I Lived in the Middle East, AMA!

[bluecacti]

DH and I lived in the Middle East for three years, have now returned to the UK. Ask me anything!

Whereabouts in the middle east?
What did you do there?
What feels like the biggest change now you're back?

Whereabouts in the middle east?
Dubai

What did you do there
I didn't work, DH did.

What feels like the biggest change now you're back?
For me its my social life! In Dubai my week consisted of Friday brunches, yacht parties, ladies nights, coffee mornings, beach clubs, now its completely different!
But also the weather, the culture, the price of things and the people!

Did you mix much with local people or more expats?

What circumstances encouraged you to return to the UK?

Did you mix much with local people or more expats?
Both! Over 80% of the people that live in Dubai are expats, so we obviously mixed with them more but there were also local people that had lived there their whole lives that we were friends with!

What circumstances encouraged you to return to the UK?
DH's job was only a three year offer, and once that was over we had the option of extending for another three years but I was five months pregnant and I wanted to be around our families when the baby came, DH's job was very demanding so I knew it would be mostly me with the baby so I wanted to be closer to home. Had the circumstances been different we definitely would have stayed over there!

Were you not tempted to stay to have your baby and all the help etc available in the ME? I've had babies in the UK and now in SE Asia and I joke that I can't go back now because the help and the lifestyle we have here would be waaaaay beyond our reach in Europe!

"In Dubai my week consisted of Friday brunches, yacht parties, ladies nights, coffee mornings, beach clubs, now its completely different!"

Didn't you feel a bit grotty doing all these luxy things when they are literally built by slaves? I'm not saying we don't have hideous situations in the UK too but the entire of Dubai is literally built and sustained by slavery.

bluecacti, wishing you the best of luck with your pregnancy and delivery.

Were you not tempted to stay to have your baby and all the help etc available in the ME?
Definitely!! There was so much available there that isn't available in the UK, but the baby is the first grandchild for both of our families, my DM is on her own after my DF passed away a few years ago, and we wanted to be at home for them as much as for us.

Didn't you feel a bit grotty doing all these luxury things when they are literally built by slaves?
Ummm- I'm not really sure what you expect me to say...
You're definition of slaves could be different from mine, and like you say awful things happen in the UK and nobody thinks twice about hiring a foreign cleaner or using a company like pays under the minimum wage. I think things were against human rights and were awful but I'm not sure that what happens in Dubai is what classes as slave labour as it is in the history books.

@av3nturin3
Thank you!

Do you think your blinkered and under-informed post about the kafala system of ‘sponsoring’ migrant workers typifies British expats in Dubai?

"You're definition of slaves could be different from mine, and like you say awful things happen in the UK and nobody thinks twice about hiring a foreign cleaner or using a company like pays under the minimum wage"

Er yeah, they do.

You must socialize with some right grotty people to think that's the norm

I'm alright Jack Jack though, eh.