To move to Dubai

[mrsfury]

Hi everyone! I've probably posted in the wrong place, so sorry if I have!

Just wanted to hear from anyone who lives/lived in Dubai. DH has been offered a great job out there with his current company. We're both young (30) and DD is nearly 1 so wouldn't be taking her out of school or anything like that.

Any information/opinions etc would be greatly received!

I lived there for a bit, and have family who have been there since the early 70s with just a few years break in the 80s. We love it and intend to spend winters there when we retire.

I can only judge from my POV as a daughter of someone who has lived in Dubai for 15+ years.

I would absolutely not live there under any circumstances.

Superficially you have the nice restaurants/shopping centres but it doesn't have any of the culture that you could experience in any other country.

Their treatment of the construction workers is enough to put me off tbh. And the fact that you pay no tax at at all. There is no social welfare. And let's not forget that should you go bankrupt, you get thrown in prison. Say you get attacked in one of these fancy nightclubs, you get thrown in prison for having sex outside of marriage.

If you want to earn money quick and then dart, it's the perfect place to do so. But I think that comes at a moral cost.

Why do people refer to themselves as expats? The word is immigrant. If you move to another country, you're an immigrant.

Or does that only apply to anyone who isn't white?

And let's not forget that should you go bankrupt, you get thrown in prison

This isn't true. You get a fine. The law has changed - please make sure you research your statements before fear-mongering

My SIL has been working in Dubai. She’s late 20s and from her instagram has been having the time of her life these past 18 months, drinking, partying, subbing on the beach/pool, glamorous nights out etc.
But she’s quit her job and coming back as she’s burnt out, can’t cope with the long hours and it’s really expensive.

Last Christmas she got the day off as a white westerner, (who is atheist) but the Filipinos in her company who are staut catholic’s and for whom Christmas was a religious festival weren’t allowed the day off - just an example of the racist inequality over there based on the colour of you skin. I know you get racism everywhere but it’s very blatant over there
We looked at going over to visit with the kids but to be honest unless you like sitting by the pool and then drinking in the evening there wasn’t much to do , - go to the mall, go skiing for extortionate price, water park and a trip into the desert to see camels.

@Whataloadofshite you call yourself an expat in the UAE bc you're not an immigrant, you are a guest worker with no right to live in Dubai after your visa expires. There is no immigration to the UAE, just work visas. if you have a son, he's booted from your visa at 18 (girls can stay on daddy's visa until marriage).

We’ve been here for 17 years (came for 2 initially) and like anywhere there are pros and cons. Like PPs have said, it is expensive but schools and housing are mostly covered by companies. Our children were born here and educated here and are very happy. We have friends from all over the world and we have all met people from cultures that we probably wouldn’t have come into contact with if we’d stayed in the UK. As a woman, I feel very safe. My DH works long hours but (generally!) enjoys his job. Arts and culture have improved massively in the last few years too. If you come and are fairly sensible, you can save money (as long as you get don’t get drawn into the flash cars, bling lifestyle that is easily available.) Yes, there is currently an economic downturn, particularly in the airline and tourism industry where many redundancies have been made, but obviously the same is happening globally.

I’ve been here 16yrs. The economy is very rocky at the moment, so would say it depends what sector your husband is in and the package he’s getting. I would hold until 2021 if you can, just to see how the economy plays out. Oil is through the floor and tourism is non-existent, so the UAE will take a battering this year. It’s expensive to move and set up here, so would bide your time a little.

Thank you everyone. It's great to hear from people that are there now and have lived there. I am really shocked to hear how bad it can be out there but there are always pros and cons. The move wouldn't be til next year, we currently live in a place that is heavily reliant on tourism and without it the island will just not survive.

You have all given me a lot think about and also to read up on! Thank you!

How can you not go?

What a great opportunity - you can shoot over to the Maldives, Malaysia etc which are relatively near, local middle-eastern countries, good food, come over here for a month or two in the summer - what's not to like?

And the Emiratis don't give a flying fuck what any westerners think of their system/culture etc. It's theirs and why should they?

How can you not go?

What a great opportunity - you can shoot over to the Maldives, Malaysia etc which are relatively near, local middle-eastern countries, good food, come over here for a month or two in the summer - what's not to like?

And the Emiratis don't give a flying fuck what any westerners think of their system/culture etc. It's theirs and why should they?

This is exactly the type of person who is attracted to Dubai -- uninformed, materialistic, apolitical, unable to think beyond their travel plans and income. Think about how much of that kind of company you can stand.

Having paid a short visit there for work I couldn’t live there.

Running air con the whole time, everywhere, to deal with 40’ heat is such an environmental nightmare. And the car presence, huge upmarket engines burning up that cheap fuel. I am not attracted to Vegas for the same reason.

Can anyone elaborate more on the modern day slavery thing please?

Dont understand much about that.
Thanks

Woah, attacked in nightclubs and people on holiday in Dubai drinking alcohol. I thought Dubai was run by muslims. And there is no alcohol in islam. But then again I have heard that Dubai is very 'modern' trying to get more western .

There is discrimination and racism and both are open and permitted; you will experience modern day slavery; there is no freedom of speech, no social security, big brother watches you all the time

But live by the rules of Dubai and you will be fine

sounds like a dream...

@Squince

How can you not go?

What a great opportunity - you can shoot over to the Maldives, Malaysia etc which are relatively near, local middle-eastern countries, good food, come over here for a month or two in the summer - what's not to like?

And the Emiratis don't give a flying fuck what any westerners think of their system/culture etc. It's theirs and why should they?

This is exactly the type of person who is attracted to Dubai -- uninformed, materialistic, apolitical, unable to think beyond their travel plans and income. Think about how much of that kind of company you can stand.

LOL.

I bow to your obviously superior, self-righteous wisdom.

They aren’t stolen and chained up like the black slaves of old but they are still enslaved but economics and fear. Because they earn more money than they can at home (but still pennies compared to everyone else) they put up with abuse and having no personal life, having passports ‘kept’ by thier enployers so they do not have the freedom to just go back home. They often still owe people for the transport to UAE. The ruler of Dubai’s daughters keep trying to escape and are kidnapped and taken back.

I assume people who live in Dubai think the BLM movement is a load of rubbish then? I know the U.K. is built on slaves and we still have a long way to go but part of that is not actively taking part in modern day slavery but living somewhere that does openly engage in it and by employing maids for less than I would expect to get paid for the same job.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.independent.co.uk/voices/commentators/johann-hari/the-dark-side-of-dubai-1664368.html%3famp

I wouldn't. Built on slave labour and a system which is institutionally racist and sexist. And tacky as fuck.

If you are going for a couple of years and can squirrel away some money and have mates there you might enjoy it for a bit.

Longer term I couldn't live with myself living somewhere like that personally.

Go for it. Obviously do your research; join some expat facebook groups, perhaps see if there are any other colleagues of the company who have relocated that could give you honest advice.

You're young and if it doesn't work out after giving it a year, then you can always move back home. It's better having the regret of doing it than the regret of not.

@RunningAwaywiththeCircus

and by employing maids for less than I would expect to get paid for the same job.

Well that’s a bit ludicrous isn’t it? A fair wage - absolutely. The same as they would be paid if they worked in one of the most expensive countries on earth? Batshit.

In Dubai most jobs earn far more than the equivalent in the U.K. so why do maids and construction workers and cleaners earn far less?? If other jobs were also lower than the U.K. I would agree with you but that’s not the case in Dubai