Possibility of moving to Dubai - Garhoud

[MaryIngalls]

DH is in talks for a job in Dubai. Initial indications are a decent enough pay package, but we pay housing and schooling (DD just started Year 1). No initial recon trip (we have visited once before though, and DH was there for couple of months on a project), they will pay family airfare and one month's hotel stay. Anything else we should bear in mind during initial salary discussions?
DH office will be in Garhoud. DD currently goes to outstanding rated state school in UK. There seems to be a 'good' rated school in Garhoud - Cambridge International School. I've read the online reviews, any other experience/ opinions would be vey welcome.
Also what would be a good place to live. We aren't into nightlife etc but do want a nice neighbourhood, with enough to do for kids. We are looking to rent a 3 or 4 bed apartment rather than a villa.
Internet research is on, but would love to hear from others with first-hand experience!

[MaryIngalls]

One flight home for the family every year, and yes just one company car for the family. That's no good? Oh dear :( don't think they are going to improve on the offer...

[MaryIngalls]

By the way, do people rent furnished or unfurnished?

[samuelwhiskers]

Usually unfurnished. I think the package is just about doable but you won't save much. I thought rents had come down since we were there, I think you might find something for 180,000 dhs a year but look on dubizzle.com. Just looked and you can get a 2 bed plus study in Palmera, Arabian Ranches for that.

[samuelwhiskers]

or nice 3 bed in Mirdiff which is nearer to Garhoud for 175,000 but 8750 agency fees! Perhaps the company would pay for the first cheque and fees?

[Barbie1]

Mary,
I would start looking at schools first off. The fees vary massively and like I said you might not even get a space for this term. To get a space you have to pay a registration fee which is normally 500aed to put our dd name on the list. This is non refundable and you will probably need to be on at least three lists

[Barbie1]

Also the 'villa' is a fairly recent development a little out of town and on a back road which would take you right to garhood. Rents are cheaper as its still being developed but you will get more space for your money.

Will dh be working at festival city? Can you tell what line of work he is in, I will be able to check with friends in Dubai who might be in the same line of work what they get?

[MaryIngalls]

DH will be working in Garhoud, the office is close to GGICO metro station. He is into supply chain, been offered a management role at one of the luxury automobile groups in Dubai .
Thanks for the tip on the Villa, will check it out.

[MaryIngalls]

Thanks Samuel, will look at Mirdif as well

[samuelwhiskers]

just another tip (if you're not confused by now...). Search for quite a few suitable schools, the ones I remember are DESS, JPS, Wellington, perhaps ask expatwoman the ones in Mirdiff and off Emirates road,Springs etc that they recommend and then email or phone the admission secretary them to see if there are places ( people leave Dubai all the time). I got a place for my DCs that way. I don't think you can get a house until you arrive as you generally need to be quick.

[MaryIngalls]

Good idea Samuel, will do that once we have a handle on timeframes

[MaryIngalls]

Update...DH has accepted the Dubai job, he thinks it's going to be good for his career. So compensation package stands at what it is, we'll have to make do. He'll probably go ahead of me and DD and stay in a hotel while he looks at schools and houses. He still has a couple of months of notice period to serve in current job so he will go in November and me and DD in Jan.
We plan to ship the bulk of our belongings, any recommendations welcome. Also any recommendations re stuff we should definitely carry from here rather than buy over there?

[Barbie1]

Mary congrats

Find out what the company policy for shipping is. What size container/ air freight will they supply you with.

Ours said 20ft, we got three quotes and the company choose which one we could use. In the end the removal company turned up with a 40ft container and told us to fill it! We took everything...

How long is the contract?

[MaryIngalls]

They won't supply us with anything. They are paying a fixed allowance to be used for shipping and/ or buying things. So it's upto us really. It's a permanent job, so no outside time limit really, we are there as long as DH wants to be in that job.

[MaryIngalls]

Sorry Barbie forgot to say thanks for the wishes, right now I am more anxious than excited. Hopefully the excitement will come later!

[Barbie1]

Try sterling relocation. We have used them for all our moves.

If its long term I'd be tempted to take everything. Dubai will be 'home'

[MaryIngalls]

I am most definitely taking pretty much everything I own except furniture, curtains etc. Will need to downsize though as live in a 4 bed house in UK at the moment, and thinking of 3 or 4 bed apartment in Dubai. Moreover it's a good opportunity to de-clutter :-). My question was more whether you would recommend that I buy any specific items in the UK and send it over with the rest of the personal stuff.

[LadybirdsAreFab]

The salary is fine but if you want to do 100 pound per person brunches every week and wear designer clothes it won't go far.

We are in Mirdif, between us we earn slightly less (on a par when you include bonuses) and we save. Our villa is 3 bedrooms with a huge majilis and we pay AED 100,000. We also have a pool but no garden. Our DEWA over the summer (we don't go home) is about AED 1,200 per month, the rest of the year it is about AED 800. We have insulated where we can. If we rented the villa now it would be slightly more. 4 bedrooms are about AED 150,000.

I work in Garhoud (next to GGICO metro station) and it takes me a maximum of 20 minutes to get to work.

We have just cancelled our satellite TV subscription as we have found a way to get UK tv.

There are lots of good schools around here, our DD goes to Gems Royal Dubai which is 10 mins from our house.

We love Dubai, came for a 2 year contract in 2002 and we are still here. We have been in Mirdif all that time, never been tempted to look elsewhere, lots of parks, near to several shopping malls and have lots of friends here.

[Barbie1]

To be honest I would weigh up the cost of shipping everything rather than re buying furniture etc.

You can really get everything in Dubai so there is nothing 'major' you have to worry about shipping. However if you like nice things it might cost more to replace in Dubai.

[MaryIngalls]

Thanks Barbie. My furniture here is already due for replacing, it has taken a fair amount of battering during DD's growing up years. That's the main reason I don't plan to carry it with me. We will probably look at Ikea or second hand stuff when we get there. Guessing I can donate all the winter woollies, except for the odd cardi etc? I do get cold very easily though and remember needing a cardigan in the air conditioned Dubai Malls even in the summer.

[MaryIngalls]

Thanks Ladybird, that makes me feel so much better. Afraid we aren't 100 pound brunch type people, hope that won't affect our ability to make friends . Jokes apart, your post makes me feel much better about our decision.
I am a banker by training, worked for a gazillion years before turning SAHM. Hoping to look for jobs in Dubai after we have settled in.
Please please pm me a way to get UK TV, as a SAHM, am sure I would have huge reliance on the TV!
How old is your DD? Does she do a lot of stuff outside school? My DD is nearly 6, and I need to make extra effort to keep her busy among children as she is an only child - so she currently does ballet, swimming, gymnastics, Rainbows. Wonder how reachable and affordable these things are over there?

[Barbie1]

In that case check out dubizzle for bargains.

Swimming is done in most schools, most apartments, communities how pools which are free to use. It's the only way to keep cool in the summer months!

Private lessons vary, group lessons are charged per term. Normally 12 sessions are about 600aed.

There will be so many expats and locals for your daughter to play with and most schools put on after school activities for a fee.

You will need a VPN address which makes your computer think you are in the uk and that way you can watch itv player, bbc etc. it's easy to do and will set you back about £10 a month.

[MaryIngalls]

Oh that's brilliant! I am feeling increasingly better about this. Thanks ladies.

[samuelwhiskers]

Congrats Mary! You will love it after all the initial frustrating start up hassles. Mirdiff looks good for commute time and schools. It really is worth bearing this in mind for your DH as roads can be horrendous.

The only things that I found difficulty in buying were nice sheets and duvet covers - The White company there was hideously expensive but there is Ikea. Any electrical stuff is very cheap so don't worry about taking worn out stuff. We just took toys and bought everything else although it didn't feel like home for a bit without our stuff. It looks as though you could be there for a long time so perhaps you should have a massive declutter and take the rest.

Make sure you choose a nice area where there is a pool for your DD. We met friends through our community pool and at school. There are loads of after school activities too.

Oh yes, you will need a jumper, cardigans. One morning it was 14 degrees doing the school run and we had the heating on in the car!

[MaryIngalls]

Thanks so much Samuel, I love MN... I couldn't have got so much useful information in a month of internet research! The plan as of now is for DH to go in December and go and see schools (I will call them up within the next week, and get place on waitlist) and houses. DD and I will join him in Jan, hopefully school place will be in place by then.