Moving to Dubai or Abu Dhabi with a 1.5yr old

[Kelpies]

My partner (will be DH by the time we moved) had been offered a job in the UAE. We always said we would love to live abroad for a couple of years but now we have an opportunity land, I'm getting cold feet! Here are my considerations..

I went to Dubai on holiday once and while i enjoyed my time there, I did leave thinking that it wasn't somewhere I could live. What would I do all day?

We moved to be close to family a yr ago before DC was born and have loved having so much family support and having our DC grown up around family.

I love our house. Would we rent it out? It would mean not being able to stay in our own space when we visited the UK although both our parents have plenty of room for us. DP wants to do holiday let you maximise income from it but I'm worried it will get trashed..

We had planned ttc again next summer so baby would be born in the UAE. What are the consequences of that? What is the healthcare like?

The money is obviously the biggest pull. We would go out for 2years and hope to be able to pay off most of the mortgage in the UK. With the cost of living being so high, I'm concerned we wouldn't be able to do this.

I love the sunshine.

DC thinks he would love the job. He's been in the same sector for his whole life and while the job is within the sector, he would be leaving behind a very secure job in the UK.

I wouldn't be able to work in my field from their. I had planned on taking a couple of years out to be at home without DC though.

We both have some family members who might not be around that much longer. Worried we will regret not being there
for their last years.

We could stay in either Abu Dhabi or Dubai. Anyone have any advice on either?

Would really love to hear from anyone who has experiences that could help shape our decision. (Writing it all down has already helped a little!!)

Have you sat down and crunched the numbers to see how far ahead you'll be financially? If you're not working then you've lost that whole income, and will you struggle to get back into the workforce upon your return?

You also need to look at the perks of the job and how many flights home you're given, etc. If you have a couple of flights a year, that will help with missing your family. If you don't have that as part of DH's package then you might end up spending a chunk of your increased income on flights.

Healthcare and maternity there will be fine if you've got insurance, based on what I hear from friends. In terms of what you'll do all day, expat Mum communities are very active and vibrant. Expats bond quickly and often become friends for life.

Make sure you set expectations with DH about how long you're willing to stay abroad. Don't leave it open ended, and agree on finances and spending in advance.

I do not like the idea of Dubai and UAE in general because of social inequalities and the fakeness of the place, but I know many people who've lived there and had great experiences. Going while you have young children is actually a great time to have an expat stint because you aren't always worrying about schooling and opportunities they're missing out on.

Do it!! DH’s best friend lives in Dubai with his wife. She got pregnant there and had their baby girl. She said healthcare was outstanding!

Because of the cost of living, they’re able to have a full time nanny. I think some of his job gives me an allowance towards rent so he has a bit of spare cash that they use on a nanny. Help is super cheap.

Depending on where you live rent can be expensive but again, your husband’s work should help out- that’s usually part of their moving package.

As for the heat, everywhere is air conditioned and if you miss the freezing cold, they do have an indoors ski slope!

Schools for expats are really great. Most
teachers come from the UK/Australia.

I would LOVE to move to Dubai. DH briefly looked at a few jobs when we were toying with the idea but nothing came of it.

"Help is super cheap ". Look into how little these groups of people are paid and you wouldn't see it as such a positive. I'm not trying to be a debby downer. I have a family member that lives in Dubai, the levels of segregation depending on where you are born is outrageous.

Sorry to derail.

I'm with @Jakethekid - the ability to exploit other people with impunity is not a massive selling point

Help is super cheap.

Have you never wondered why and at who's expense?

I would never move there. Ever.

Jesus people! Help is cheap and of course I know they’re underpaid and exploited but what’s the alternative? No one employs them and they have no money to send back home? Because that’s what happened with covid. People lost their helping jobs and had to live on the street and couldn’t afford flights back home.

I couldn't live there. No amount of money would encourage me to support such a regime.

@Rosiiiiie

Jesus people! Help is cheap and of course I know they’re underpaid and exploited but what’s the alternative? No one employs them and they have no money to send back home? Because that’s what happened with covid. People lost their helping jobs and had to live on the street and couldn’t afford flights back home.

Have you ever looked into human trafficking and how some of these people end up in dubai in the first place? Through lies of money and then gave their passports removed from them.

Again I don't want to derail but sometimes people should see things from a wider perspective.

@Rosiiiiie

Jesus people! Help is cheap and of course I know they’re underpaid and exploited but what’s the alternative? No one employs them and they have no money to send back home? Because that’s what happened with covid. People lost their helping jobs and had to live on the street and couldn’t afford flights back home.

I will not support, participate, or live in a society that condones modern day indentured servitude, human trafficking and slavery.

@Rosiiiiie

Jesus people! Help is cheap and of course I know they’re underpaid and exploited but what’s the alternative? No one employs them and they have no money to send back home? Because that’s what happened with covid. People lost their helping jobs and had to live on the street and couldn’t afford flights back home.

The alternative is to not cash in on the situation and pay someone so little. It’s quite easy to pay a decent wage to someone even if it’s not the norm.

I couldn’t move to either of these places I’m afraid. The money wouldn’t be worth it to me.

I’ve lived in Dubai for the past ten years and all three of my kids were born here.

The healthcare is brilliant - you will be consultant led, be scanned a billion times (if you want) and have access to an incredible array of specialists (if required) My pregnancy, delivery and post partum care seen worlds away from that of my friends back in the UK.

I think it’s a wonderful place to raise young children. So many incredible things to do and it’s so multicultural and diverse.

My one big caveat would be that it is an increasingly expensive place to live - the property market is going through the roof, my food shopping bill is astronomical and even a ‘cheap’ morning at soft play can cost a lot. When negotiating packages, the key things to consider on top of basic salary are flight allowances, educational allowances, housing allowance and health insurance. Private schooling is the only option for expats and it is not cheap.

I second @PrimeraVez - you will easily make new friends but whether it is financially worthwhile or not depends on the package your DH gets.

I think the days of paying off your mortgage after 2 years are long gone, unless of course your DH has an amazing offer.
That said, it's still a great place to live. I had both my children there and health care is superb. You're likely to have better care than the UK when you deliver.
There are lots of things to do. It's wonderful for children. Stinking hot in the summer though so if you're not working you'll probably want to leave for a few months, so something to factor in if you are thinking about renting your house out.
Definitely do the numbers. On paper a tax free salary can sound high, but the cost of living is also high.

Thank you for sharing your experiences! It's given me some food for thought. We definitely need to crunch the numbers with someone because we are struggling to get all the relevant info on our own.

You could try joining the British Expats Dubai FB group if you use FB (sorry, Meta!!)

@SuPerDoPer

I couldn't live there. No amount of money would encourage me to support such a regime.

This 🙄

I've lived in both Dubai and AD. Personally I prefer Dubai (which is common) but I know people who swear by AD. There will be more opportunities for you to work in Dubai. However life with small children is similar the world over in my experience! Medical is good in both cities provided you have good insurance. In AD your husband's employer is required to provide family health insurance. In Dubai they only have to provide him with insurance (but many companies provide for all family) so check that. Overall AD is more expensive to live in.

You will need a substantial uplift on your UK salary, even if a London salary. Cost of living is very high.

Whilst having a full time nanny is cheap compared to the UK, I wouldn't call it 'cheap'. All in it'll cost around GBP 1000 a month and this is for someone unqualified (we pay about GBP 1,500). A lot of Brits can't afford this or to live in the expensive compounds you hear about - you need to check salary carefully.

I won't get into the inequality argument but my nanny has been with us 10 years and followed us on multiple moves when she hasn't had to - she's happy with the money she makes here.