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.

You're very wrong about that. Labour camps are easily visible to drive past. You see the guys in their gangs hanging about the electronics sections of the mall department store at the weekends. You see them out playing cricket on the derelict waste ground. Kids get used to interacting with other nationalities in taxis, food shops etc and are well aware of the divisions of labour in Dubai. Second only to the Emiratis are the wealthy Indians who have relocated to Dubai or whose fathers have had businesses there for years. They are one of THE most racist groups even more-so with their own fellow countrymen. Employing staff from other countries teaches you a great deal about their lives and home countries. While we may consider their salary a pittance it is indeed much more than they would ever earn at home. All the groups are just doing their best trying to improve their lifestyle regardless of their origins. As for seeing Emirati lifestyle well there are so few of them there in the overall population and there is little of the original culture left. There seems to be a train of thought that everyone in Dubai lives like an influencer at buffets, hotels etc. Ordinary everyday life is much the same as other places except yeah it's hotter and drier!

British man detained in Dubai for filming missiles in the night sky.

He's deleted what he filmed and saying how respectful the police are.

I'm so glad I live on our damp, green, democratic and complain-y island.

He's been detained by the police, presumably he's still in Dubai. I don't blame him being nice about the police, sounds very sensible.

Exactly!

The sheer hate on MN since the war started towards people who have chosen to live there is just unreal. Sweeping generalisations about how 99 percent would leave their staff and pets, about how they're all airheads, about how they deserve a bomb under them (that was said about a week ago) and God knows what else. As if people who moved to Dubai are all this one homogenous, evil group. Insane.

I don’t think people think they’re one homogenous group, but, by necessity, they have to have certain things in common:

1. willing to ignore the multiple human rights violations
2. willing to work in a place that is an Islamic authoritarian state with heavy censorship
3. willing to chance working in a place which typically carves out some leeway for westerners but has a brutal underlying regime which it can apply to westerners at the drop of a hat.

yes people might have their differences but the above apply to everyone that moves there

That I always find strange is people are always so obsessed with the British empire they ignore the absolute devastation of other empires, eg the Ottoman Empire. Let’s discuss that for a change.

the apologies, I'm talking about someone else. The chap I've seen released and grovelling was only 30-something. The 60yr old must still be with the police.

Doesn't seem much talk about it but on TV this morning they said he'd still in custody.

And the weird thing is they have a ton of people who have issues with a multi cultural society in the UK and are often concerned we are one step from sharia law - but go and live in that - the ones spouting this shit like Tice are the ones I have a big issue with - paid by the uk tax payer too to be based elsewhere. Seems to me they are fine with multi cultural ‘provided ‘ they are wealthy and that the poor ones there ‘know their place’ and act as servants to white wealthy . It’s all very colonial and retro , just how those people like it.

i have less issue with those who just see it as an opportunity to do a contract make some tax free money, don’t use servants and usually then get out - most of those people are well aware of what it is. I wouldn’t personally do it, but then they aren’t me.

@Crikeyalmighty what do you mean paid by the Uk tax payer too to be based elsewhere? I'm lost ...

Well as an MP, personally I don’t think our MPs should be based outside the UK when paid for by the public purse

Why don't you start a different thread to discuss that if you are interested @Wellthisisdifficult

Who is this you refer to?

The two are not comparable. You can’t control what country you are born into.

If you move to the UAE from the UK, Europe etc. you are moving to a country built on and run by slaves. Countries that do not have the same universal respect for human rights as the UK and similar. That’s a choice.

This has long been a horrible country with horrendous human rights abuses. Why should anyone feel sorry for you?