The spending diary of a COO in a Dubai hedge fund who's escaped the dating scene

Name: Withheld 

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Rank: COO

Fund: Withheld

Location: Dubai 

Monthly salary: $13k (including living allowances) 

Monthly salary after tax: $13k (excluding bonus)

Monthly payments on rent and bills: $4 for a one-bedroom apartment in central Dubai

Monthly savings from salary and investments: c$3k

Monthly transport payments (mostly car): $1.5k

Monthly spending on dining out: $500

Monthly contribution towards vacations: $2k

Monthly spending on leisure: $2k

Comments: "I've lived in Dubai for the past three years, and life here is much more luxurious than in London or New York. It's easy to live a high-end lifestyle in Dubai - everything is here if you want it.  

I spent a lot of my money on leisure. Since moving here, I've become incredibly fit - I play paddle tennis, work out five days a week with a personal trainer and swim in the sea. At weekends, I go horse riding or desert driving. 

I love it here, but I also try to go on holiday two or three times a year, usually in the summer when it gets too hot. 

There are plenty of options for eating out in Dubai, and I usually eat out once a week, at least. I try to avoid the really high-end places, but Dubai has a good range of restaurants in between. 

The only real downside of being here is that I have to spend money on a car - people in Dubai drive everywhere. You can't walk in the way that you can in London.

I know a lot of people here who spend far more money than me. I've got a girlfriend, which makes my life cheaper. Some of the highest spenders in Dubai are on the dating scene. Dating here can be very expensive. This is an international city - 70% of people here are immigrants and if you're new to the city and are open to dating, it can be a bit crazy. Dating in Dubai much more intense than London, simply because of the volume of new people and the availability of incredibly expensive places to take your date. I'm glad I'm out of it."

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