I live in Dubai. AMA

[TheHulksPurplePanties]

I see people ask all the time. So here you go. Been here 12 years.

Why is Skype banned?

Why is an exit visa required? Why can't you just book a flight and go somewhere on a whim if you wanted to?

You can.

Exit visa no longer required pamster - used to be, but no longer, and not for the last 10 years.

I have a question. Why are all the good old places shutting? I miss MJs steakhouse, the ivy (ok so not old, but still, it shouldn’t have gone), le Classique, etc. all my favorite places are closing wail

hopelessly - do you mind if I answer the question about dealing with Emiratis and climate change? I sit on a board internally within my employer regarding environmental considerations within construction projects. The majority are locals who have earned BREEAM and LEED qualifications. Tesla cars are everywhere (3 local colleagues got theirs delivered last week), and the majority of new taxis are at least hybrids, and my understanding is that they’re moving towards electric taxis for future fleet improvements.

Worker conditions - also something that I know a hell of a lot about. Things have improved significantly over the last 10 years I’ve been here. It’s not perfect, but nowhere is. Workers rights are much better protected, and many embassies have introduced minimum salaries for their nationals.

Conditions on building sites - HSE is improving day by day. Summer working hours prevent any outdoor work between (usually) 12:30 and 3pm for the hottest months of the year. Working hours are limited. Yes, there are some Bastard employers. However, all government funded projects must have their workers accommodation vetted and approved, evidence of salaries being paid can be requested at any time, HSE breaches are taken seriously (eg major international companies being banned from working on govt projects for a year after 6 workers were seriously injured, a different major international contractor having its HSE manager jailed for failure to comply after a tower crane collapse etc). Things are moving the right way.

girlgone - the swim up bar at bab al shams is awesome. It’s very sticking your head in an oven and I wouldn’t be here if I had a choice, but I do like the pool bar there...

Would you recommend Bab Al Shams beginning of August?!?

Depends on how much you love the heat. It is like sticking your head in an oven, but if you do nothing but sit in the pool you'll be ok.

No exit visas required since at least 2002. You can need paperwork if eg your visa is being cancelled (change of employer, for example) but you can generally just get on a plane 😀

When I copied فأر into Google it returned pictures of mice, is this what you meant?!

Yeah, I didn't make much sense there. Basically, the countries here say one thing about Israel politically but don't do much to help the Palestinians, or really want anything to change.

How often do you deal with Emiratis (is that the right term? The wealthy citizens) and what were your experiences?

Every day, I work at a predominantly Emirati business. And LOL to the idea that they are all wealthy, not at all. Most are what I would call middle class. For the most part they're no different than anyone else. Education wise they have far more opportunities than most people, but their is also a lot of pressure to excel for their country.

Day to day how often do foreigners see/ hear about the poor immigrants working in bad conditions eg on building sites? Is it something you aren't really aware of if you don't go looking for information?

You see it everyday. There are countless campaigns to raise awareness and ways to report it and many do.

Can you still be put in jail for bankruptcy? Have you had to take any special precautions against the laws there?

No, no.

What is the attitude to climate change in Dubai and amongst Emiratis in particular? And the attitude to reducing their own carbon emissions/ environmental footprint?

It's considered a top priority. There is a lot of money and effort going towards making things sustainable, honestly it would take me pages to write out all of the things being done, but perhaps the biggest is that creation of the knowledge economy, which will move them away from reliance on fossil fuels and spur sustainable technologies and development.

Why is an exit visa required? Why can't you just book a flight and go somewhere on a whim if you wanted to?

You can now, I said when I originally moved to the region I was required to have an exit visa.

Why is Skype banned?

Because the two major telecom companies like money. It waffles though, banned one week, then the government will say that they can't ban it, so it will come back for a while, then they will try and ban it again. So forth and so on. Everyone just uses a VPN.

Hopelessly devoted, not all Emiratis are wealthy, especially in the northern emirates. I come across them a fair bit through work and because my kids are at a very international school - more Emirati kids than any other single nationality - they are as varied as any other group of people, generally very hospitable.

You can still be put in jail for financial reasons such as bouncing cheques. There have been some moves towards western style treatment of bankruptcy but there is a way to go. No special precautions required though....

You can still be put in jail for financial reasons such as bouncing cheques.

No you can't. That was scrapped a few years ago. Or else I'd be rotting in prison .

@TheHulksPurplePanties thank you! I'm still tempted by the blue sky....

And @MardAsSnails the pool bar!

I'm still tempted by the blue sky....

It's really more greyish in the summer I'm afraid. A lot of dust in the air. On the bright side, it means you don't have to worry too much about sun block.

I've commented before - I live in Kuwait. So so so different to Dubai. Myself and DH are teachers - we are comfortable but not massively well off.

Lots of institutionalised racism here. Eg in my school you are paid based on your nationality. So I do the same job as the ladies from the Philippines and get paid more than 3x as much purely because i am British.
I have 2 different ladies who come one day a week to clean, iron etc. I pay them above average.

It's a nice life here - very chilled and laid back. Hot as balls all the time but you work around it. It's peaceful, the majority of Kuwaitis (incl the family I rent from) are friendly and the kids can be kids here.

Hulks - you can. Depends on various factors, including size of cheque, but I can assure you it still happens.

Prison for cheque bouncing - just checked and it is currently only for 200,000 dhs and up. Still there though....

Below that amount you can be fined up to 10,000 dhs. It isn’t automatic but again, it happens. And the creditor can request a travel ban until they are paid.

As a foreign woman living there are there any negatives for you that wouldn't apply to a foreign man?

Hopelessly - not really. There are some irritations (not as many as there used to be) but there are also some benefits - shorter queues etc- again, not as many as there used to be. I’m a single mum; no issues with that, either.

Did you find the SATC 2 film really cringe worthy?!

Dubai is an amazing place to live. Never seen or experienced so much modern living and amazing leisure options available in one place not to mention the extreme delicious cuisine from all around the world in one place!
You have the best of each and every country In this one place. I lived there for 2 years from 2014-2016. Home to some of the best malls in the world, amazing architecture and give you the new and clean feel due to the whole city being built and expanded mainly over the past 10-15 years. Amazing nightlife even for young kids where the climate is cooler in the evenings and nights so places are usually open till late night weekdays and till early hours of the morning on weekends.
We visit there atleast once a year now due to many friends and old colleagues we kept in touch with so it's a holiday and catch up in one.
It is one of the safest countries to live in or visit, especially for single women. Men would generally be scared to harass a woman in public because those kind of complaints are seen as very serious. I knew and heard of men being arrested and imprisoned on just one sided police complaint and kept there until court dates have become available to hear their side. If found guilty they are imprisoned and deported and blacklisted once sentence was complete. Similar with other offences of a serious nature. The fine system is very strict and severe too, for driving offences and jay walking etc. which really helps towards people abiding by the law and fearful of breaking the law. Something which countries like Britain can learn from.
However one thing I really hated there was the class system. Natives being the top dogs followed by 1st world nationalities, British, American, Australian European nationalities and then the 2nd and 3rd world at the bottom. The laws are flexible for those higher nationalities and better job opportunities and favouritism (unless you have someone on the inside who can pull some strings for you).
Arab men are generally very nice and tolerant but the women can be very snobby and arrogant. There is not much equality there between the classes where laws are very lenient for the natives yet severely punishable for non emirati national. Also all the top positions are more than likely filled by the emirati nationals who at times have no experience or education to to justify their job title. They are given assistants to do all their work for them, this is mostly at government level positions. Nepotism being the concluding factor.
10-12 years ago the living cost was less then half of what it was in the U.K. Now Dubai is in some places twice as expensive as the U.K. Everything has to be paid for schooling, medical expenses etc unless it is offered in benefits within a job. The emirati nationals (natives) getting it for free of course. Plus doesn't matter how long you have lived there, you could be many generations born and brought up but you cannot become a national. And would have to pay and renew your resident visa every couple of years. Back in the early 80's they offered for a short period nationality but to gain that you had to forfeit your original nationality so those that took the offer have benefitted but those that didn't continue to be classed within their nationality status.
So an amazing and beautiful state that has so much luxury and incredible lifestyle to offer those that can afford it but no sense of equality or fair standards.

Sorry OP hope you didn't mind me posting. Got so carried away didn't ask my question.
So do you see what I experienced as something that is obvious to you? Or what are your experiences on this??

Prison for cheque bouncing - just checked and it is currently only for 200,000 dhs and up. Still there though....

Yes, saw that. Luckily my cheques aren't for anywhere near that. Although I have noticed the banks here like to bounce cheques for "irregular" signatures without rhyme or reason, I've had to pay about 2000 aed for these and refuse to write cheques now.

As a foreign woman living there are there any negatives for you that wouldn't apply to a foreign man?

Yes. I live in Dubai but I'm employed through Abu Dhabi which has stricter sponsorship laws, as such I can't sponsor my husband or children. This is a massive issue for us.

Also, I would not advice any woman to report sexual assault or rape to the police unless they absolutely have to, and after advice from their embassies. Things are changing, but this aspect is hit or miss.

There is everyday sexism which can be problematic. On a whole the country is incredibly supportive of women in the work place and in education, much more so than I experienced in any other country I lived or worked in, but the culture is one where women are considered to be in need of protection, which leads to lots of women only spaces and times, which cements this idea of weakness. I could honestly write an essay on how female only spaces are dangerous for women's rights, but that maybe for another board. ;)

Did you find the SATC 2 film really cringe worthy?!

Yes. Can't stand it.
Did love the Force Awakens though, us and some friends went dune bashing in the empty quarter looking for the set. We were turned away by well dressed men on quad bikes when we got too close.