I ditched my miserable life earning pittance as a nurse in the UK to move to glamorous Dubai, this is why I’m never going back to small-minded England

An elite fitness coach and Instagram influencer has revealed how relocating to Dubai from the ‘miserable’ UK changed her life, as she credited the desert city’s ‘can do’ attitude with helping her dreams come true. 

Dominika Blonksa, 27, was born in Poland before her family relocated to Wakefield, West Yorkshire, where she went to high school and university. 

She studied to become a nurse and obtained a Master’s degree in Nurse Prescribing before Dominika dived headfirst into her career, telling FEMAIL how she worked 40 and 50-hour weeks while making a pittance. 

That life, however, is now a distant memory for Dominika, whose Instagram feed includes glamorous snaps of her posing in front of the Burj Khalifa and Burj Al Arab, catching rays on a sun-soaked beach, and cruising on desert bikes.  

She runs her own, successful coaching business, working with clients across the world, while travelling the world and working as a model – none of which would have been possible for Dominika if she had stayed in the UK.  

‘Before moving abroad, I lived in the UK with a stable job as a nurse but, deep down, I always knew that wasn’t for me,’ the fitness influencer, with over 30,000 followers, said. 

‘I craved freedom, adventure, and the ability to be my own boss,’ Dominika continued, sharing that this desire really took hold of her during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Around the same time, Dominika had also started feeling stifled with her day-to-day in the UK, with the social media content creator explaining she began to ‘hate how miserable, depressing and small-minded’ the country felt. 

‘No one is ever progressing there and I’m a very ambitious person,’ she continued. ‘I also had a dream of being an entrepreneur.

‘So, during Covid, I made a bold decision. I quit my job, sold my belongings, packed my savings, and moved to Dubai because it was one of the few places still open at the time. 

‘I had no concrete plan, just a strong belief that I would figure it out along the way.’ 

Even if she didn’t know it at the time, Dominika was ahead of the curve; moving from the UK to the United Arab Emirates has become a well-trodden path for Britons looking for a glitzy relocation and better quality of life in recent years. 

Perks include the warm climate, a tax-free income, and access to luxury shopping and dining experiences, as well as a greater sense of safety in comparison with the UK – as families and singletons alike make a beeline for the Middle East. 

‘In Dubai, I wake up to sunshine everyday, which I can’t say I do in then UK,’ Dominika said, while referring to the country’s near-perennial grey skies. 

The fitness expert, who also dated Love Island star Anton Danyluk after their paths crossed in Dubai, also counted women’s safety, an exacting focus on hygiene and cleanliness, as well as a sense of community among other reasons she prefers the emirate to the UK. 

‘People are friendly and there is an undeniable can-do spirit in the air,’ she explained.

‘Everywhere you go, you’re surrounded by positive, successful people which gives you the drive to keep doing well. 

‘There are so many opportunities in Dubai, you will always meet someone who knows someone else who knows someone else who can benefit you,’ Dominika said. 

On the other hand, her perception of Britons is that they’re ‘very negative’. 

‘No matter where you look it’s people spreading negative news, gossiping and wanting others to fail.’

Finally, she said, Dominika finds it much easier to make new friends, bound by shared interests such as fitness and healthy living, in Dubai considering the burgeoning expat population.

Whether Dubai is her ‘forever home’ is still unclear but Dominika has no plans to return to England. 

‘Yes, I will see my family but I will never live there myself because I feel I am way ahead of the people that live there in terms of my ambition, mentality and my future plans,’ she affirmed. 

‘Even if I don’t settle in Dubai, it will be another hot country with positive energy and opportunities.’ 

Like Dominika, several 20 and 30-somethings are also documenting their experiences on platforms like TikTok and Instagram that are being flooded with Dubai relocation videos. 

In one such clip, British social media marketer Aimee Duncan (@aimeeduncan1) tells her followers why she’s ‘leaving the UK and moving to Dubai with my family’, adding that her primary concern is her son’s well-being. 

‘You go to the high street [and] you see horrific scenes,’ Aimee said. ‘People drinking, doing drugs…it’s not the kind of thing that you want to come across on your way to work or dropping your little one off at nursery.’ 

She also highlighted that, while job and career prospects are limited in the UK, the ‘opportunities are insane in Dubai’ since it’s full of ‘inspirational people’. 

In another TikTok, a creator who goes by the name @simplyshiv_ said her reasons for relocating include a ‘tax-free salary’ and the fact that she has no responsibilities – such as a house or a family – that tether her to the country

‘I feel like where I’m at, the age I’m at now, [moving to Dubai] felt like a now or never [decision],’ she explained. 

‘I didn’t want to wake up one day and be like, “I wish I’d moved abroad for a bit and got some experience.

‘The timing was perfect.’ 

Social media platforms like Facebook, Mumsnet, and Reddit are also full of groups and discussion threads dedicated to sharing advice – about finances, visa requirements, rentals, and lifestyle changes – about moving to the UAE. 

As someone who took the plunge herself, Dominika believes anyone planning to follow suit should ensure they have a financial safety net.

‘Ideally, save at least £10,000–£20,000 before your move,’ she said. ‘This will give you breathing room while you settle in and look for work.’

However, if you plan to work abroad, she suggests job hunting in advance since it will make the transition much smoother. 

In addition to work opportunities, make sure you’ve researched the cost of living, the country’s visa requirements, and the best areas to live. 

If you can, book a short trip, stay in an Airbnb for a couple of months, and see if it truly feels like home, because living somewhere is very different from vacationing there, Dominika warned.  

Once you’ve settled in, put yourself out there.  

‘The fastest way to make friends is by socialising,’ she shared. 

‘Go to the gym, take classes, hang out at the beach or coffee shops – whatever you enjoy, do it. Don’t be afraid to start conversations and meet new people,’ she concluded. 

More than 240,000 British expats are now estimated to live in Dubai, with many attracted to the city by the 5,000 British companies now operating in the UAE.

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 March last year alone.