Dubai Forums Dubai Expat Forums Dubai Expat Help Forum

Just been reading a few posts on here that have un-nerved me a bit!!

Is Dubai safe? for Kids? I know that no where in this world is 100% safe, blimey I live in London and it's dreadful, but because I have lived here all my life I know it's potential dangers to myself and my baby

What's Dubai like?

Roads are unsafe.

It's very safe, crime is very low here, there are very few drugs and only a fraction of the underage drinking there is in other countries.

Think of all the talk on here as like a village, one thing happens and the whole place talks about it, the reality is as mr mash points out is that your biggest danger is only car accidents here.

ZoeD wrote:blimey I live in London and it's dreadful,

What are you worried about? Safer for kids in Dubai if you don't let them drive or put them on your lap when driving yourself.

scot1870 wrote:there are very few drugs and only a fraction of the underage drinking there is in other countries.

I agree it's safe but I don't think "very few" is very accurate. As for drinking, since age limit is 21 there could be a lot of underage drinking.

lived in sydney for 6 years-- robbed twice!!! i can't imagine that happening here.

i have heard of some horrific things involving labourers that have gone feral from time to time but in the main it is a pretty safe orderly place, with a courteous police force to boot

scot1870 wrote:It's very safe, crime is very low here, there are very few drugs and only a fraction of the underage drinking there is in other countries.

Think of all the talk on here as like a village, one thing happens and the whole place talks about it, the reality is as mr mash points out is that your biggest danger is only car accidents here.

This is in fact reasonably true, because their is very little crime here, compared with the likes of London / New York etc., whenever something happens it is blown up out of all proportion. Dubai is a good place to raise kids.

Sydneysider wrote:lived in sydney for 6 years-- robbed twice!!! i can't imagine that happening here.

i have heard of some horrific things involving labourers that have gone feral from time to time but in the main it is a pretty safe orderly place, with a courteous police force to boot

Please tell - start another thread if need be. I want to know about the feral laborers

To the original poster. I grew up in London and it's totally safe out here apart from the roads as everyone else has pointed out. There are zero muggings, less assaults and very safe for kids.

jabbajabba wrote:There are zero muggings, less assaults and very safe for kids.

No.
No.
Yes.

Sydneysider wrote:lived in sydney for 6 years-- robbed twice!!! i can't imagine that happening here.

It does. Not often though.

Compared to many other cities around the globe, Dubai is incredibly safe. As a woman I don't feel threatened or uneasy about walking around by myself at any time of day, something which I would be freaking out over in a place like London, New York etc.

Sure there are incidents, as nowhere is 100% crime free. But it's still much better than anywhere else.

Ok, I'm sold!!!

Will pack my bags tonight

Hoorah for Dubai! I am so happy now!

Compared to UK - yes it is safe - but there is crime here and you shouldn't assume that this is England in the 1950s

I have been burgled here and so have many of my colleagues; in one night during the summer the same people did 3 villas in our compound. The guy came into my room while I was asleep, removed a few things then took them into one of the kids' rooms and left them there when he realised that I'm a cheapskate.

Fortunately the wife and children were in the UK for the summer so no issue, but the general feeling here is that you are relatively safe from physical violence but not from crime against property. The best advice is to have decent locks (on patio doors especially) and an alarm.

Best thing here is that the police were round in under 10 minutes when I called them and I had more than 6 of them turn up - imagine that in the UK!

Best deterent against burglaries? Get a dog! Anyone comes near the place and she's off!

Also I still don't understand why soooo many people don't lock the doors to their homes or vehicles - it's asking for trouble.

Chocoholic wrote:Best deterent against burglaries? Get a dog! Anyone comes near the place and she's off!

Couldn't agree more! We have a Rottweiler, born and raised in Baku, Azerbaijan of all places and has been through police dog training in Baku so if you're not threatened by the sight of the big boy then his training will be more than enough!

Ross

And I hate to say it, but the majority of people who are responsible for breaking into homes here are terrified of dogs. They give them a wide berth at the best of times.

Chocoholic wrote:And I hate to say it, but the majority of people who are responsible for breaking into homes here are terrified of dogs. They give them a wide berth at the best of times.

They are cat people Thus the term "cat burglar".

My wife has had her mobile phone stolen on one occasion and her purse in another, both in supermarkets.

Dubai is not as safe as people like to think - a lot of this goes on. The police told her there was a gang who targeted people on their own and they had had a large number of reports of thefts from one particular supermarket.

Credit cards are used almost immediately, and the gang seems well coordinated.

Chocoholic wrote:And I hate to say it,

Why? Sounds like useful information.