Hi Red,
Your Dubai contract is a standard form issued by the Ministry of Labour. Labour law here is NOTHING like the UK I am afraid! However there are some good points. It is sort of pretty clear cut, the rules are actually written down and you can check them out at
www.tamimi.com or at least look at the key points.
The up side is that the Ministry of Labour are often on the side of the employee rather than the employer as there are some less than scrupulous employers here with dodgy track records.
Open ended contract is standard, allows for easy renewal each year. Check on the back of the form under the 'Special Clauses' A & B as any restrictions MUST be listed there. These cover things like no compete agreements (although these tend to be a separate issue between employer and employee and should be presented to you at the start of the contract not when and if you decide to leave)
Check the Tamimi site. I think the most important part you will need to read is Clause 120, which covers starting and leaving a company.
I am sure there are others on the Forum who are recognised experts, but this comes to you from hard practical personal experience!
Knight