To ask if you've moved from the UK to Dubai?

[NoChella]

Everyone seems to love Dubai, I've heard nothing bad whatsoever about the Expat lifestyle. Has anyone made the move? Or more importantly has anyone not made the move and could you give advice as to what made you choose not go please?

NoChella my job was originally on a fixed term contract so we didn't want to commit to the move until we knew it was permanent, so I went out for 9 months on my own then he joined me. It also gave us a chance to get a feel for Dubai life before deciding (he visited a few times) and for me to find an apartment etc. We'd only been married a few months when the opportunity came up - it was a big decision for me to go alone but he was massively supportive throughout.

Yep, DH moved out without a job. He was working in financial services before the move - 2009 not a great time for that sector - so took voluntary redundancy which meant he didn't need to worry about finding a job straight away.

OP I've lived in Dubai for a decade. It has good points and challenging points but the positive far far outweighs the negative. I could write pages about what a great and positive experience it is.

As a PP has said, I don't feel my freedom has been curtailed at all, in fact I feel safer here than I ever did in the uk. I run my own business and have faced no issues. In fact entrepreneurialism and ambition are ncoursged and supported.

Some of the points upthread are simply untrue/out of date/based on armchair research rather than anyone who had actually lived here. Not being able to eat in Ramadan? All the malls and even hotels now serve alcohol in daylight. And if they didn't...it is a Muslim country and I see it as a wonderful thing to be able to eat at all during the Holy Month.

People are helpful and supportive and friendly in a way I definitely don't see when I visit the UK.

As a PP said yes it is hot in the summer...but it is so geared up for it. Lots and lots of activities to do..unlike the uk where everyone seems to sit glued to X Factor from sept- April when the weather is diabolical.

It is an amazing hub to travel from. I filled my passoport twice over...

I could go on and on about what life is really like, do feel free to PM me if you would like specific details....the mumsnet Dubai haters I'm sure will ocntinue to be out in force...

A few more thoughts:

Ths weekend was Easter. All the churches had Easter services....there is an actual law that states we have religious tolerance. Muslim/ Christian, whatever. I was once in church at a christening when the call to prayer from a local mosque came through the window..it was a poignant moment and I felt very lucky to live somewhere where everyone worships and lives beside each other peacefully.

Another PP asserted that we all "live apart from locals". This is simply not true. We live in a very local area. My neighbours are Emirati, they are also Dutch, Brazilian, French Chinese, Philippino, Indian...yes there is one British family on our street. We all mix together and celebrate open another's customs. My local landlord always remembers my daughter's birthday and comes with a gift, he is also the first to wish me merry Christmas, and me Ramadan Kareem to him.

We work hard, run our own businesses, raise our daughter, live a very normal life. We do go the beach at the weekend...it's a ten minute walk. But all this 'glitz and glam' there's so much more to Dubai than that. If you think that's all there is to it then you clearly have never done your homework or spent any time here. Our favourite night out is the local pub and a street curry that costs pennies. There's a great tranche of people here living normal lives and loving it. They don't seem to get qouted in the media 😀

I never leave for a month in the summer, I can't, I work! And I wouldn't want to even if I could. The summer is great as the roads are quieter, things slow down, everyone exhales a little.

And the winters! Absolute weather perfection. We are in the park or at the beach every chance we get with a picnic and DD, who is 4. There's so much to do that costs very little.

There is a huge labour force here who work too hard for too little. This is gradually changing. And amongst the community there are groups and organisation working to change this. I see more acts of charity and kindness here than I ever saw in the uk, it's a daily occurrence.

Whatever you might think, read on the internet.....please take it with a huge pinch of salt until you speak to people who have actually lived here.

My partner just got a new job in Dubai, he'll be moving there next month and I'll join him in September. We've both been expats in different countries individually the past few years so feel like we're moving with our eyes open. It takes time to settle anywhere new and we decided that for us it was worth the potential challenges as it's the first opportunity we've had for a while that we can be together and both have good employment opportunities.

I think it is very hard to live in Dubai and not get caught up in the whole 'Dubai thing' - which ultimately does mean beaches and manicures and brunches. It is a very materialistic society where people care about what car you drive.

That said, obviously there are loads of people in Dubai who don't buy into all that but my understanding is it can take longer to find them in Dubai than in other locations (although note I don't actually live in Dubai, this is one of the things putting me off the move). I live in a far more chilled part of the UAE and it's far less materialistic and suits us better (for now). Work opportunities far more limited though unfortunately.

I agree with Farfaraway that the positives of Dubai outweigh the negatives. It's safe and clean and the opportunity to work and be friends with people from all over the world is amazing.

There are some pretty hackneyed views about there being nothing to do, the use of 'slave' labour or that it's a very materialistic society. I find the UK pretty materialistic and a lot of people focused on what brands/designer they are wearing, using or driving. Rather than 'slave' labour the sad truth is that for the people doing those unskilled jobs, there is zero or very low employment, with low wages in their home countries and as they do not have a high standard of education, their options are limited. They come to places like Dubai to give their families a better life and their children an education (back in their home country).

Housing and school fees are expensive so you need to do your numbers before making a decision to move.

Also agree with the PP that it is the sponsor that has to provide permission. It's nothing to do with your husband having to give you permission to work or get a driving licence. I sponsor my DH and I had to give my 'permission' for all of those types of things for him.

We didn't do the whole Dubai lifestyle. We had a great time, did some brunches, had nice vehicles etc but didn't live the Rolex lifestyle so we saved a lot of money in our time there.

Zimmerzammer, we lived 5 years in Dubai and 5 years in RAK, if that's anywhere near you...

Thanks guys. How easy is it to sort out things like Internet, phones etc.? And are cars easy to sort out?
I keep thinking of "life admin" that would need doing but then remind myself it would take a short while and then Dubai is there to be enjoyed!!!

A friend was going to go but didn't in the end because she didn't feel the schools were very good (especially as they were fee paying) and she didn't want her kids to board back here. Secondary age kids

I think that's wise. Really good secondary schools in Dubai were always full, with little to no chance of getting a place.

Again, I could be out of date, but everything hinged on getting your reseidence visa. Without it you couldnt buy a car, get a UAE driving licence (you can rent on your UK licence but not drive a private car), get a bank account, get internet/phone/TV. There were only two suppliers - Etisalat and Du for both home and mobile services. You could choose which mobile supplier you wanted but which supplier you got for your home services depended on your location.

NoChella it's really easy to sort these things. you need a visa to get a permanent phone line (mobile or home) but whilst you are still on a tourist visa (this lasts 30 days and you get it on arrival) you can get a temporary phone/number and then make it permanent when your visa comes.

your visa is crucial to everything, without it you can't rent a property...it used to be the case that you couldn't open a bank account (i got paid in envelopes of cash for the first two months whilst my visa was in process!) but now there are some banks that will help.

hiring a car is easy, don't worry about that. and taxis are plentiful and very very cheap.

the 'settling in' period can be a little arduous and challenging, but it is so worth it. the main thing is the cos. you will pay rent up front, pay deposits, pay more deposits to get the water etc connected....

friends moved here a year ago and even though i gave them a full spreadsheet of what to expect, it cost them 3 times what they thought it would. the first year you probably won't save a thing. after that, if you don't decide to embrace the 'flashy' aspects of dubai that some PP's mention (and vast, vast swathes of us don't) you can save a lot.

i paid off one mortgage in my first 7 years (it was 170) and am chipping away at my second.

although to be honest, if i never saved a bean i'd stay here and love it anyway. it's a wonderful place.

Agree with faraway in you need to sort out your visa and ID card first. Depending on how proactive a PRO your company has this is relatively easy. My husbands company sorted this out. First year is very expensive .utilities are not cheap in Dubai neither is the Internet or TV packages (if you are not into sport I would not bother with them) just get a UK VPN . so as Faraway said make sure you have a cushion of cash when you first arrive. I am less enthuisastic about Dubai for us it is all about the money if I never saved a bean I would be on the first flight home. . I konw expat packages are disappearing too In 2007 when we first came to Dubai it was a given you had accomodation school fees flights home etc paid for now companies including DH's are cutting back so make sure you do the maths to make sure it is worth moving. I think Dubai is like marmite you either love it or hate it

re cars there is a weird thing that as soon as you become a resident, you can't drive on your UK license. We thought we were all organised, got our visas stamped on entry and then couldnt pick the hire car up!!

farfar I know it's a lot to ask but could you give me an idea of how much of a 'cushion' we'd need....? Just so I feel prepared!

I agree that expat packages are nowhere near what they used to be, they won't be paying my accommodation and I'm so glad I don't have to worry about schooling out there as it sounds so expensive.

I've never had a package or had housing or anything paid for. Totally self financed. If only I had, the money I have spent on rent over the last ten years! I'm fine with this as I have U.K. Properties and a variety of investments. If I didn't I might feel that it was more of a waste.

OP it really depends where you want to live and what type of accommodation...apartment, villa etc. I hired a car for years and only bought one after 10 years here. Saved up and paid cash for it..I loathe debt.

When I came I had about 8-10 GBP cash and it went in a heartbeat. I had to pay 5 months rent up front..5% deposit and 5% agents fees. a

Deposit to to connect an appt to electricity is 490 GBP to connect a villa 800.

Glass of wine anywhere is 10-15 pounds....although there are lots of ladies nights and offers.

And to be fair if you work here it is a very long hours work hard culture so you won't be going out that much at first anyway!

Also everywhere you rent is unfurnished so you have to kit out a house from scratch.

Sorry if I've missed it, do you have an actual job offer? I doubt I would come without one in the current climate.

Have been told they're putting the offer together at the moment so waiting to hear - I have a figure in mind so will wait and see what they present first...

So even if you rent you need to pay to connect electricity etc. ? Apologies for being naive

It was never my intention to move - this is an offer that's "come up" so to speak, so I'm happy to take it or leave it. In all honesty the initial set up does sound quite off putting but then hearing everyone saying it's worth it in the long run balances it out.....it's a big decision to make and I'm like a pendulum at the moment!

95% of people rent here and yes you as the tenant bear the costs of connection. What field are you in? Very happy to help advise on their offer if you like. They will often low ball you if they think you don't have local intel 😁

I was in the same position ten years ago. I hadn't thought of a move at all. Then got an offer and was in the mood for an adventure. If I'd have stayed in the U.K. I would have had a very nice life. But in all honesty a bit boring and 00000001% of the travel I do now and without such a rich cultural experience.

My attitude was what have I got to lose? If I hate it, I'll go home. Clearly I never did 😁

Oh and bear in mind their offer will be based on a ok they amount e.g. Xxx AED a month...it's a different mindset after always having an annual salary. Legally they have to provide private healthcare and it is worth asking who the provider is..BUPA gold is vastly different to a local provider for example. And a flight home each year. If you have a Spouse and depending on your industry you might be able to negotiate cover for them too.

Good luck!

farfar the whole "what have we got to lose, if we don't like it we'll come back" is exactly where we're at too!! I'm in quite a specific field so would be really identifying if I said (and my current company don't know I'm considering leaving - so won't say just yet!)
Partner is on my private health care now so I'd definitely want the same now, and told them this yesterday. I've given them a "preferred" salary and have said partner has agreed to move on the condition my wage can support us both for the time being....so just waiting on them now!!

I'm just a bit apprehensive about the start up costs - it would be a huge chunk of my savings which, considering Dubai was never on the cards to begin with, was not saved for this purpose! Haha but the adventure seems just too good to miss - all the opportunities it can bring just seem incredible.

Thanks so much for your advice

I echo farfarawayfromhome, we've been here 15 years (yikes!), we only came for 2 (a common story). Husband (British ) works for the government here but even before that we made loads of local friends, have been invited to local weddings and sadly funerals (husband only as they were his friends). We love it, we like the beach but its a 30 minute drive for us. In the Winter we go to the local parks with our bikes, pack a picnic, meet friends. We don't do brunches very often, preferring a pizza/takeaway and wine with friends.

You mention partner in your last post, if you aren't married you will not be able to sponsor him. He can do visa runs but they are a pain to do.

In the past we have saved, struggling at the moment whilst I job hunt but managing without dipping into savings.

I don't go home in the Summer, except for the 3 weeks we go as a family. We find loads of stuff to do to fill our time. Roads are quiet, malls are quiet and there is usually people in the same boat so we spend time at other peoples houses. Hotels also usually do deals so its a good time to explore, spend time in the hotel pools and generally chill.

Happened - Al Ain although I have friends in RAK who seem to be having a great time. We will probably have to make the move into Dubai eventually but Al Ain is great with young kids.

Do any of you have student loan repayments? I'm getting mixed reviews of what needs to be done when I've researched it online, most alarmingly that they don't take the cost of living into account so sting you on repayments on account of your increased salary !

OP i'm extremely old so paid off my student loans a long time ago :)

have you already started repaying them? any reason why you can't just keep the direct debit as it is? they can't track your earnings here.

Yep been paying for ages - they Base it on income (9% of your income every month :( ) and their website tells you to inform them if you're leaving the UK for more than 3months. I'd be tempted to leave it completely but the threats of a fine scares me haha

Ah, the Far East Zimmer, to our Wild West :D

We did 5 years in Dubai then 5 years in RAK. I was far happier in RAK than Dubai (and even happier still now I've left the UAE...)