Considering a move to Dubai

[Amy8]

My dh has been offered a job , we’re waiting to finding out what’s included for family or if we would have to sort accommodation/ schooling ourselves , what’s everyone’s experience ? I’m a professional here but don’t want to work full time in Dubai (we have two kids dd4 and ds11), we could support move by savings and rental income from uk we think , I’m budgeting as I know everything is so much more there …we’re well established here and hoping that sets us up more.

have you moved to Dubai with kids who are a bit older , being quite well established here ? What were your experiences? As a mum how was the social side for you ? I’m worried if miss my own family and lovely friends group - is it easy to meet new mums / women?

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This thread is a few months old now. If you've found this page in search of information about moving to Dubai, you might find our guide on moving to Dubai with kids useful. Hope this helps! MNHQ

Sounds like you are at first thinking stage- there are a few threads on here by others with similar thoughts - have you done a search?

There are dozens of threads on the same topic on here — do a search. Though if you are doing this for money, you really need to see what his package is, salary, moving allowance, education, rent etc — if you have to dip into your savings to fund the move, it doesn’t make any sense, especially if it involves disrupting children’s lives.

Yes didn’t have quite what I was looking for

I am assuming this is a temporary move?

Yes for a lifestyle change, not to make money - and hoping we can settle ds quick enough to study , his dads a teacher

This with bells on. A move to the UAE should equal a serious uplift in family finances to make it worthwhile. The package should leave you significantly better off - no way should you be dipping into savings to facilitate it. There’s a huge ex pat scene of course and lots of trailing spouses so you’d make friends through school and kids’ activities. However it’s boiling - life is aircon apartment to aircon mall to aircon car, rinse and repeat. It’s a different way of life for sure, but not a cultural immersion apart from into the ex-pat/international school scene. IMO it’s fine for a limited time if you are banking a life-changing amount of money to bring back to your ‘old life’. We’ve always discounted it as the loss of our existing lifestyle (including the natural world and being able to actually be outdoors) isn’t worth it, even with a serious financial incentive.

Honestly, you’d have a very poor quality of life on one teacher’s salary. You’d probably get a reduction on school fees for the school where your husband teaches (that’s if there’s any places) and an accommodation allowance that will in no way cover accommodation for a family. Most teachers here are young and childless/single.

Yes we’re leaning against it - we are both contracting here in our professions and I won’t get the same salary
told him he can go alone 😂

This post is a couple of weeks old so you've probably made your decision but as a former teacher in Dubai... we were very comfortable on 2 x teachers salaries and the associated uplift in benefits (eg bigger accommodation, 2 sets of full school fees) afforded by being part of a teaching couple. I knew a few who did it on one salary with one stay at home parent and it was challenging and did limited enjoying the benefits of such a big move. Minimum should be they pay for his medical insurance and annual flights home - our school paid this for dependents too but that wasn't standard at all schools and can be a significant extra cost for 3 of you. Visa cost for dependents weren't covered for us, and I know from others that the cost of a dependent adult visa is a lot more - includes a large deposit. Set up costs are significant all round. So many little things that stack up like attesting documents.

Packages have become less generous in recent years. As new arrivals to the UAE, most schools insist on putting you into company accommodation for year 1 minimum rather than a housing allowance. This can be great as takes the stress out of it, but quality, size and location vary wildly. With the age and sex of your DC you will ideally need a third bedroom and that's like gold dust in school accommodation. Don't move without getting that in writing. I had to push hard on that one as mine were younger and they only did it for different sex secondary age. I think I only succeeded due to being 2 of us taking jobs for same school, as cheaper than 2 separate apartments.

If you are still considering it feel free to send me a message of what school or school group and I might be able to get more insight into the package and accommodation, as I still have a network of friends and former colleagues across Dubai schools.

Not true all. Especially if the school pays for their accommodation, flights and school fees. Stop being so negative. Ugh

Not negative, just realistic. I’m on a very decent salary here, and everything has got more expensive. I’m paying 180k in rent alone.

Hi all. Im considering a move to Dubai as my only child is about to move out. I'm single and earn a descent wage so where is the best place to look for a job that will provide a good wage and hopefully include costs toward accommodation. Thank you x

Best to start a new thread but the obvious starting point is to explain what it is you do for a living. Then people can advise on the best starting point for work and how likely it is you'll get something.

I know teachers in the uae with children, depends where you live.
Most say their quality of life is better than teaching in the uk.
Stress is lower, accommodation and bills are covered. Salaries not massively higher than the uk, but tax free, and no outlay on accommodation and bills.
Rent is cheaper in some places, such as Akoya ( now Damac 2)
In winter, spring, autumn there’s so much to do with children.its a great life for children to grow up in.

There seems to be a lot of teachers who are very stressed and over worked in Dubai. Given what I hear of how the profession is in England, and the generally higher behaviour standards in Dubai, I have always assumed it's less stress than teaching in England, but I'm not clear that you would get that answer if you asked a teacher. It may the teachers stressed/overworked are comparing to other international postings, not England, but honestly I don't see a lower level of complaints from my teacher friends here to those in England. I'm not close enough to anyone to ask and I know people can get very defensive on this.

Currently salary levels for a teacher who isn't massively experienced/in a shortage subject, and particularly one without international teaching experience, is 10-12k AED a month plus housing. Some schools will provide school places, or a contribution towards them. Sone schools pay more, but obviously it's harder to get a place. Schools often don't pay visa or medical costs for the child.

So if you're a single parent with a school age child and school fees, medical and visa for the children are covered, you can have a good life on a teacher salary. Not a luxurious one but probably a better financial standard of living than the UK. If you're having to cover medical, visa and any part of school fees, you're quickly moving into a financial danger zone where you end up in debt.

This is for Dubai. There are other parts of the UAE I'd personally choose if I were a single parent teacher (RAK or Al Ain in particular). That's because the general salary levels (not teaching but everything) people are earning tends to be lower, making everything cheaper and also making there be less 'keeping up with the Joneses' pressure.

I informally monitor this stuff by the amount parents seem to spend on birthday presents they bring to child birthday parties - in the various places in the gulf I've lived in the 'norm' has varied enormously - from (equivalent of) AED 50 being average and AED 100 being excessive in some paces, to AED 200 being the norm in others. I'm not saying anyone is calling people out if they spend less of course, but it indicates the standard expected spending levels. I held a party in one place I was new to and all the presents were relatively low value, with one parent having just wrapped up a box of maltezers and it was such a relief (and my child's favourite present of course).