional and competitive, better suited for casual encounters than genuine long-term relationships.
• Success is culturally encouraged in Dubai, where driving luxury cars or winning big is seen as normal, countering superficial critiques by promoting collective excellence.
• Dubai's government and society actively support business flourishing, with tax efficiencies designed to attract and empower entrepreneurs to build empires.
• Loneliness can plague newcomers who fail to build networks, underscoring that fulfillment depends more on relationships than location, even in a prosperous hub.

INSIGHTS

• Dubai's environment reframes personal ambition by immersing individuals in a competitive yet supportive wealth ecosystem, turning potential intimidation into fuel for sustained growth.
• True life satisfaction transcends geography, relying on meaningful connections and purpose, which Dubai amplifies for the networked but isolates the introverted.
• Tax and business incentives in Dubai create a meritocratic haven, but they demand financial readiness, revealing how location optimization aligns with life-stage maturity.
• The normalization of excellence in Dubai cultivates a mindset where success is communal rather than zero-sum, encouraging collaboration over jealousy.
• Lifestyle efficiency in Dubai, through seamless services, frees cognitive bandwidth for high-value pursuits, illustrating technology's role in enhancing human productivity.
• Cultural trade-offs like heat or dating challenges highlight the need for balanced living, where Dubai serves as a strategic base rather than an all-encompassing home.

QUOTES

• "Dubai becomes a place that you move to where you've figured out the very early stages of business of 10k then going to 20k 30k 40k once you hit that sort of 30k 40k US profit per month mark you're in a very good space to move to Dubai."
• "For me when I moved to Dubai it kind of was a wakeup call to like wow this is real wealth and you then have to decide how you take that."
• "It's normal to win in Dubai. And I love that. I think that's a great thing people overlook. They see it as superficial. No, it's like they encourage the best."
• "The networking you get access to in Dubai is far better than what I've seen in most places in the world."
• "This place is absolutely incredible and I think as its purpose to come here for 5 years, really make something of yourself, have financial security, build a network of millionaires."

HABITS

• Regularly travel outside Dubai for relaxation and adventure, using the city primarily for intense work, fitness, and personal growth phases.
• Attend structured networking events like workouts and yacht summits through communities such as New Elite to build high-level connections.
• Approach strangers politely in luxury hotels for casual networking, leveraging Dubai's safety to exchange contacts with potential millionaire peers.
• Maintain a fitness routine utilizing world-class gyms, ice baths, saunas, and on-demand recovery services like IV drips or massages.
• Shop via rapid-delivery apps for essentials, minimizing time on errands to focus on business and efficiency.

FACTS

• Dubai imposes only 9% corporate tax with zero personal income tax, enabling deductions like pre-tax salaries for significant tax efficiency.
• Rent payments in Dubai typically require upfront chunks, such as six months in advance, unlike monthly options common elsewhere.
• Deliveries in Dubai can arrive in as little as 15 minutes through dedicated apps, surpassing conveniences in places like Thailand or the UK.
• Summer temperatures in Dubai reach 40°C for four months, but the UAE has capabilities to influence weather patterns for cooling.
• Dubai hosts some of the world's best restaurants and clubs, with alcohol legally available despite common misconceptions.

REFERENCES

• New Elite: An entrepreneurs' network offering one-to-one mentorship, events, workouts, and yacht summits for high-level members in Dubai and Thailand.
• Icon Blueprint: Free training resource for building an empire, linked in the video description.
• Royal Atlantis Hotel: A luxury venue for networking, featuring opulent lobbies, valet parking, and high-end coffee spots.
• Blueground: A rental platform allowing shorter-term or monthly payments in Dubai, contrasting standard chunk-based leases.

HOW TO APPLY

• Assess your business income: If under $10,000 monthly, build foundations in a freer spot like Thailand; target $30,000–$40,000 profit before relocating to Dubai for tax benefits.
• Join or form a networking community: Enroll in groups like New Elite for events, workouts, and summits to connect with million-dollar entrepreneurs, avoiding isolation in Dubai's spread-out scene.
• Approach networking organically: Dress sharply, visit luxury hotels like Royal Atlantis, order a coffee, and politely introduce yourself to nearby professionals to exchange contacts.
• Optimize lifestyle for efficiency: Use apps for 15-minute deliveries and on-demand services like house massages or IV drips to eliminate distractions and focus on work.
• Balance residence with travel: Use Dubai for 8–9 months of focused productivity and fitness, then escape summer heat by traveling to cooler destinations like Europe for relaxation.

ONE-SENTENCE TAKEAWAY

Dubai excels as a launchpad for ambitious entrepreneurs seeking tax efficiency, elite networks, and safety, but demands financial readiness and external travel for balance.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Move to Dubai only after achieving $30,000–$40,000 monthly profit to afford its lifestyle while leveraging tax advantages for business scaling.
• Prioritize fitness and wellness communities over partying scenes to access top-tier gyms and recovery tools that enhance long-term performance.
• Build relationships through structured networks or polite hotel approaches to combat potential loneliness and unlock millionaire-level opportunities.
• Plan seasonal travel to escape summer heat, using Dubai's quieter periods for uninterrupted work in air-conditioned havens.
• View Dubai as a 3–5 year empire-building phase, not a permanent home, to maximize its motivational wealth environment without lifestyle burnout.

MEMO

Jack Hopkins arrived in Dubai a year ago, trading Thailand's carefree islands for a desert metropolis buzzing with ambition. Fresh from Bangkok's vibrant chaos, he found the United Arab Emirates' gleaming skyline and low-tax allure irresistible for his burgeoning business empire. With zero personal income tax and a mere 9% corporate rate—riddled with deductions like pre-tax salaries—Dubai promised certainty that Thailand's informal setup couldn't match. Yet the transition jarred: no more helmet-free motorbike rides or hour-long flights to beaches. "I wasn't sure I ever wanted to leave Thailand," Hopkins admits, but he adapted by redefining Dubai as his grind zone—ideal for sculpting a disciplined fitness routine amid world-class gyms and on-demand IV drips—while jetting off for relaxation elsewhere.

Safety emerged as Dubai's quiet superpower. Online horror stories of draconian laws faded against Hopkins' reality: no police encounters, just pervasive CCTV ensuring a haven where luxury watches and supercars blend into the norm. Unlike Europe's pickpockets or America's edgier streets, Dubai normalizes wealth without envy. "People just see that as normal," he notes, contrasting Thailand's indifference to bling. This culture of excellence draws global hustlers—entrepreneurs chasing multimillion deals, not leisure. For Hopkins, who hit $100,000 monthly before arriving, the influx of bigger fish was humbling, not deflating. It sparked friendly rivalry, pushing him harder without the ego pitfalls of being "king" in smaller ponds.

Networking transformed his experience. Dubai's sprawl can isolate newcomers, but Hopkins' New Elite community—boasting 150 members worldwide, including Dubai yacht summits and group workouts—plugs ambitious souls into a web of million-dollar minds. Without such anchors, he advises hitting luxury haunts like the Royal Atlantis Hotel: valet your ride, sip a $15 coffee in the opulent lobby, and strike up chats with suited strangers. "Say hello. Hey, man. How you doing?"—and numbers swap effortlessly in this safe, polished arena. Fitness thrives here too, with saunas, ice baths, and 15-minute deliveries outpacing anywhere Hopkins has lived. Yet costs bite: a comfortable entrepreneur life demands $10,000 monthly, quadruple Thailand's equivalent, with rents paid in hefty six-month chunks.

Drawbacks temper the glow. Summers scorch at 40°C, though Hopkins shrugs it off with balcony shadowboxing or mall escapes, and whispers of UAE weather tech hint at cooler futures. Loneliness lurks for the unconnected, and dating skews transactional—top earners snag the spotlight, leaving climbers in the dust. "It's very difficult for people to get into flourishing long-term relationships," he observes, preferring Thailand's purer pursuits. Still, Dubai's not forever; Hopkins eyes a greener finale with mountains and a dog-friendly yard. For now, it's empire fuel: a place where winning is encouraged, governments root for your rise, and superficial sheen masks genuine opportunity. After a year, he's renewed for more, beard and all.