Meant to be moving to Dubai in 4 weeks

I think you are making generalisations and lumping all of the many Middle Eastern countries together. It's very different in all of them.

Never mind all the slaves who actually do all the building though, eh? Fuck those guys.

PMSL

Is that the limit of your knowledge about Dubai?

Don't go, Dubai is over.

Why would you hate to live there? I mean, at the moment, I get it! But in normal times, expats have a great life there in the sunshine. I think it would be an experience. Make a change from wet, grey Britain, anyway!

I find it absolutely wild that you were planning to move to a country when you essentially didn't even know where it was? Like, could you have pointed to it on a map of the world?? Current situation aside you should be doing a little more research before committing to something like this!

So is Dubai actually just Spain for Millennials?

This is obviously click bait.
But as a woman, it's not somewhere you would want to move to anyway. I'm sure someone will come on and say (probably someone with ridiculously large lips) "I've lived there for years and had no iSSHooos". But it's somewhere that you have less rights as a woman and/or a non muslim and they treat poor people abysmally.

Hi I’m sorry this sounds stressful and I hope you see this for the paragraph below… I’ve been Dubai many times and it’s not perfect but they have their own rules and are in my opinion generally accommodating to expats. So absolutely get why given the last 30 years you would consider it safe.

It is close to Iran and also in case you didn’t know there are some islands off of UAE are Iranian and others which Iran / UAE both claim ownership of (but I think Iran might control).

Worth understanding the full geography and how close to comfort it might be. I’m sorry I don’t know enough to say more.

good luck either way

Oh look, here’s one!

Bye then, I hope you enjoy keeping your money as much as you enjoy watching missiles get intercepted.

“As a family we pay” usually means “my husband pays,” btw.

In Saudi

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20241112-21000-workers-killed-building-saudis-the-line-project-media-reports/?fbclid=IwdGRjcAQRik9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeX_7zqsm3L_MteLHjfDEePujqf8lRHcFiff7SNOapr1Phzl-D7ZiYx4U-SgI_aem_ltrQwod4RvvsbpJOqinIew

"squandered on benefits"
Yeah, all those greedy children on FSM, and disabled people claiming PIP..... shame they closed the workhouses.

Agree with the last sentence here.
No one knows what is going to happen wrt this volatile situation. It has been building up for a long time though, and you and your DH should have been aware of this and considered it in your plans.

100% this. ^ I love my country, (the UK) and for all its flaws I will be staying. And I would certainly never move anywhere NEAR the UAE, ta very much!

@Medesres I would definitely bail. Call it all off.

They may not have " tax" as you recognise it but there are many varied " fees".

There was a thread recently about how great it was to retire to Dubai. I was sceptical, now even more so. Already the how comparatively cheap it was and the wonderful lifestyle (all at other people's expense) was grating, having a reminder of how unstable the region can still be is the last nail.

Quite so. All those people moving there as the uk ‘doesn’t feel safe’. Eye roll. But why anyone would want to live in such a vacuous country I’ve no idea

There's so much madness contained in this one thread 😳 🤣 🤦🏾‍♀️.

Focusing on the OP though... You're probably safest at home. Your lack of awareness or inquisitiveness is not best suited to moving to the ME.

@Sparklingwaterornothing ha, not just Rachel’s 40% though - was the Tory’s too - thing is and I posted this awhile back, it may be tax free, but blimey it was way more expensive when we went than I expected, so you would need all that tax free money if you didn’t fancy just working and sitting in too - it was also the most sober holiday I’ve ever had, wine was humongously expensive ( and mainly crap too) - I think we were curious at the time (2011) but it wasn’t for me and my H actually loathed it - accommodation was fabulous I admit - but that was about it for me . I think it’s really horses for courses though - I do know some love it - for me it was a bit all fur coat and no knickers and not actually very interesting.

Well I hope your you, DC and GC need benefits, that others won’t squander their money on!

Maybe an illness, accident which means you can’t work?

I mean benefits for people are such a bloody waste, aren’t they?

Please don’t delay in moving.

But do buy yourself a world map, so you know where you’re actually moving to!

I wonder how the GCC manages with no personal income taxes. They have very strong functional economies.

As a family we pay the additional rate and hate seeing our hard earned money squandered on benefits. We might move to gulf and hopefully have the opportunity to keep our income. It probably won't be Dubai (even though our family there love it there), but we are seriously considering a move.

I don’t think it’s on the fancy marketing materials.

Teeth, tans and servants - but not the fact it’s in the Middle East. Weird!

Is Dubai next to Iran? Surely not! They’ve never advertised that!

This must be so hard for you op @Medesres. What is your current situation? Have you given notice on your home/job, packed up ready to move?