dubai - anyone (version 2 in right section hopefully!)

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dh had an interview and an offer for Dubai yesterday. The offer seems good and I've checked out the expatwoman site. we have a few weeks to decide. I have very mixed feelings - part excitment at it being so different (I'm English but living in NZ) and part nervous. I just can't decide whether to give it a go.

I have a 3 and 8 year old and have heard very mixed stories about whether it is a good environment for children or not. Also wondering about the cost of living. His package looks good but if the cost of living is high will it all be swallowed up???

Hoping somebody can help.

Hi

I live in Dubai and it is a great place. Lots of people in Dubai complain, maybe beciuse they come from places tha thave better beaches and better weather. However I come from Leeds and it rains all the time there.

Cost of accomodation is horrendous. A small 3 bed villa will be 250,000 dhs per annum min and you will have to pay it upfront, with 5% to the agent who will have done nothing. Cars and petrol are cheap. Shops cost the same, virtuually nothing you cant get at home.

Most compounds have pools and parks to meet people. Schools are equivlant to a good UK school IMHO. Cant say DS gets as good an education as he was getting at his private school in the UK (yr7). However he is happy and he understands the need for extra work (he is by no means a geek, hence the need for the extra work to keep him upto speed).

Not so much sport as the UK but he does ski, snowboard, sail, play football, go to scouts, have drum lessons, go to the movies with his mates.

Not sure what else I can tell you but ask away.

Hi Starmummy thanks. I'm at the stage of trying to do all the sums - food, cars, school fees, accomodation, flights home etc to see whether we will actually be better off. Also slightly hard not knowing where he will be working when looking at accomodation. I've been on the expat website and it seems if you pick the wrong area communting is horrendous. DH doesn't commute very well - road rage when we lived in London part of the reason we moved to NZ!!!

The package sounds really good but can start to see it getting swallowed up with paying for childrens things/schools etc.

ALso a bit worried that ds2 wouldn't start school until age 5 here in NZ but will have just turned 4 when we get to Dubai so will start English school. I will be in a strange country with no friends and wondering what women do all day (and I don't mean that patronisingly). I have found it easier to meet people through the children when we've moved before. I work part time here from home but not sure that I'd want to rush into that. Would want to get out and about, meet people, see things and explore what to do....how easy is it to meet people and is there heaps to do (apart from teh obvious shopping) when children are at school. ALso do most people have live in help. It seems so but not sure.

Thanks again

Ummmm heaps to do?

Well firstly commuting will take up part of your day. And seniot school finishes at 3pm, so littlies finsih much earlier. So most likely it will only be a morning. Loads of coffee mornings, tennis/gym/aqua areorbics/language courses/craft classes. It really depnends on what you would like to do. Plenty of chance to met mums, you can always help at school one or two mornins a week. We also have the childrens museum, library, theatre.

Lots of people do have live in help, however it isnt necessary and dont worry you wont have nothing to do. For some reason and I really cant put my finger on it everything just seems to take longer. We dont have live in help although many is the day I think it would be great. I send the ironing out mainly becasue we get through so many clothes, maybe 3 sets each every day. (about £10 a time).Our maid comes twice a week for 5 hours, I give her 150 dhs (£21) which includes a tip for good work. Maids do need training. You could probably get a live in maid for not much more which would be great for baby sitting when you go out. DS is 12 so either he comes with us, )he does aspire to be Jamie Oliver so I dont mimd) parties/balls (and there are loads) I pay a 6th former from the same school DS goes to to just stay with him.

For your sums, remember rent is paid 1 year in advance !!!!!!!!! and 5% on top to the agent who does next to nothing. Schools are probably full for foundation/reception stage. It is a big issue in Dubai. You must find where your DH will be working. and go for schools from there. Dont forget we shut up school the last week of June.

If you have more questions feel free to ask me.
Starmummy

Sorry for the spelling I am watching the FA cup on Al Jazerea TV and trying to listen to Radio 5 live, Portsmouth fan all my life, so just a tad distracted

Thanks starmummy. Still no news in writing with any indication of where he will be working. Very much a waiting game. The more I look into it though, it does seem to be quite expensive to live there. Major plus is still the relatively short trip home. 7 hours v 24 from NZ. WIll come back when I know more.

And congrats I believe Portsmouth won! Have become out of touch with football. Emphasis being on funny shaped balls here - ds plays league

Hi to you both. I'm in a similar situation but living in the UK. DH hasn't been for an interview yet but we think the jobs pretty much his. I'm apprehensive too but sorely tempted by the weather/lifestyle and no income tax!! My DDs are 8mo and 3 so if were going to do it I think it would be a good time. I also have an old friend there- she married an Emirates captain so that would help.

Can you please tell me the name of the expats women website please and I'll have a nose. Thanks.

hi starmummy and others!
been in Dubai nearly six months now - am very well up on the accomodation and schools issue and happy to give fair and honest opinions.
www.expatwoman.com

Hi,I'm going to Dubai middle of June to see a friend ,have never been in the summer and am not looking forward to the extreme heat.
How do you cope,will I be stupid to take linen trousers?

i have not been here in a 'summer' as yet, but can tell you now - it is too hot!
coping , well, don't know about starmummy, but you just don't spend time outside during the middle of the day - its like somebody is following ut at you!you around with aheater blowing o
Linen trousers good - not if they are lined though!
you'll want the thinnest fabric possible, but you'll need something for your shoulders because the mo you step inside, you'll have goosebumps from the AC!

so little cardi a must

thanks

Hi all, we have lived in Dubai for 5 years now (wow is it really that long!!) and the cost of living has gone through the roof..

I believe the rents are unbelievable but we are very lucky that the company provide accommodation, pay the bills, medical and school fees, we also get flights back home for all of us each year, so see what you can get worked into dh contract, it all helps.

DS is in year 2 and I think that he does a lot more after school activities than he would in the UK but we left the UK when he was almost 2 so not sure really. He does football, cricket, tennis (but now it is too hot for them) he goes to beavers, swimming, tae kwon do and golf.

I work full time as well so not sure what the other ladies do (and no I'm not patronising) couldn't be a stay at home mum as I would spend too much money (well according to dh I would!)

Hope this helps some but having not had to look for schools or accommodation I don't suppose I have been of much help really

Oh forgot to say; yea a little cardi is a big must, I wear socks at home winter and summer cos of the a/c

LOL at the linen trousers, def!!! Yes yes and yes. It is already 40 in the day and the weahter man says it will drop to 30 tonight!
Everyone is right about the cardi/pashmina, it can be so cold in the air con, and noisy all the time.

Inthepink DH made me get a job as he said lolling and ligging wasnt good enough (I think he thought I spent too much and had too much of a social life going on!)My DS did all those activities in the UK before we left, so I think that maybe be on a par, however the travel time here is so much more.

I say again to anyone thinking of coming, Early Years at most schools are full up. You must ring as soon as possible. Get a school place, work out the commute, then you have your location to live.

ess - generally emirates pilots have a very good lifestyle,dont be disapointed if you are not supported by your company to the same degree and as for the benefits of cheap travel just dont think about it (makes me so jealous).

Hi escape, how are you enjoying it here? Inthepink helped me here on mumsnet before I moved out, she was the one who recommended expatwoman.com. should we all get together and have our own mumsnet meet up? I live in Meadows so if anybody is this way then I am happy to meet for a drink (yes we can to anyone who was thinking of asking if its possible to get a drink, we also have pork and dont have to cover ourselves from head to foot).

ess dont believe its tax free, the papers are always on about vat coming in this year next year. We pay salik (road toll), prices rise almost weekly for food. No real discounts in the shopping festivals like there used to be. Lots of people have to supplement their housing allowance and schooling as the cost are rising. Schools can increase by 16% per annum if the ministry agree. Housing by as much as the landlord can get away with. But in the 18 months we have been here the house over the road has risen by 100k dirhams (nearly £14.5k!!!)

Having said that its great fun. Hope that helps.

so is that a yes to the linen trews!!

My friend is married to an Emirates pilot,such a cushy number! They can't really afford to come home,even though they have become slightly less enamoured with the lifestyle out there

Hi Starmummy, we have just moved to Sheik Zayed Road, we were in Garhoud before that, I do miss the area as we were there for 5 years but ds friends are all in Jumeriah or Umm Sequim so it's much easier this side of town! We have friends living in the Meadows. We should set up a local mumsnet

ggirl it doesn't really matter what you wear here at the moment as starmummy says it 40+ and you feel soaked as soon as you step outside

Edit to confirm price rise is a rental increase!!!

Inthe pink lets do it. Have a mumsnet local. we need to get mumsnet HQ to let us have a local page here for Dubai.

My DS is at JC in year 7, so abit older than your Ds (thinks he knows it all now we are at the end of the first year of senior school and not the nervouc newbie anymore ;-)

escape, you must come as well. Would you prefer daytime or evening, weekend or weekday? I know frogprincess is a lurker as well. In fact I shall start another thread to make sure we dont miss anyone. Can we make it soon? As I suspect some people will go home for the summer, although not but but DS is flying by himself (omg!)

Sorry for hijack!! But at least you can join us if you come to DXB!!

starmummy