Possible move to Dubai, possibly quite soon. Anyone out there with good advice on areas for families, schools, life in general?

[Desertrunner]

DP (about to be DH) is in final stages of interview for a senior role in Dubai. Assuming he gets it, I believe I will be a quick turnaround so potentially we would be over there in July. Therefore I have been researching schools, areas etc and so far potentially can get the kids into Repton, with a view to living at Arabian Ranches or Villa Project. Anyone done this, and can give some advice? I know schooling can be a huge issue (with 3 kids this is my primary concern). Have been on expat woman etc and opinions seem to vary wildly so am looking for UK based ladies views if anyone can comment? Thanks

[Desertrunner]

Cheery - our crap 5 yrs was mainly due to 2 very bad divorces and issues from our respective ex partners so should hopefully not be the case in the ME!
And I plan to work full time and bring in a good salary of my own as I am actually a well qualified person with earning potential and career progression opportunities in my own right.
But thank you for your concern I do see your point.

[CluelessCrapParent]

If you will be working full time you will need to be looking into options for wrap around child care and the logistics around that or having a full time live in maid.

[Desertrunner]

We are planning to get married in the next few weeks anyway, so being an adulteress and going to prison isn't on my agenda!

[Desertrunner]

Clueless and matey - thanks that's really helpful info

Fideline - disappointed you aren't doing your own thread - I was looking forward to watching. I'd even got some buns out of my gold plated bun basket so I could throw them.

[Fideline987654321]

Jolly good. What I was getting at though was the timescales. You say you don't have our Nisi yet. Then 6 week wait until you can apply for your Absolute, which you need to give notice, which itself must be 15 days minimum before ceremony etc etc, so that is nine weeks plus. You seem confident it's hand though At least you are aware of the issue.

[Fideline987654321]

I'd even got some buns out of my gold plated bun basket so I could throw them.

And I'm the one who wants a bunfight?

Do you even know how responding to info from PP about slavery with a wail about your difficult five years made you sound?

[Desertrunner]

Sorry for confusion fideline. I put nisi and meant absolute which lawyer says should be here in the next week or so. So not concerned about that aspect and planning wedding for June currently. So timing may be tight but doable.

[Desertrunner]

And the buns aren't real. They are virtual.
As is my gold plated bun basket. Sadly I don't even know what a bun basket might look like, gold plated or otherwise

[Fideline987654321]

Well as long as you won't be flying out without a marriage cert, at least you and your family will be ok (as long as your soon to be DH is a good man). Which is good.

[turgiday]

I agree with preschoolmusic. Am amazed that anyone thinks a dreadful 5 years in the UK is a good reason to support slavery. I can imagine all those white people moving to South Africa under apartheid also justified why they did so.

[turgiday]

But then it amazes me how many people don't really care how other people are treated, as long as they have a nice life.

[Desertrunner]

Turgiday - I appreciate everyone is entitled to hold their own views and yours are obviously strong as are a couple of others on this thread. Which is fine and I take on board what you say.
However I did ask specifically that this thread be used for constructive relocation advice should anyone be kind enough to advise me and my family.

[GinAndToast]

desertrunner can I PM you?

[trulymadlydeeply]

I would say that JESS is one of the top 5 schools in Dubai. Repton is up there, too, but is more expensive than JESS I believe. Media City is about 25 minutes from Ranches - but it's a nightmare getting out of Ranches in the morning by the Studio City route. The Villa is about 10 minutes away from AR (going to it, but longer to go from TV to AR) and we loved our house there. Rents are going up and up so we had to move.

Other fab schools are JC, DC, DESC, Kings and there is a new one in Sports City which I think is very good (can't remember its name, sorry).
There is a lot about Dubai that is frustrating and difficult, but I think that's true of anywhere.

My 3 are very happy here, and have a great education with loads of opportunities. I think the only danger is them thinking that this is real life and expecting to maintain it once they go back to university in the UK!

[Desertrunner]

Hi Gin, yes of course!

[Desertrunner]

Thanks Truly. Lovely to hear how happy you guys all are.

[Roseformeplease]

I have only visited Dubai but my sister lives there. Can I just point out one or two things you should be aware of:

1. Smokers are everywhere - it seemed like an episode of a 70s show and there was little, if any effort to keep smoke away from children. My sister is a keen smoker and so loves this about the place - you may too but it is bit of a shock.
   

1. A lot of people do not treat their servants well at all. I think you have to be very careful about who your children are exposed to on this basis as they may well pick up some fairly unpleasant views.
   

1. Do NOT travel in a taxi alone or while pissed. If he assaults you, it is your fault. It is not a safe country for women.
   

1. Any job you have will involve contact with the local Emiratis. Many of them have jobs for life and cannot be sacked. They are paid far more and work much shorter hours with few responsibilities. My sister has had some people doing things which would be sackable offences in the UK and nothing has happened to them. She finds this very frustrating.
   

1. Check holidays - she now works for an UK company and so gets things like Christmas Day as standard - but this is not always the case.
   

1. It can be very, very expensive for surprising things. Petrol is cheap but food is very expensive.
   

1. Health care can be very good (think USA shiny hospitals) but can be very patchy in terms of the quality of the doctors. Check your health care package.
   

That said, she loves it there. She is single and has a ball most of the time. We grew up in other MEast countries so she knew what to expect.

[Desertrunner]

Thanks Rose for that. I certainly didn't know that about taxi's or holidays so we will be aware of those things. Healthcare should be fine as it is part of the package, but again will check.

[DesertDweller]

Hello. Please feel free to message me if you have any questions. I work in Media City, and have lived here for nine years. I'm from the Uk originally. Only word of warning is July is the height of summer - you might want to start getting acclimatised by sitting in your oven for extended periods!

[turgiday]

My sister moved to South Africa under apartheid. She said a lot of white people do not treat black people well at all. I think you have to be very careful about who your children are exposed to on this basis as they may well pick up some fairly unpleasant views. Although she loves it there, and is having a ball.

[Roseformeplease]

I agree turgiday, and that is why I do not live there, nor would I have servants, as some do, even if I ended up there. My sister is not racist, nor is she cruel to others - far from it. Her advice, however, is that there are some pretty awful views there, and she avoids those kind of people, much in the way you might not choose to invite Nigel Farage round for dinner.

They are not the views of everyone - any more than we all vote UKIP but she has remarked on those views being around and so I wanted to warm the OP.

And, by avoiding the racists, she is having a good time there, yes.

As an aside, have you ever thought that your condemnation of the inhabitants of Dubai, wholesale, as being like White Supremacists in South Africa is, in fact, racist. There are many very good people there. It is an absolute monarchy, not a democracy. The people have not voted for the laws they have. Things are changing. However, let's just hope they change peacefully, without hatred, unlike many other countries in the region.

[turgiday]

No of course it is not racist. Not everyone living in Dubia supports the keeping and exploitation of slave labour. But by living there, they are both practically supporting it, and directly benefitting from it.

[Roseformeplease]

I think you might struggle to settle anywhere that you couldn't find something being done wrong by a minority of individuals. Even in the UK there has been human trafficking. But things are changing. No doubt you would know this if you did a bit more research or visited the country.

As a result of Western involvement many laws and attitudes are changing. But, you can't change things from a keyboard, sitting comfortably in the UK. Fair play to those who go out to experience the world for themselves so they can report accurately on its state. There would be real suffering if they all pulled out, leaving a jobs vacuum for many of the workers there.

Slavery is a very emotive word. There has certainly been exploitation and low wages but slavery is a global issue, not confined to Dubai.

[OldFarticus]

DesertRunner - sorry to have run, have only just come back to this thread. No kids here so no useful info about schools - I am more of a best-beaches-and-brunches kind of gal. My friends with kids are very happy with the schools, though- class sizes tend to be smaller and the curriculum is quite rigorous. Pricey though - friend in Abu Dhabi pays AED 80k per year. Lots of the teachers here are from GB.

One thing people often underestimate about Dubai is how massively convenient it is for travel to so many places -we have been to Maldives, India, Sri Lanka, Lebanon, Jordan, Oman and all less than 4 hours away. Tax free income helps!

And it's perfectly safe for women! I don't drive and get taxis alone every day! Apart from a minor fender bender nothing untoward has ever happened...

There will always be people goading about the ME. I think it's important to take time to understand Arabic culture and traditions, so many expats don't.

[Fideline987654321]

Rose that is self-serving nonsense. (Sorry, OP, misinformation like that cannot go unchallenged, other people might read and believe it)

Factual info on UAE