My name is Hafiz Hanif. I am a software developer based in Dubai, currently working at Devsall.
I have spent the last 16 years working across the Gulf region — 15 years in Saudi Arabia and the past year here in Dubai. Most of my professional work has been in software development, but I have spent a significant part of those 16 years helping people around me figure out the same things: how to find work in the Gulf, what salaries are realistic, how the visa process actually works, and how to earn more than just a single salary.
I started Dubai Money Matters because I kept seeing the same problem: people searching for straightforward, honest information about jobs and money in Dubai — and finding either outdated generic articles or content that clearly had no real-world experience behind it. No AED figures. No honest timelines. No acknowledgement that things do not always go to plan.
This site is my attempt to fix that. Every article on Dubai Money Matters is written from real experience — specific salary figures I have personally encountered or verified, job market realities I have watched play out, and side income methods I or people close to me have actually tried. When something did not work, I say so. When the numbers are disappointing, I include them anyway.
What This Site Covers
Dubai Money Matters covers the practical financial and career questions that expats and residents in the UAE actually face: how to find a job, what salary to ask for, how to build a side income, how freelancing works in Dubai, and how to make your money go further in one of the world’s most expensive cities. All 67+ guides on this site are written for people who are either planning to move to Dubai or are already here and trying to figure out the next step.
About the Author
Hafiz Hanif
Software Developer at Devsall, Dubai
16 years working in the Gulf region (Saudi Arabia and UAE)
I write every article on this site personally. There is no team, no outsourced content, and no AI-generated filler. If an article has my name on it, I wrote it — drawing on 16 years of living and working in the Gulf and talking to hundreds of expats going through the same journey.
You can connect with me professionally on LinkedIn or reach out directly by email. I read every message.
🔗 Connect with Hafiz Hanif on LinkedIn
📧 contact@dubaimoneymatters.com
A Note on Accuracy
Dubai’s job market, salary benchmarks, visa rules, and tax regulations change regularly. Every article on this site includes a last-updated date. If you spot something that is out of date or factually incorrect, please email me — I take corrections seriously and update articles when the situation changes.
Nothing on this site is professional financial, legal, or immigration advice. It is the honest experience of someone who has navigated these systems firsthand and wants to save you the time it took me to figure it out.