Meant to be moving to Dubai in 4 weeks

[Medesres]

We've been planning a move to Dubai for a while now. Dh's work has an office out there and it seemed like great opportunity to live abroad and experience sth different. I've got a couple of friends out there already too who love the lifestyle.

Watching the news for the past 24 hours and I'm really starting to question things. I had no idea how close to Iran it was and who knows what might happen next. Part of me is hoping it will all be resolved soon but hard to believe.

My friend who already lives there has spent the night sleeping in one room with her dh and kids scared of all the missile noises.

Yes i think we have established that 28 pages in!

I wouldn't go but I hate the place anyway

Because EVERYONE who wants to move tk Dubai is stupid, according to the many, many posters who have replied to the OP's post explaining why they are better people.

The US Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report (2025) says UAE courts convicted 58 traffickers, including 31 for labour trafficking (and others for sex trafficking and “selling”).

So progress is being made.... yet people go "oh no, human rights"

I would have gone there, as part of experiencing the world, and to see the wildlife. Not for the lovely weather. I think experiencing apartheid would have been a kind of education in itself. A horrifying one, for sure, but eyewitnesses to history are important. You can speak with more authority and more convincingly about something if you have seen it with your own eyes, instead of just reading about it in the newspapers from half a world away. Visiting vastly different cultures forces you out of your comfort zone. I can't help but observe that not engaging with places you have a moral objection to leads to a narrower set of experiences.

I don’t think they’re wrong with their analogy of OP, I mean she was swayed by influencers and she didn’t even research the area.

And OP saying everyone wants to live there is going to get people pointing out they don’t! I mean what a stupid thing to say….. it’s like “you’re just upset you can’t live there”, no, we aren’t and for all the reasons listed!

Not neccesarily dim….crass, maybe?

Apologies for having a life outside of the internet.

@Katypp in all fairness I have said why it’s not for me, and I hated the intensely hot weather when we went and it was only May but was still hotter than Greece in August and I had awful aches and pains from constant aircon, I don’t like malls , the old bit was completely underwhelming, it felt very ‘Americanised’ but plenty of other places in the world i do like - certainly don’t think uk is the be all and end all - I do accept that it will suit some people, however you do need to do some research and see if it suits you and your family - not just look at the weather and the fact you might be able to afford a bit of underpaid ‘paid’ help. I also think in all honesty a big part of it also depends on what your life is like at home and where you live. Itsall very well me saying I would hate it but then I live in Bath, like European city’s , can go to nice places in Med every summer for 10 days - if I was stuck in my original midlands mining home town which has totally gone to shit - yep I could probably see the attraction.- if I lived in London in a pleasant bit - nope I wouldn’t see the attraction etc . What I will say is it wasn’t cheap, in fact really expensive, you will need that tax free income - to give you an example even 14 years ago those beach club Friday brunches which seem lovely and flash were around £60 each . - without booze!’

@FloofBunny yeah well Dubai sells itself as a lot of things - doesn't mean it is true does it?

It is right in the firing line for a proxy war between Iran/Hezbollah and the US/Israel. It has been that case for years. anyone who did not realise that before moving there is a bit dim.

It always sounds so weird to me. I wouldn’t go even without the bombing. But then I love nature and natural things but each to their own. Still don’t think the OP is real!

Too dim

She wasn't equating the two at all. You're just bullying her.

@Jerys I'd give up if I were you. You were open-minded enough to try it there and you had the temerity to enjoy the positive things that Dubai has to offer. You are now officially designated a BadPersonTM in the Mumsnet wokerati. I am also a BadPersonTM because I would go to Dubai despite its problems. Join the club!

To be fair I’ve been to Dubai many many times also been to Bahrain several times and I had no idea it was that close to Iran 😂 and checked on a map when I read the OP post

So the OP isn’t the only one who’s crap at Geography

I do know that Turkey is next to Syria and that Saudi is next to Bahrain

do I get any points for knowing that

Sorry but what now?
You were planning moving there but didn't realise how close to Iran it is??
Do people not do basic checks ???

I then gave the polygamy example. GCC allow it, we don't. We expect those moving here to follow our laws. We can follow the laws in the GCC.

Doesn't matter. You're a BadPersonTM now!

The really (really) obvious point that you’re missing, is that nobody is born married to multiple partners, but you are born gay.

Illegal polygamy doesn’t involve telling people who they are is illegal.

Not to add fuel to the flames here, but Germany borders nine countries.

And England borders 2.

Do tell me what is limited about stating the fact that not everybody wants to go there? I've been to plenty of places, I've been to the ME to another country bombed by the US. Before the fall of the iron curtain I've visited communist countries. None of that blinds me to the absolute fact that not everyone wants to go to Dubai. I didn't say I hadn't been or wouldn't go to it made no value judgement about it just stated a fact. If you want to talk about limited maybe have a think about your nasty judgemental attitude which seems quite limited to me.

OK, I'm off to check a map. Again.

And that is some rocket fuel you've got there! 🤣

ETA: You are right! And none of the smartypants PPscorrected my EIGHT figure although it was in caps. Including the pp who said that it was obvious which eight bordered Germany if you had only ever looked at a map once! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

I dont think it will be resolved by 4 weeks time but then again the Dubai airspace cant remain closed indefinitely, when it's safe the airspace will be opened. You should expect to delay moving there, that's all. The situation is either going to get worse or better, youl have an idea in a few weeks time.

Wrong, it borders 3.

Cornwall is a separate country in all but name. 🤭

Being really boring but can I just mention that if anyone is going abroad for a few years to make sure you pay voluntary NI to keep your years up or you may come back to less than full pension rate - particularly true if you haven’t yet got a ‘full card of 30 plus years’ and if you haven’t yet been getting contribution paid due to young children - I’m just doing this as H has a 2 year gap due to this and at 62 is4 years less than ‘full’