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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not want to go to Dubai?

276 replies

BrieAndChilli · 28/10/2018 14:55

DH sister (much younger - in her 20s) is moving to Dubai - her friend moved over there, she’s visited a couple of times had a great time partying so has now got a job out there. All good. She’s leaving end of the month. We will all miss her but not DHs family are talking about going over there for a family holiday next year.
I’ve looked at flights and for the 5 of us it would be about £3k plus then accommodation as I doubt she would be able to put us all up plus spending money etc.
We have never spent that amount of money on a holiday but if she was in austrialia/Thailand/America I would scrimp and save as I know we would have a great time.
However from what I have read about Dubai it’s basically a giant shopping mall in the desert. Fine if all you want when you go on holiday is to sit around the pool all day and eat and drink all night but that’s not us nor the kids.
Would I be unreasonable to say thanks but no thanks I’d rather go on an expensive holiday elsewhere?

Not to drop feed but when we were in our 20s we went abroad for 3 years so MIL, SIL who was a young teenager, aunt and cousin all came out 2 years running for a holiday with us in the south of France.
However that was much much cheaper than Dubai!!

OP posts:
sinceIwannatalk · 29/10/2018 14:31

@Allsouls - I have met a good many Chinese families that have come here as part of the infrastructure development teams. I know a lot of Filipinos, both in the service industries as well as in managerial positions. I do meet a lot of Emirati students as a part of my job. I also know a lot of lovely British families that have lived here for a long time - from the ones that came here in William Duff's time; to the lot that arrived in the 1990s-2000s, which include several of my sons' friends and teachers, many of whom have returned back here. I have many friends from South Asian countries that are at odds with my own, but we still get along very well here. Several folks from my own country have managed to save money, build houses and educate their children back home. I don't know any Jews here, just as I don't know too many Muslims that have not faced issues in Israel.

I also know folks that come here for just a 'couple of years' or 'stop over at the airport' and go back with rather skewed versions of the place.

Prostitutes, maids et al can be found in several other cities too, and not just Dubai.
As Livinginatreehouse has pointed out, there are deeply flawed opinions here, and I think I've spent enough time trying to narrate the other point of view.
Over and out - and peace.

callmeadoctor · 29/10/2018 14:32

Think OP has left the building!!

desertmum · 30/10/2018 08:16

All of the posters who say they would never go as it's soulless and just a huge shopping mall, no culture etc etc can I ask a few questions?

a) have you ever actually been there yourself or is this all heresay?
b) where do you go on holiday ? and what do you do there? Do you go to Venice, or Florence, or Berlin?

c) Do you go to Thailand? India? Cyprus? Indonesia? All of these places have terrible human rights records, sex trafficking etc.

It always amazes me that Dubai is so hated on here, but I am sure many of you go to other countries with problems and issues.

If all the Dubai haters go to cultural centres for holidays and eat the local food and drink the local alcohol that is all well and good.

So where do all the Dubai haters go on their holidays?

Haggisfish · 30/10/2018 08:19

I mainly holiday in the uk! I wouldn’t go to any of the places you listed in c, in part because of the huge levels of poverty and the issues you discuss. I absolutely would not go to a Middle Eastern country because of the attitude towards women.

LadyRochfordsSpikedGusset · 30/10/2018 08:34

I wouldn't say I'm a Dubai hater desertmum, it just doesn't appeal to me so I haven't visited- that's ok too isn't it?

As I said I lived abroad for a good while and befriended many ex-pats who were required to work there sometimes, the best praise I heard was about the shopping - not much else was mentioned in a positive light.

There are so many amazing places to visit in the world and I've visited a lot of them. Dubai doesn't appeal to me.

19lottie82 · 30/10/2018 08:36

I’ve been to Dubai and I loved it.

I didn’t feel intimidated or less uperior than my husband at any point during my visit.

It’s really not as conservative as people think. Alcohol is served in lots of restaurants and bars. Women can pretty much wear what they want, unless going somewhere with religious significance. Although common sense tells you when it’s a good idea to cover up.

There is LOADS to do, especially for kids.

I can’t wait to go back, but if you don’t want to go OP, then don’t, it’s a lot of money!

feesh · 30/10/2018 12:14

The shopping is actually crap here. Most expats wait till they go home in the summer and fill a suitcase. For fairly obvious reasons, both high street and designer goods are a LOT more expensive in Dubai than in Europe or America.

19lottie82 · 30/10/2018 12:20

The shopping is actually crap here.....both high street and designer goods are a LOT more expensive in Dubai than in Europe or
America

Wow, I wouldn’t say it was crap at all! Quite the opposite in fact!

The dubai and emirates malls are just amazing! And then you have the sooks (?) for the more traditional pieces.

I thought the prices in the malls were the same or maybe slightly more expensive (10%?) than UK prices, but there was far more choice.

thegreylady · 31/10/2018 09:27

Salaries are a lot higher in Dubai though. My ds will be earning nearly 3x what he got in his last place, same job same company.

PollyFlinderz · 31/10/2018 09:49

Salaries are a lot higher in Dubai though. My ds will be earning nearly 3x what he got in his last place, same job same company

Living expenses are also a lot higher and packages aren’t what they used to be.

It can be a shock to people.

PollyFlinderz · 31/10/2018 09:51

I thought the prices in the malls were the same or maybe slightly more expensive (10%?) than UK prices, but there was far more choice

The rule of thumb is generally what you’d pay in pounds you double it.

Presh12345 · 31/10/2018 09:54

I spotted some dresses in a well known store here in Dubai. They were on sale. There was also a sale in same shop in UK. I tried them on, made sure they fitted and ordered them online, saving myself £170. Its expensive to live here but we have so many other positive things.

VerbeenaBeeks · 31/10/2018 09:59

The thing I really valued out there was how safe I felt, even in the middle of the night, travelling on public transport was a dream because the front section of the trains and buses are for women and children only

Shock See, if that's true to me, that's added to the list of reasons I DON'T want to go there - segregating men and women on buses?
It's reminded me of the Rosa Parks bus incident but with women instead of skin colour!
Nope.
Anyway - YANBU op, although if you have family out there I can see why you feel you may need to visit.

Prettyvase · 31/10/2018 10:02

A self catered flat is cheaper, it is clean and safe, there are nice beaches and lots of activities for children: lots of museums, the science one is great etc and the Women's Museum in the old town is worth a visit.

Lakely · 31/10/2018 10:09

Love Dubai and it's amazing for kids- some fantastic waterparks etc. Just go- it's only on Mumsnet that people have a real issue with it. You can go camel trekking and experience a bit of middle eastern culture, explore the desert and sand dunes, eat fantastic food, cruise along the sea... You'll have a fab time.

19lottie82 · 31/10/2018 10:10

The rule of thumb is generally what you’d pay in pounds you double it.

I saw nothing remotely like that when I was in either of the mall of the emirates or the Dubai mall, earlier this year. As per my PP there was a slight increase (0-20% absolute max), but nowhere near double!

19lottie82 · 31/10/2018 10:11

PS food and drink are expensive when eating out though, I’d say double for that. On par with New York.

PollyFlinderz · 31/10/2018 10:42

PS food and drink are expensive when eating out though, I’d say double for that. On par with New York

Thanks Lottie, I’ve lived in the region for 42 years and I’m quite confident I have an idea of what’s what.

19lottie82 · 31/10/2018 10:59

Thanks Lottie, I’ve lived in the region for
42 years and I’m quite confident I have an
idea of what’s what.

You’re welcome.

Maybe you do re food and drink, but I’m presuming all of the other posters don’t.

UAEMum · 31/10/2018 15:22

Verbeenabeeks the women's carriage is optional. Women can choose to go in the other carriages, but men cannot go in the women's carriage obvs

sinceIwannatalk · 31/10/2018 15:26

segregating men and women on buses?
It's reminded me of the Rosa Parks bus incident but with women instead of skin colour!
Nope.

This is NOTHING like the Rosa Perks bus incident! There is a 'women only' carriage, which is pretty different to herding women into one section. Women are free to sit anywhere in the train/bus. There's a women only carriage so women, especially those commuting alone with children (and prams) can have an easier trip without being squashed in with everyone else (no manspreading issues, which seems to be a big issue, judging from the posts here on Mumsnet; and no harassing either - which folks like me, that come from countries that face this, might appreciate.)

I totally get the point that it is horses for courses and not everyone would like the same place, but the level of tangential thought (in the wrong direction) on this thread is astounding!

sinceIwannatalk · 31/10/2018 15:28

cross-posted with UAEmum, sorry!

VerbeenaBeeks · 31/10/2018 16:05

sinceIwannatalk
Fair enough if women can actually sit anywhere and be mixed on the bus, that wasn't so clear in the post and sounded like women were kept separate from men.
Glad that isn't the case if so and they can sit where they like. Smile

PastaRedWine · 01/11/2018 14:25

Laughing at so many of the misconceptions on here from people who have never actually been to Dubai 😆

I adore the women's carriages and the women's queues personally. I am free to stand where I like though.

What I also love is the fact my teenage daughter can wear a bikini on the beach and nobody will ogle, cat call or make her feel uncomfortable. Try that in Spain, Italy or the UK! DD could be a young teen and not face any hassling.

I also like the fact that men in the UAE do not ever walk around the streets topless. Urghhh. Unlike the sodding UK where the temperature hits 20 and you get guys stripping off wandering the streets. Never happens in Dubai, thank god.

And for the poster above who laughed at the fact Dubai wouldn't have a synagogue. Think again. One was built by a previous sheik who had a close employee who was Jewish. And Israel stamps a piece of paper and not your passport when you visit it, so it's not an issue
there either.

VerbeenaBeeks · 01/11/2018 16:19

I adore the women's carriages and the women's queues personally. I am free to stand where I like though

That's where we all differ though, as the thought of having women only carriages and queues makes me shudder, to me it's like "let's mark the wimmin out as being speshul and needing to be kept separate and delicate" even if in theory you can stand in mixed queues if you like.
Nope, re-inforced my never want to go, the way they apparently mark out women as different and treat them is just not for me.
Each to their own though.

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