I moved to Dubai from the UK and love it. Life is safer and easier here.

• In July, Harrison Granger moved with his partner from Maidstone, England, to Dubai.
• Finding a job and a place to live was challenging, but he's happy in his new role and apartment.
• He says conveniences such as gas delivery and amenities like a private gym make life much easier.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Harrison Granger, a 23-year-old account executive in Dubai. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I'd been working as a recruitment consultant in my hometown of Maidstone in Kent, England, for five years when I decided I was ready for a change.

I wanted to move on and progress in my career. I decided to not only swap jobs but also move countries and try something new.

In July, my partner and I moved to the United Arab Emirates, and we love it.

My first memory of Dubai is visiting my uncle with my parents as a child

When my partner and I talked about living abroad, Dubai quickly became one of our top options.

When I visited my uncle who used to live in Dubai, I spent most of my time at the beach or the waterparks. I also remember being amazed sharks were swimming in a tank in the mall. Sometimes, now that we live here, I'll take my laptop and work in the nearby café that has the aquarium as its backdrop.

We moved in the summer because I thought that as a Brit who's not used to any heat, we might as well get acclimated to the country when it's hottest.

As we were coming from the Kent countryside, known as the Garden of England, my partner wasn't initially sure if she would enjoy the city life surrounded by skyscrapers. Now she loves it, and we want to move closer to downtown.

Securing jobs was a challenge

Our first shock happened when the job my partner had lined up in the recruitment industry fell through. We planned for her to be the main money earner, and I'd find a job once we'd arrived.

To live and work here, you must have a work and residency permit, which your company will apply for on your behalf. Luckily, someone from my uncle's events company left when we moved, and my uncle asked whether I would like to try out for an account-executive position.

It was exactly what I was looking for. With my experience in recruitment, it's hard to show what I've done — saying I've placed three truck drivers doesn't mean much to anyone. I wanted to work on something where I had a product to show at the end of it.

Now, working in events, I can show people photographs of what I've been up to for the past three months. I may work through the night sometimes, but I can have the next day off or work from home. My work-life balance is much better in Dubai than in the UK.

My partner now works in real estate. We both earn more than we did in the UK.

Finding an apartment was also difficult

The real-estate market is thriving, and prices are high. Before we arrived in Dubai, we saw an apartment online in the Dubai Marina for 70,000 United Arab Emirates Dirhams, or about $19,000, a year, but now you're lucky if you can get one for $27,000 a year in that area. Many landlords here request the full amount in six or even two checks instead of monthly payments.

We searched on Dubizzle and Property Finder and whittled down our list to only landlords who would accept 12 checks. This was a huge help. We also weren't clear on where we wanted to live in Dubai, so we cast our net wider.

We found a place this way, and we pay about $16,800 a year, including bills, for a fully furnished one-bedroom apartment in Dubai Production City. It's in one of the cheaper areas of the city, but my friends in the UK are still amazed to find out that the apartment block features a private gym, swimming pool, and tennis court.

I used to belong to a health club in Kent, where I would pay about $130 a month for access to similar facilities. Now it's included in my rent.

Everyday life is so much easier than it was in the UK

As Dubai is so Western, I haven't had any problems getting my bearings in my new home, but driving on Dubai's roads was one of my biggest learning curves. It's a lot more aggressive, but there's no road rage. You just need to drive with confidence.

I've never had to visit a gas station since I've lived in Dubai. There's a gas-delivery app called Cafu I use. I place an order online, and it sends a tanker to your home and fills up your car overnight. Filling up my car in the UK cost about $90. It's half that here.

Food in Dubai is priced similarly to that in the UK. There are so many apps on which you can order food. With some apps, you can order a few groceries before you sit down to dinner, and they'll arrive before you finish.

The city is also super safe. When we left the office one night, my colleagues tried to get in my car, and they were shocked it was locked. I always locked my car in the UK.

There are a few things I miss

I miss my family and the greenery of the Kent countryside. I find myself occasionally seeking out places that remind me of home. I go to Irish bars because there are familiar sights, sounds, and smells.

My partner and I are enjoying Dubai. We've both agreed to stay for at least two years, and then we'll take it year to year.