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Living overseas

Whether you're considering emigrating or an expat abroad, you'll find likeminds on this forum.

Original poster

DH just got a job in Dubai

148 replies

FitbitAddict · 07/12/2017 22:30

I'm delighted and dismayed all at once, as I'm in a job I love where my skills are really needed. However, relocating to Dubai has been our long term plan for the last three years and now it's coming to fruition. He'll go in March and I'll follow in August.

Any tips for packing up your life and moving overseas very welcome!

OP posts:
LostMyMojoSomewhere · 08/12/2017 13:48

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IsItDinnerTimeYet · 08/12/2017 13:49

There is a huge amount of misinformation on this thread, largely from people who have never lived in the Middle East.

OP I have lived in the Middle East for half my life and have been travelling to and living in the UAE for over 20 years, if you would like any information please PM.

Good luck on your new adventure, the UAE is a beautiful country.

ZigZagandDustin · 08/12/2017 14:25

@iggley

Do a quick google search on women only Train carriages in the U.K. to see that it was being seriously considered here even this year. I bet your the same person who's on the feminist boards going on and on about women's only safe spaces being eroded....

MsGameandWatching · 08/12/2017 15:06

On the trains men are not allowed to be in the same carriage as women. My dad had to ride in a different carriage than us sometimes..

You are wrong and you misunderstood. The women's carriage is for women who choose to travel there. It is not compulsory for women to use it.

iggleypiggly · 08/12/2017 16:13

zigzag I’m the least feminist person you will ever come across. I do however believe that females should be treated respectfully. I also believe that women should not be treated as a second class citizen. Feminist is something I will never be and I’ve never even been on a feminism thread!

TittyGolightly · 08/12/2017 16:17

WTF do you think feminism means?! It’s about equality!

MamaDuckling · 08/12/2017 16:26

We're not in Dubai, but close....

Ignore the naysayers, Dubai is pretty cosmopolitan by Middle Eastern standards, far more so than where we live (and I'm pretty happy)!

I have a job

I drive - less scary than uk, honestly. UK roads are teeny and I find drivers increasingly crap or aggressive. Here people drive fast/assertively but the roads are wide and cars are big.

I feel TOTALLY safe, pretty much ALL the time.

My kids love the weather, the pool etc.

Sure, the ME has many many downsides. Human rights IS an issue and you can't ignore it. We're here for DH's job. It was here or no job. But it's been an adventure and I'm pleased we did it.

Do your research. Fully cost EVERYTHING. Make sure the salary package covers it and then some. Food is expensive, as is shopping/entertainment/accommodation - everything pricey really except petrol.

Good luck! If you embrace it and accept it for what it is I'm sure you'll be fine!

iggleypiggly · 08/12/2017 16:37

Titty I think women should be treated with respect not like a piece of meat. I’m not a feminist....

Christinayangstwistedsista · 08/12/2017 16:42

Have a look on Dubai expat wives

We had an amazing time living in Dubai

UAEMum · 08/12/2017 16:47

Iggleypiggley, i have lived (and do currently) in the UAE for 8 years so far. It is a fantastic place to live. I have never seen a woman walking behind her husband, the separate seating on public transport is optional (women don't have to use it but can if they like). All my time in the Middle East, i have never been asked to show my marriage certificate at a hotel, not before or after i have been married. I don't know where you are getting these ideas from, but they do not represent reality. Also, the no objection from the husband to for his wife to work is because in the case of a trailinv spouse, he is responsible for her visa. In my case when i was sponsored by my husband i needed this letter. Now i work and my employer sponsors me so i dont need my husbands permission to go to work.
Living here is becoming more expensive but it is still a great experience. Nowhere is perfect but the benefits outweigh the costs by a mile.

Original poster
FitbitAddict · 09/12/2017 20:26

Thanks for those who gave reasonable, relevant advice.

We are very happy with the package DH has been offered, it actually exceeds his gross salary in the UK, which is already extremely generous. I am now also going to look for a position there. We are selling our house in London and are very fortunate that we will not need to worry about money and plan to save for our retirement.

No DC involved, just us going. I have to go in August despite the heat so that I can start work then.

I am very confident that I know what I am letting myself in for. I have been to Dubai seven times since 2010, as well as visiting Oman and Fujairah. We have expat friends there and in Abu Dhabi and DH worked there before we met.

My questions relate to the immigration and emigration practicalities. We have about 10-12 weeks to get our ducks in a row before DH gets on a plane.

OP posts:
Moussemoose · 09/12/2017 20:34

Get your ducks in a row and make sure any scrap of morality is packed away.

Lots of gleaming money, excellent. Human rights? You'll be fine so you can ignore the exploitation of others. You and DH are sorted so the fact that the place you live is built on the dead bodies of migrant workers is fine. You're not gay so no probs! Happy days!

Good luck sleeping at night. I couldn't.

LostMyMojoSomewhere · 09/12/2017 21:04

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becotide · 09/12/2017 21:06

Welp. Enjoy your cheap maid, I guess.

Original poster
FitbitAddict · 09/12/2017 21:27

Shipping is taken care of, DH is going to be working for a logistics company. He just has to sort out importing his motorbike, they've drawn the line at that! We can't send much over while I'm living at home and he's there without me.

OP posts:
LostMyMojoSomewhere · 09/12/2017 21:36

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IsItDinnerTimeYet · 10/12/2017 02:19

Fitbit I will be here in August if you need a coffee/cake moment! It is blisteringly hot but so nice and quiet everywhere!

Good luck

MamaDuckling · 10/12/2017 03:32

Just out of interest mousmoose, would you sooner stay in the uk with no job, letting your family suffer, or relocate - well aware of the human rights issues and doing your bit to make life better for those migrant workers less fortunate?

FWIW, we support immediate family members in the uk, as do many of the Indian/Nepalese/Philippine workers here. I see why people come to the ME, and no not all are treated equal which is awful. But they still come. So still do Western expats.

SandLand · 10/12/2017 03:37

Scan copies of ALL documents so you can have access to both in each country.
DH will probably need the originals.
We got through a stupid amounts of passport photos (DHs company paid for each of us to have 20 of the things taken in the uk, there arent many left)
Would DH consider selling the bike, and rebuying in the Middle East? I think shipping just a bike would be hard - tho you can ship cars, so not impossible.
Our beds are all stupid sizes. UK sheets woukdnt fit.
Yes to considering the heat in a container. They sit in full sun, on a boat, for weeks. The insides get very hot!!!

Will add more if I think of them- and if someone says not necessary to anything, believe them, as my list is for a different country!

Salvadore · 10/12/2017 04:05

FitBit I’m glad you sound more sensible than to listen to all the stuff on here, posting at the weekend seems to bump this onto active and there you go.
Definitely join the FB groups DBX mentioned if only to search the other questions on living costs etc.
our visas didn’t take long at all, much quicker here than other ME countries (waves at mama duckling
Find out what certicates you need to have attested and do that before you go, your degree etc
Yes to passport photos but again check what colour background you need for different things.
We shipped a car from another ME country, probably wasn’t worth it tbh. Unless it’s sentimental and then you have to way up the risk of damage in transit. Can’t get it back til EID is sorted.

Puppylucky · 10/12/2017 04:08

Hi I lived in Dubai for a while and the most important bit of preparing for it is making sure that you have all the documentation you need before you leave the UK, as it all gets much harder to sort once you are in Dubai (no postal service for a start). Yes to pp's suggestion of scanning docs but also don't forget that a lot of official documents need to be attested - I had to get my degree certificates and marriage certificate done - which is easier in the UK. Certain documents also need to be attested by the UAE embassy in the UK - which involved a trip there in person. The bureaucracy in the UAE is unreal and if anything is missing or not correctly authorized its a nightmare to sort out. Your h's employer will handle the visa process but in my experience they are not great if any required info is missing or incorrect - that's your problem. Also, if you don't have wills then it's a good idea to make them before you leave the UK to avoid your estates being distributed under Sharia law as will happen if you die intestate. Final top tip is to get a GP letter of authorisation for any prescription drugs you are planning to bring in as there are very strict laws about what can be brought in. Good luck!

AstridWhite · 10/12/2017 05:19

I think women should be treated with respect not like a piece of meat. I’m not a feminist....

Then on that basis Iggley, you and Dubai should get on like a house on fire.

Although something tells me you wouldn't quite understand why, even if I explained it to you.

1190scaredy · 10/12/2017 06:07

Money wise - it is really, really, really expensive. We've been here over 10 years. My H's salary is double his gross salary in the UK and mine is similar. You really need it to be significantly higher than UK to make it worthwhile.

Johnnycomelately1 · 10/12/2017 06:13

To clear up the alcohol license thing: no-one needs a license to drink. Residents need a license to buy alcohol from liquor stores in Dubai. You don’t need one to drink in licensed establishments ( hotels/bars etc) or to drink alcohol bought duty free at the airport. Tourists can’t get a license- only residents. A lot of residents who travel frequently don’t bother with the license as the duty free allowances on arrival are massive. If you do, it’s just a formality. It’s only an issue if they think you’re a Muslim.

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