I live in Dubai, ask me anything

Westernised on the surface yes to attract all the money grabbing expats.

However it is a Muslim country and whilst may not do public executions like their close neighbours you will be judged and deported or imprisoned for years for things you'd get a fine for in the evil UK.

It isnt a place to bring up kids imo.

Alcohol is available in hotels and also licensed alcohol shops for which you technically need a permit (though I don’t think we ever got one).

I’m not sure how religiosity would express itself, really, given that Emiratis are less than 10% of the population of Dubai now.

One thing that’s changed and that is indicative since we lived there is the weekend. Traditionally, the weekend of a Muslim country was Thursday and Friday (Friday being the holy day for mosque attendance), but that messed with the working week being out of synch internationally, which damaged business, so when we lived there in the 2000s, the weekend was Friday and Saturday, and the working week started on Sunday. Now weekends in Dubai are Saturday and Sunday, to bring it fully in line with the working week in the world at large. So I suppose that’s an example of commercial practices winning out over religious ones.

Ramadan still, involved no one, including non-Muslims, permitted to eat or drink in public during daylight hours, and hotel meals and some cafes and restaurants being served behind curtains/screens, but if you went into the loo in a mall during the day, there was a lot of munching coming from cubicles. The crazy driving as thirsty fasting people with low blood sugar sped towards iftar at dusk was definitely a thing.

It certainly didn’t strike me as in any way a devout place when we lived there. It’s a consumer paradise. The ‘Christmas’ equivalent is the Dubai Festival of Shopping.😃

Are we? It's you who had made the posts. I'm just replying.

Have Foreign Office intervention if things kicked off the region?

Have an abortion (could be lifesaving for you)?

Maintain a free press?

No indeed, that's very clear.

Worth taking the risk?

And ofcourse you will be using public services despite the UK being on its knees

Of course it's under a lot of pressure!
It's a liberal democracy with 70 million people! 🤣

I think this a question for an expert economist who is familiar with worldwide economy, not the OP who is most probably going to blame the financial demise of the UK on gays, immigrants and benefit cheaters.

But ppl are born that way. It's just who they are. It's like a culture saying ' we dont approve of people with two legs'. Are you comfortable living in an ilogical country coz you like not paying tax. Will you pay tax when you come back to UK.

so you don't need a free press 😂

you'll never need an abortion for medical reasons or know anyone who may?

You can predict geopolitics??

I love sunshine and cash as much as the next person but can see a situation the above stuff may prove useful.

How can you be all for inclusion when you choose to bring your children up in a country that isn't for inclusion in any way. You are just in it for the money (and its not even you earning the money). What principles are you teaching your DC?

Op, as I said upthread I worked in the ME years ago when young and stupid.

I regret it. I didn't research it or understand what the trade off was with the tax free wodge.

So tbh if I were you just be honest say 'yes we want to get lots of money in a short time, it is a shiny but shit country but there you go'. Just own it.

This nonsense that the UK is bad (expect in summer when it's not sweltering like the UAE) that Dubai is amazeballs is just silly.

Go on holiday there if must. Get your poor kids out of there asap.

So you will use the services when you return?

Well I suspect the posters who feel strongly about this probably aren't living in or contributing to the economy of those countries... Unlike you.

Your responses are so depressing. No concern whatsoever for anyone other than yourself, coupled with complete denial about the scale of the problem where you choose to live.

Oh the British media do, do they?
How many times have you trotted this hackneyed old phrase out?!
What are you reading/watching?

The thing about these treads is that when asked about slavery, the OP always wrings their hands and says “ooh, yeah, right, ooh - I’ve always felt a bit uncomfortable about that to be honest” .

But they never actually vote with their feet and go back home where it’s colder and they might have to pay their taxes…

Do you own your own home in the UK and does someone live in and manage it whilst you're away?

It's not all media portraying the UK with doom and gloom. And if you are here for months you will have noticed it yourself.

Which media outlets are you reading, watching?

You live in the very unstable ME bit don't think you'll ever need FO assistance?