I managed to take a trip to Dubai the 2nd day of 2014 and stayed there for a little over a week and wow I’m just at awe at how heavy traffic is practically non-existent in that place – or at least during my stay.

But as I come across a lot of interesting architecture, engineering, and industrial design which was booming all over the place, I can’t help but wonder how graphic and multimedia designers in Dubai are. By that, I simply mean how they work, what’s the going rate, how challenging it is.

So basically, it just feels like a land of opportunity. You work on a rate which runs between 5,000-10,000AED which is around 60-120k PHP a month. Sure, things might get a little more pricey in terms of everything, especially lodging but you’d have to consider how efficient everything is in serving value in what you pay for.

A friend of mine, CJ “Otep” Sarmiento, is now independently making a living in Dubai. He entered a venture with his friend who was his co-worker from a previous company. They now run a crew of photographers and videographers who film weddings. And who can complain, even with just a handful of weddings a month, when the bride and groom would spend so much just to capture the perfect moments – more so if it’s in a place where Royal Weddings are existent!

As for graphic designers, illustrators, animators, and more of the digital workers, I personally believe Dubai’s got a lot of opportunities at hand. Just up to you to scratch a bit of the sand and see if there’s gold hidden underneath.

A thing to note? Dubai won the bid to host the World Expo by 2020. Imagine the demand of everything 6 years from now in that place.

Now with your craving for progress, where will your feet take you?