Having a hard time here 😭

Hellooo,

I recently moved to UAE but I'm having a hard time making friends.

I was never good at making new friends easily. Still back home, I had a lot of people to talk to—genuine ones, not just for passing time. As a Software Engineer who works because I genuinely love it, not just because it's a job, a lot of people used to come to me for consulting or brainstorming ideas. It wasn't just IT people; I had many friends in business too. My weekends were always busy talking to people about their business ideas or discussing the next big system design in coffee shops or on long drives.

I tried some meetups here, but they feel exhausting. It seems like everyone is trying to communicate with as many people as possible just to get their next job or business opportunity. There's nothing wrong with that; it just drains me.

Now, coming to the UAE, I feel like I've lost myself. I'm afraid to talk to people because everyone seems smarter than me. I know it's probably just imposter syndrome, but I'm still struggling with this issue.

Has anyone else felt this way after moving here? I'd love to hear your experiences or advice.