Meant to be moving to Dubai in 4 weeks

Sorry but OP needs to hear the honest truth, she should’ve found out sooner.

I think she’s possibly dodged a bullet finding out before she’s travelled!

It’s not all blue skies and fun, far from
it!

Missile filled skies and dreadful morals !

No. Not at all helpful, just like 90% of the responses.
Still, it makes the poster feel superior to the OP, which is the point of the post after all.

I'm struggling to find much sympathy for anyone who would choose to live in Dubai for the lifestyle, knowing full well the human rights situation there.

Why are you obsessing over the death penalty?

Very few executions happen in the UAE, and if so it's for murder and/or drug trafficking.

Yes no income tax I love it. People are expected to be self sufficient and make do on their own income (which they are allowed to keep 100%)

There’s no need to be this rude about the OP. They’ve made a decision which, rightly or wrongly, they thought was best for their future. She’s now understandably very worried and reaching out for help. This is not helpful to her in the situation she finds herself in.

What's the advice from your employer/moving agency? Presumably they've been in touch (!)

Not bothered about extreme human rights abuses, lack of democracy, etc. etc.? Oh, they don't matter so long as you get to laze round a pool in luxury.

But everyone knows that's the deal when they go there. You pay no tax and you have no recourse to the state. People go there and take a chance and it tends to attract people who are less likely than average to need state support so the deal is in their favour. Some of those people are wrong but that's life.

*with missiles in

2 years ago I worked in the middle east near dubai in another emirate. I had a 6 month contract with a view to go perm and they would sponsor to my housing and kids to come ( I was teavelling back and forth during this initial period). There was a discussion about extending my contract and one point they consistently brought up was the destabilisation of the region and the possibility of war, issues with visas if not already a full resident and danger of things escalating and whether visas might be revoked etc. This company was owned by people high up in the arab society and they were very concerned about when and if things would escalate. Slightly prematurely but none the less it did worry me about a perm move enough to ens the contract based on what they said.
Now dubai is another matter but you can already see the dubai authorities are trying to block the media and run the narrative.
One thing ai learned from going there is that you will never be equal to the arabs in their home country. If things do get hairy, it will be difficult to get help unless you are either an arab or extemely wealthy.

It's one thing to be aware of future instability in the region, but quite another to feel that back home, there may be an increasing threat of terrorism in retaliation. I don't know if UK is immune to this and whether if it happens it will focus on the US/Israel, but it gives me the jitters all the same. I think we are all affected whether living/visiting the Midle East or not.

That's a very short-term, selfish and transactional mindset.
They kick you out very quickly if you lose your job or your business folds.

But the OP stated everyone wants to go there? People are pointing out, no they don’t!

I mean what a stupid comment if you don’t want to be told people don’t want to go there and why!

She wants to go there because her friends said it wax better than grey skies in the Uk and it’s glamorous!

Yeah really glamorous and the lovely blue sky won’t missiles in must be bloody amazing!

Flights not flying aside, you won't get insurance from UK of the government has advised not to travel there. I don't think you will have a choice to go there just now, even if you do still want to.

I mean, there basically are no poor Emiratis because they are supported by the state and everyone else is a temporary resident and has no recourse to it.

@BlimeyOReillyO, poverty is not much of an issue. People go to work, there isn't an asylum option, and you cannot apply for citizenship.

OP
Would I move to an active warzone?
No.
But that is just my opinion.
Roll your own dice.

What!?!

It's literally against the law to be gay there? I remember reading about a British woman who was raped by multiple men in Dubai. When she reported it, she was prosecuted and put in prison for three years for having extra-marital sex. It was not illegal for the men to have raped her - apparently their law is something like four men have to have witnessed a rape for it to be considered rape.

The laws against women, gay people etc there are absolutely barbaric. Why on earth you'd want to holiday somewhere like that I have no idea

@Medesres Aside from the current situation, given your posts, it’s clear your research into this move has been lacklustre at best.

The regional instability is hardly a secret, nor are the human rights abuses.

In all seriousness have you considered what would happen if you and your husband were to separate?

You may well not have right to remain if you are on a spousal visa and if you have children you will have no rights (as a female) to bring them back home unless your husband agrees.

DH used to travel there for work and beneath the “gloss” of expat “insta life” are some not so pleasant realities.

I wouldn’t go there on holiday, never mind to live.

The tax breaks, financial incentives, govt insta life investments in plush malls, hotels etc and govt funded PR are there for a reason: without them, stripped of the veneer of “western” sensibilities and glamour people simply wouldn’t go there to visit, never mind live.

I have a female relative who has been there for 20+ years. She's thrived in her career. Many women say they feel so safe walking the streets alone at night compared to how they feel in many major western cities.

The house help I met is from India, she's treated very well (and her food tasted amazing).

I voted YABU because you wanted to go and live there, ignoring all the human rights abuses involved.

A bit more modest, or we kill you….

And no income tax, what a great society, what happens to the poor there?

This. People think it’s full of Westerners and somehow immune from the conflicts in the region. The image of Dubai as an expat haven has taken a serious hit. I‘m curious to see how the gulf states will respond because they have to do something to protect their citizens.

If I were you I‘d reach out to your prospective employer and ask what support they offer regarding the current situation. There are a lot of „ifs“ but my main worry would be the destabilisation of the region due to fighting factions of whoever is next in line to govern Iran.

It's not a case of 'being kind'
It's more questioning how the OP's question has been answered by a million MNetters telling her they wouldn't go there and implying she is not as clever or moral as they are.
There has been a few helpful posts but they have been mostly drowned out by competitive moralising.