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Greetings Friends....

We are a prof couple (general manager/lawyer), each with 7 years experience (off shore); educated in US and are extremely keen to check out opportunities in Dubai. We are used to dealing with usual ex-pat "red tape" and day-to-day "issues" where we currently reside; so we have been pleased to see what are the usual "rants" from ex-pats on here who live in Dubai.

A few questions....

1) Is it recommended we learn some basic arabic prior to applying (ie take an online language course to obtain credentials?) Does this make us more attractive to employers?

2) We hear it is realtively cheap to buy goods in Dubai (ie clothes, food, appliances etc etc). As such, is it basically a case of packing your clothes and that's it? Any thoughts on shipping stuff which is hard to obtain in Dubai?

3) What is the typical shelf life for expats who move to Dubai? (where we are, most expats seem to last 2-3 years) What is the general reasons why people do leave?

4) Although we don't have kids, considering having the better half pop some out soon. Will the "missus" get the pink slip after her belly appears rotund or are employers generally cool with mat leave etc? Does full medical/insurance cover things for hospital stays?

5) We have read about the driving. Is it better to drive a fast car (to keep up with traffic) or drive a hummer/sport utility to keep us alive after we get into an inevitable crash up.

6) Dubai is close to many cool places to visit. Do local travel agents offer weekend package get away rates/specials to expat residents?

7) Is there a lot of involvement with government "ie laws and regs" that affect conduct of business in private sector. ie red tape.

What's the general breakdown of expats by region?? (ie Brits, Aussie's, yanks etc etc)

9) We understand no "adult" entertainment. Is the internet filtered as well? Is there general censorship?

10) What is considered severe/harsh weather in Dubai outside of the heat? Do you get a lot of rain/windstorms in the city.

11) How is the scuba diving?

12) What should we expect in benefits package as a working couple with seven yrs in our prospective line of work (north america/offshore)? What is best general guess for starting salaries?

13) How good are the restaurants (eating well is a hobby) Is cuisine from around the world available? How good is the local cuisine? How much does a falafel usually go for?

Thanks for all your input!!!!!

Warm regards,

mr and mrs smith

1) Is it recommended we learn some basic arabic prior to applying (ie take an online language course to obtain credentials?) Does this make us more attractive to employers?

No and no, as you're unlikely to learn anything substantial or useful without intensive tuition.

2) We hear it is realtively cheap to buy goods in Dubai (ie clothes, food, appliances etc etc). As such, is it basically a case of packing your clothes and that's it? Any thoughts on shipping stuff which is hard to obtain in Dubai?

You can get everything here. Unless you plan to buy and furnish a house here, and sell your existing home, there's no need to ship applicances or furniture.

3) What is the typical shelf life for expats who move to Dubai? (where we are, most expats seem to last 2-3 years) What is the general reasons why people do leave?

I would say 2-5 years. People leave because their jobs end, they are homesick, or just sick of Dubai.

4) Although we don't have kids, considering having the better half pop some out soon. Will the "missus" get the pink slip after her belly appears rotund or are employers generally cool with mat leave etc? Does full medical/insurance cover things for hospital stays?

Depends on the employer and what kind of maternity leave your wife wants. It may have to be unpaid. If she only plans to take a few weeks off and then go for full-time childcare there is likely to be more sympathy with employers than if she wants six months off.

5) We have read about the driving. Is it better to drive a fast car (to keep up with traffic) or drive a hummer/sport utility to keep us alive after we get into an inevitable crash up.

SUVs are safer. If you're careful, you can avoid most crashes.

6) Dubai is close to many cool places to visit. Do local travel agents offer weekend package get away rates/specials to expat residents?

Yes and no. The airlines do come up with offers, but ticket prices here are extortionate compared to what you could get flying out of London. Also, even if there is a super cheap fare, you will still pay hundreds of dirhams per person in taxes. You can of course drive to Oman, or other parts of the UAE. But there is nothing comparable to the bargain-bin cheap flight deals you get in "normal" countries.

7) Is there a lot of involvement with government "ie laws and regs" that affect conduct of business in private sector. ie red tape.

Yes, but hopefully your company will have a good PRO (=public relations officer, nothing to do with public relations in the media sense) who can handle this for you. They visit all the various departments and get everything signed. They can also help out with personal red tape stuff, but in this instance I would tip them (they don't earn that much usually).

8) What's the general breakdown of expats by region?? (ie Brits, Aussie's, yanks etc etc)

Majority population here is subcontinental Asian (Indian and Pakistani) followed by non-GCC arabs. Then it's Brits, other Europeans, and then Australians, Canadians, South Africans, Americans etc.

9) We understand no "adult" entertainment. Is the internet filtered as well? Is there general censorship?

*weeps*
Google "etislat proxy". Enough said.

10) What is considered severe/harsh weather in Dubai outside of the heat? Do you get a lot of rain/windstorms in the city.

Lots of dust, but not so much duststorms. Hardly any rain ever. Harsh heat would be 40c plus, but it is that level most of the summer. It's also very humid here in the summer months - don't get any ideas of "dry desert heat", it's coastal here. Winter months are glorious though.

11) How is the scuba diving?

Not an expert here, but there are some reefs and wrecks off the east coast (Fujairah, Musandam, Oman). If you visit Aqaba, Jordan you can dive in the Red Sea - the corals are outstanding.

12) What should we expect in benefits package as a working couple with seven yrs in our prospective line of work (north america/offshore)? What is best general guess for starting salaries?

It totally depends what field of work you're in, and what level of management, etc. You would struggle to lead a comfortable life on anything less than Dh15,000 combined. If you both work, then as long as you each earn minimum Dh12,000, you'll be fine. And you should be able to earn quite a bit more, but again it all depends on your profession.

13) How good are the restaurants (eating well is a hobby) Is cuisine from around the world available? How good is the local cuisine? How much does a falafel usually go for?

Masses and masses of restaurants here, so variety is no problem. However, in terms of ultra-fine-dining, if you're a Michelin type person, you'll be very disappointed.

In terms of world food, very often the best restaurants are the smaller (ie non-hotel) restaurants that can be almost embarrassingly cheap. But only hotel restaurants serve alcohol. If you can cope with soft drinks, you have a world of choice. The other limitation is traffic: most small restaurants are in densely populated city areas such as Deira and Karama. If you are living in "new Dubai" - Lakes/Marina/Meadows etc (ie south of the city) it's almost impossible to get into the City in the evening, because of the Dubai-Sharjah commute. A falafel could be had for a few dirhams.

The local cuisine - if one means Emirati - is rather limited. Most of it is borrowed from general Arab cuisine (eg Lebanon, Iran). Think lots of mixed grills, lamb/mutton, rice. Milk and cheese-based puddings, with sticky nutty Arabic "sweets" (pastries). Your best bet for Arabic is an excellent, quite cheap chain of Lebanese restaurants called Automatic. For Indian/Pakistani food you'll be spoilt for choice - assuming you can get into Karama or Deira. Some of the shopping malls have quite good, mid-market restaurants as well.

Dear Secret,
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond with all your really helpful and insightful comments. Just curious how long you have been in Dubai and where you are from? What do you do for fun, seems like there are a lot of fabulous adventures....we look forward to an opportunity to experience it!
Keep it real! Mr & Mrs. Smith

I'm a bit lazy these days, my fun seems to revolve around eating and the internet

But in the early days I used to go out much more, to the beach, to bars and clubs, to malls, etc.

I have to admit that the worsening traffic is partly to blame for my curtailed leisure life. Though at least there are shopping malls in my area - I go to Ibn Battuta heaps, there are restaurants, a supermarket and cinemas there.

I have been here for four years and am from the UK. I had been living overseas before, so the expat "shock" probably wasn't quite the same - I was used to not having every single familiar brand available, and being in a "lower priority"/"lower importance" country. (You'll understand what this means when your kids want an Xbox360 - like I do!! - and the chances are it won't be available here for several months after the US). Also the realisation that you're not a citizen of where you live, and therefore not a stakeholder, with less rights. And things like - yes, some customs (driving) are very inferior in your new host country, but there's nothing you can do about it.

This is not to put you off, just to prepare yourselves for the expat experience. Some people even go through a bit of depression, usually after the intial burst of excitment, but you do get through it.

These people - http://bssandbrninalain.blogspot.com - are US expats recently arrived in the UAE, and they write quite honestly about their excitement and their struggles.

Keep up the informative posts secretdubai!

Cheers,

D

Hi Secret,
Thanks so much for more of your insightful and helpful information. This is the "missus", we apologize for not getting back to you sooner, the "in-laws" have been visiting.... ..ahem!

We definitely understand the dulling of the sparkle of a new “expat experience”, we have been offshore for a bit over 4 years and own 2 properties in our “host country” and still have no rights or security (residency etc..). We also have to be very careful, there is a bit of paranoia with contracts/permits/red tape etc…here so please don’t be offended by our vagueness.

If you don’t mind I have a few more questions regarding the work visa process in Dubai? How long does it take from application to start date, how long are the permits usually for, are they difficult to come by for professionals (7 year General manager and the other is a 7 year Lawyer) Does the employer pay the fee? etc....

Our current work permit approvals take MONTHS (~9) and nearly have to be blessed by the Pope to pass. The application entails blood work , urinalysis, chest x-rays, police reports etc...etc....We have to take these tests every couple of years AND leave the country while immigration considers you.

If I chose to be a dependant on my husbands permit at first does the employer sort that out on the application or does my husband have to put that in and pay for it after he gets his own sponsorship? Can I be in the country while it processes?

I hope all is well with you and look forward to hearing more of your adventures in Dubai!
All the Best,
Mrs. Smith

God man... Which country do you live in????? North Korea????

Hey Einstein I think that thin cooling air up there is getting to your brain...eh? Carib as is "Carib....bean” just pulling your leg brother, my other half is a Canuck.
No we live on an Island paradise...paradise with a padlock, very high cost of living, and a lot of hurricanes!!! The dollar is strong, the money is good and tax free, the locals are friendly, if you love water sports this is lala land. It’s been great but we are ready for some reality. Dubai appears to be what we are looking for, I think the work permit/visa questions are my last concern. We plan to sort out a trip to check it out shortly.
When are you heading over Liban?

ready for some reality. Dubai appears to be

Dubai doesn't = reality hahahahaha.

Seriously though you'll probably enjoy it here. Where in the Caribbean are you from? i have family in the Cayman Islands and Bermuda and I've done some work in Trinidad and Barbados.

Carib wrote:Hey Einstein I think that thin cooling air up there is getting to your brain...eh? Carib as is "Carib....bean” just pulling your leg brother, my other half is a Canuck.
No we live on an Island paradise...paradise with a padlock, very high cost of living, and a lot of hurricanes!!! The dollar is strong, the money is good and tax free, the locals are friendly, if you love water sports this is lala land. It’s been great but we are ready for some reality. Dubai appears to be what we are looking for, I think the work permit/visa questions are my last concern. We plan to sort out a trip to check it out shortly.
When are you heading over Liban?

Sounds like the Cayman Islands

I was in Dubai in Sep. and will be back again some time this month on a more permanent basis.

Close but no Cassava cake for you!

Liban
Glad to hear you are heading back! Did you interview on your first visit? Set them up pre visit or while you were there? Have you been in Canada waiting on your sponsorship? What does the application entail? Do you have to leave while it processes or are you going back for round two? Sorry for all the questions, I am curious about the best way to approach companies/interview etc….? Do you recommend going through recruiters?

Fayz,
With all that is going on in Dubai do you feel like you are living in Disney World at times? I hear that they are going to work on the transportation infrastructure, do things move quickly re: construction etc… ?? We live on island time which is nice on the weekends but when you want to get something done…

M&M. S[/quote]