Dubai Forums Dubai Expat Forums Dubai Expat Help Forum

Hi
We are moving to Dubai in the next couple of months with children. I have a million questions. Firstly we are a family with children and a dog, so we are hoping to find accomodation, preferably a villa with small garden ('cos I am not paper training a dog that is larger than me) and I hope the kids can playoutside in the nicer months of the year. Is it common to find small villas with small pools or shared pools? We thought Springs sounded nice. Any advice or ideas of expected price range would be appreciated.....I have found some real estate websites and it seems that this sort of villa is around the 120 000 mark up but I was wondering how negotiable these quoted prices are as this is beyond our budget. Also we want it unfurnished but I wondered if it is possible to negotiate appliances into the rental like fridge, washer, microwave. Also on that topic do ovens and stove tops come standard in villas? While on appliances it is 220V to 240V, isn't it?
Now back to dogs. How have your dogs coped with the climate change etc? I would be interested to know.
Schools....we know it is pretty hard to get into a school. Are there any suggestions from anyone which schools they would recommend and which schools would be close to The Springs?
Attesting documents is worrying me-if there is no consulate in your city is there any way of getting documents attested otherwise?
The other thing is the cost of living. I realise there are large chain supermarkets but what are the prices, cleanliness like in local markets? Also eating out locally, is that cheap and clean too, in your opinion?
Last, I guess, is clothing. Is it easy to find clothing for tall men and large footwear or should we pack extra. And really last, is there anything you cannot get in Dubai or is so expensive you wished you brought it with you?(like rash shirts for kids for swimming) Thanks!

Hi
We are moving to Dubai in the next couple of months with children. I have a million questions.

Firstly we are a family with children and a dog, so we are hoping to find accomodation, preferably a villa with small garden ('cos I am not paper training a dog that is larger than me) and I hope the kids can playoutside in the nicer months of the year.

Weather during "winter", "spring" and "autumn" is brilliant, the months between may and mid-september are the worst!
If you were in a complex with shared amenaties they most likly will not allow pets, on the subject of which. A friend of mine is leave and returning home. He has 2 dogs, they can only be repatriated after a brief quarentine and if all their shots are up to date. To fly them back to Cape Town from Dubai he is looking at about 40,000 AED!!!!!! Something to bear in mind when bringing them here!


Is it common to find small villas with small pools or shared pools? We thought Springs sounded nice. Any advice or ideas of expected price range would be appreciated.....I have found some real estate websites and it seems that this sort of villa is around the 120 000 mark up but I was wondering how negotiable these quoted prices are as this is beyond our budget.

If you were prepared to pay 120k per annum in rental at the springs you may as well buy the property - at least it is an investment. The rental depends on the owner and how much they are prepared to haggle. The owner is probably re-paying about 90- to 100k to the bank, the balance is his profit. You will still be liable for the services - water, electricity and possibly the service levy (unless specified in the rental agreement).

Also we want it unfurnished but I wondered if it is possible to negotiate appliances into the rental like fridge, washer, microwave. Also on that topic do ovens and stove tops come standard in villas? While on appliances it is 220V to 240V, isn't it?

Stove is supposed to be with the place! 220/ 240v. many places have gas as the standard cooking "method" and electircal is an optional extra! Most new palces have the facility for both

Now back to dogs. How have your dogs coped with the climate change etc? I would be interested to know.

hot, in summer, in my opinion cruel to even think of letting animals outside! some places have dog kennels with a/c! i have a cat and shave it in summer - and it stays inside! if you are away or out for the day you cannot afford to let the a/c run - just too expensive

Schools....we know it is pretty hard to get into a school. Are there any suggestions from anyone which schools they would recommend and which schools would be close to The Springs?

they are planning on putting a school into the springs/ meadows area... i think they are building on it at the moment, the alternative is jumerieh, a wonderful 1/2 hour drive in rushhour traffic in the morning

Attesting documents is worrying me-if there is no consulate in your city is there any way of getting documents attested otherwise?

I've written quiet a bit about attesting documents on the forum, look up my user profile and some of the previous entries. Easiest is to phone the UAE consul (where ever), ask them if they can suggest a local agent to do the attestation for you. They may or may not be able to help you. There are a number of these types of agencies, but it is best to get a reputable one through someone who has personally used them. I know of one instance where a staff memeber of mine used and agent, the agent falsified the attestation... when the documents were submitted on this side they were confiscated (and that is the original document), imagine trying to have that repalced and then going through the process again!

The other thing is the cost of living. I realise there are large chain supermarkets but what are the prices, cleanliness like in local markets?

Brillaint, pretty up to scratch with most first world places... does depend on how much you want to spend on where you are going to shop!

Also eating out locally, is that cheap and clean too, in your opinion?

Dubai Municipality is very strict on the hygiene regulations (because of the hot climate and potential for food posioning). Most places are insepcted at least every 2 weeks! If you go down some dimmly lit alley and eat food from a stand you most likliy will get sick! Pleanty of international standard hotels, restuarents (sorry abt the spelling)!!

Last, I guess, is clothing. Is it easy to find clothing for tall men and large footwear or should we pack extra.

You know how to ask all the right questions. Difficult to get good quality, nice fitting clothes here (well i find this anyway). They bring in america, british size ranges, as well as clothing that seems to be made "somewhere" in the orient.... now i am small, but no way can i even fit into a "oriental" XXXL! Shoes are alright, plenty of branded stuff... branded stuff expensive, but the fit is better - clothes and shoes - but then again you pay for it!

And really last, is there anything you cannot get in Dubai or is so expensive you wished you brought it with you?(like rash shirts for kids for swimming) Thanks!

mmmm ..... so far... there is NOTHING you cannot get in Dubai, the biggest problem is finding it! Once you have been here for abt 6 months you should know your way around enough to find anything.... sometimes the quality is not the same as what you are used to ...

P.S.. if you swim in the sea, a rash is about the last thing you should worry about! skates, jellyfish, bluebottles, sea snakes (and yes they are very poisonous if you happen to be unlucky enough to be bitten) .... and of course in summer the water is about as refreshing as a warm/ hot salt bath! No... kidding, its not that bad all the time, but all the above (and the odd shark) are available at various times..

sorry.... rental and appliances.... not likily....
the stuff is cheap here, don't bring your own its not worth it!- obviously if you are running 110v it won't work in anycase.

Appliances are cheap!!! a good branded washing machine about 1500AED, a tumble dryer about 1000AED, stove 1,500 to 2,000 and a fridge about 800 - 900 (get 2 you'll need them!).

What's a bluebottle or a skate?

Is the sea really that warm??

Thanx dbxsoul!! The dog is family and we have looked into getting him there which isn't really a big deal (except cost) but getting him home will mean one month's quarantine, so I guess we will have to stay about 12 years!! (He also spends nearly all day inside now.....snoring!) We have lived in parts of Asia before (including developing countries) and have had our fair share of food poisoning-with kids I like to be a little more wary. Fancy restaurants are not really our thing. Interesting about the blue bottles-it sounds a lot like Darwin, Australia where you can only swim safely in certain months. There are other things I wanted to ask. Vaccinations. Can you advise of any must have immunisations in your opinion? My kids have had usual childhood immunisations but extras like Hep A and Hep B plus chicken pox vax,menningacocal (I know for a fact that is spelt wrong!!) and the BCG for TB. Are vaxs like typhoid needed??
Also I understand people have maids that live in- not really my thing either so is it common and legal to have someone come in for a couple of hours a week to do the ironing and clean?
Traffic sounds bad. I thought Dubai only had a population of about a million so I am kind of surprised.
I have also read several times that Dubai is safe. Is it safe to assume then that wearing jewelry is OK? I mean by doing so you don't make yourself a target for theft.
Thanks again...I guess some questions will seem a little odd but we've been to places that are poles apart so I am just trying to get a feel where Dubai fits in.

Me again! What is a service levy?? Is this like an air conditioning servicing contract or something different? Thanx

oops... sorry.... skates ... like a ray with a nasty sting if you are unfortunate enought to stand on one.

blue bottle.... similar to a jellyfish, they have an air bladder and float on the surface of the water... nastly little tenticles to sting with.

to be quiet crass about it the sea is as warm as piss in summer! the night time ambient temperature is about 35 deg C, so the sea temp is not far off that.

Vaccinations. Can you advise of any must have immunisations in your opinion? My kids have had usual childhood immunisations but extras like Hep A and Hep B plus chicken pox vax,menningacocal (I know for a fact that is spelt wrong!!) and the BCG for TB. Are vaxs like typhoid needed??

Okay, i'm affraid my "expertise" doesn't quiet streach to children and vaccinations I would suggest that you bring whatever vaccination cards you have with though. Typhoid is not necissary though.

Also I understand people have maids that live in- not really my thing either so is it common and legal to have someone come in for a couple of hours a week to do the ironing and clean?

Maids.... you may or may not be able to sponsor a maid, this is dependant on your monthly income (same applies to liquor license). If you sponsored a live in maid you would be looking at between 1,000 and 1,300 per month, with a return air ticket once a year to thier country of origin, plus a labour deposit 3,500 (dept. of labour), and other immigration and labour documents... about 4,500 in total.

you may not legally employ a maid sponsored by someone else! if something happened i.e. you have a fire in the house and the police are called (okay maybe a bit far fetch, but it does happen), the maid if she is one someone else's visa would be deported and you would be fined, as well as the maids sponsor!

the easiest option for short-term usage of a maid is to hire one through an agency, this costs about 20 - 25 DHS per hour and normally a minumum of 4 hours per visit. I have one that comes twice a week for four hours (160 AED per week).

Traffic sounds bad. I thought Dubai only had a population of about a million so I am kind of surprised.

traffic.... ha-ha-ha don't get me started..... take all the worst drivers in the world, give them 4 x4 vehicals and take away any kind of reasonable, effective traffic police presence! let your imagination do the rest. Worse during Ramadan!!!! No food, short tempers, high temperatures and set prayer times!

I have also read several times that Dubai is safe. Is it safe to assume then that wearing jewelry is OK? I mean by doing so you don't make yourself a target for theft.

Very safe by European and American standards, paradise by South African standards!!!! no real worries, wear all the jewelry you want to.
My fist week here i saw the paymaster from a company collect 1.5 million DHS from the bank, sling it over his shoulder in a pillowslip and walk down the road back to his office!

okay the housing deal. the dubai government has just allowed "private ownership" of properties by expatriates, this is still illegal under federal law in the UAE, but they use a 99 year lease loop-hole to circumvent this.

this means that both locals and expatriates can "own" properties. there are only three or four companies that are "autherised" to develop and sell these type or properties, Nakheel and Emaar being the biggest two.

Your rental will be fixed for the period of one year, there is a legal rental document that must be obtained from the dubai municipality. if you don't get one, you may in actual fact be sub-letting from someone else! the contract will spell out the terms of the rental.

the levy is normally over and above of the rental and is a service fee to the property developer (e.g emmar) for cleaning, chilled water supply for a/c units, waste collection, garden maintenace etc... within the public service areas of development in which you reside.

this is normally a fixed rate per square meter area of your property, although some of the developers tried hike the rate up (possibly for some additional revenue) recently and were almost lynched by the residents. there are no legal representative tenant bodies at present in dubai, although my feeling is this will happen within the next year.

there is also a complaints department at dubai municipality, rental increases are SUPPOSED not to be more than 10% over a two year period. some greedy landloards do normally try thier luck. if you have a legal rental agreement you can take it to the municipality, they will then contact the landloard and tell him to behave. normally if this were to happen the landlord will invoke one of the points in the contract and give you 1 months notice!!!!!!! circumventing a fair outcome of the preceedings - a no win situation.

it's not all doom and gloom though.
In addition to the rental you are normally responsible for the electical and water consumption of you property - all properties are metered serparatly including appartments. the landlord will not normally cover this (although their are always exceptions)!

Thanks again for the info. You're like an encyclopaedia! Of course I have another question. This one is about medicines. It varies from country to country which medicines are bought over the counter or with prescription, so is there some website/list or something that has these medicines- cold and flu tablets, sudafed (brand name), medications containing ibuprofen are over the counter non-prescription medicines where I come from- or does anyone have an idea of what is allowed?
Also, a washing question. I would imagine in compound and estates there are rules about hanging out laundry or do villas come with washing lines?
Another question. We like to barbeque. Is it possible to buy BBQ's in Dubai or should we bring our own?
Now you are all probably !!

okay... be prepared for a shock. a lot of things which are normaly prescription only in most werstern countries (antibiotics...) are avaiable over the counter, sometimes a little pleading is required though, although not much. buprofen over the counter... there are some exceptions... i think codine based drugs, opiates obviously out.... anything that could be "abused", although you can by sleeping pills over the counter - i think though that very strong ones are still by prescription.

for things like diabetics... ie regular injections you would need to get a card and permission from your doctor and possibly a letter from the police, just incase someone saw you using it and took it the wrong way and they tried to arrest you ...

they do frown on drug abuse, although it does still happen. the official standing in drugs in dubai is life in prisonment (...no they don't mean 25 years and parole), the federal viewpoint is its a captial offence and is applied in some of the neigbouring emirates.... no loppings, hangings and firing squad

airing your dirty laundry in public firstly these places are not compounds (as you see in saudi), they are more like cluster home developments and housing estates - also a lot of suburbia here!! it depends entirly where you stay, some places are single unit villas with their own garden... in the comunal ones there is normally a comunity washing line area, alternativly you will have a small balcony (if you have an appartment) and can put up a small folding clothes drying stand. in summer a full dryer will dry in about 15 to 20 min!!!! in winter it is a problem, as things take longer to dry and the laundry backs up a bit ... i simply bought a tumble dryer ... (abt 1000AED)

okay bbq's easy one..... yes we have plenty, plenty of aussies, brits and south africans who love to cook outdoors ... mainly gas! as there is no naturally occuring forests in the uae to chop down for wood, although you can still get bbq wood, its imported and a little on the pricy side. you can also get charcoal here as well - also imported

high humidity and temperature in summer will cause most unprotected iron/ steel (outdoor) to rust! unless your bbq is stainless steel - leave it behind... either buy a cheap one here (which you can replace every 2 years), or an expensive stainless steel one when you are here - apparently they are cheaper here than in places like australia.

in summer you won't need any fuel for your bbq - if you are brave/ foolish enough to sit outside!

sorry when i re-read what i had written, i think i missed out a word and changed the meaning of the enitre sentence..

capital punishment in neighbouring emirates... they don't lop the head off, but opt for hangings and firing squad! not a spectator sport like in some other middle eastern countries!

also, while on that macabe point, please note that as it is a federation each emirate has its own interperation and implimentaion of the law, in sharjah, Al Ain, Ras Al Kahmah, Ajman and Fujierah for instance, a woman may not wear clothings that is revealing (while in dubai it is more relaxed and you can basically wear what you want to). In these emirates a woman may not travel in the company of any other man who is not either a brother or husband! No skirts above the knee (1,000 AED fine) etc... all these little nuances that make for an intresting vacation...

During Ramadan expatriates are expected to follow the law, no eating, drinking or smoking in public during daylight hours. don't try to tell them... "i didn't know ...." or "i'm a tourist ...." doesn't work....

heavy parties involving lots of trashed expats during Ramadan does not go down well either.. you are liable to spend the remainder of Ramadan in jail, a 5000 fine and have a really nice, short hair cut at the same time ...

my opinion ( ) is that you are a "guest" in their country, and while it is pretty relaxed and not strictly othodox, during this time of the year is to respect thier religion and customs .... its really not the end of the world.... and if i were in thier position i would expect the same




guys can't wear shorts in sharjah either....ha-ha i even heard about a chap who had his legs painted black when they caught him

What if some black guy shows up wears shorts??? I mean his legs are already black...

ha-ha-ha
good one ... suppose the natural thing would be to paint them white???
then again, they may wax his legs or beat him with a rubber hose!

Thans again! Think we will bring a barbie, gas one, just hope there isn't a hose fitting prob.
The differing "rules" between Sharjah and Dubai are interesting. A school has recently opened in Sharjah that we are interested in. Does the dress rule apply to children as well? Also the eating in public during Ramadan does this also apply to children? Another thing what age constitutes a child? My oldest is very tall, could that be a problem?

no problem with fittings, at the very worst they could simply remove the existing one and replace it.

traveling to sharjah.... unless you live in sharjah, or intend sending the kids by school bus to sharjah you are in for a major surprise!!!! traffic between dubai and sharjah in the morning, over lunch (as many places still close over lunch and employees go home till about 4) and in the evening is a NIGHTMARE of ledgendry proportions!!!! one of the reasons why housing etc.. is still "reasonably" cheaper there!

mmmm.. the age one is intresting, normaly children and the ill (i think pregant women as well..) are exempt from eating in public during Ramadan. I think the change over is at puberty - about the age of 12... the dress code is also reasonably flexible until this age - note reasonably!

Anyway, thanks again dbxsoul. Now alcohol- I am under the understanding we can't bring any in in a container but can any non-muslim visiting bring in a couple of bottles for friends?? I also thought I read that we can get a licence (however you spell that one) to drink in our own home once we arrive for a nominal fee, is that true?
Also can you buy the following (now we are getting into the )
coffee beans (decent)
chocolate, lindt, cadbury etc life is not worth living without choc!
Also can you get low lactose milk or lactose free milk? Actually I can live without these but wonder if any body knows where or if you can get them.
More seriously are there any serviced apartments that would be suitable while we looked for a place? Also on that, once we have settled on an actual villa how long could we expect before we move in? I would imagine it has to go through some board or something. Also when we first get there before we set up a bank account, is it usual and acceptable to pay for most things by credit card? Do taxis take cards too?

okay, i may be a little rusty on the alcohol license (however you want to spell it) issue, as i have not had one for about 2 years... not drinks, i mean a license... fell off that wagon long time ago - ha-ha

if memory serves me correctly. the license if made via application to the dubai police department, you need your passport, a letter from your employer and a copy of your salary certificate. you need to earn at least 3,000 per month to be eligble for a license (they do however in this instance take a joint income if you and your spouse both work). i assume the determination on the basis of income is to prevent the less privallged from drinking themselves into a coma over the fact that they are less privallaged...

the license did cost 600 aed then, it may have gone up. they give you a maximum limit per month (again based on the income). The lisence intitles you to buy alcohol at an outlet (either MMI or A &E - there are only 2). They are located next to most Spinneys (retail) outlets. Non descript buildings without windows and no excessive advertising! When u buy from them they record the transcation in their database as well as on your lisence. This alcohol is for your own consumption (in your own home) or if you go to a friends place - you will see if you have a party most people bring thier own and take whats left back with them at the end of the evening...

You do not need a license to buy alcohol at a hotel or pub, although the legal age limit is 23 (i stand under correction, it may be 21).

Under the terms of the license you may not sell the alcohol you have bought (although you can give it as a gift to a person of a legal age...), and may not give alcohol or buy alcohol for Muslims.

After all that you can also go to one of the illegal, but well sign-posted off-lisences in on of the "dry" emirates.... hillarious as it may seem!!!! i have a huge stack of stuff and haven't had a lisence in ages!!!

if you travel you may bring with you (or buy at duty free, at the airport - without a license!) 3 bottles of spirts, or 3 bottles of wine or 2 cases of beer (not forgetting the all important 200 cigarettes!)


I wouldn't worry too much about the chocolate, the locals are very big on sweets and chocs.. so the range is very well subscribed!!!! possibly over so! although i did read in the paper a day or two back the municipality did a raid and confiscated a variety of chocolates from various shops as they did not have expiry dates on them..... i wonder if they put up a fight ) and after they were detained if the chocolates were b(eaten) in detention ha-ha sorry i'm on a bit of a roll ... a sick puppy

mm ... okay milk the only thing i can say is that the long life milk here SUX! normal milk seems to have some kind of additive or presevative to prevent it from going off to quickly, i have had open bottles in the fridge for up to 2 weeks without them going off..... in summer if you are using regular (non-preservative) milk it will go off in 2 hours if you leave it out!!!

there is a new organic shop in dubai - they may have lactose free milk!

mmmm... serviced appartments, there are supposed to be a batch comming up in jebel ali gardens, although i think the majority of these have been reserved for emirates crew and one of the hotel groups. there are some serviced appartments in bur dubai - richmond appartments, golden sands, the pearl ... etc, although the rate is quiet high as they cater more to tourists....

the villa issue.... a bit complicated... if you are buying a new one - and are the first owner.... there is a major backlog (speculators, owners etc..) then you could expect to wait up to a year (if you are lucky), i don't know either of one housing project here that has opened on time... sometimes up to 5 months late! if you are renting, and depending on where you are wanting to stay there may be a waiting list.... unofficially (of course) if you cross somebodies palm with silver you are likily to be moved way up the waiting list. some places have plenty of unoccupied rooms and there is no wait.

normally to get a rental agreement you need to have the following documents: passport, valid residency visa (not visit), work permit, letter from your employer and a salary certificate.

there is no board or vetting system like in switzerland!

to set up a bank account you need: passport, valid residency visa (not visit), work permit, letter of no objection from your sponsor, a salary certificate from your sponsor..... if you are married and your wife wants to open a seperate account she needs a letter of no objection (you'll have to get used to the odd terminology around here) from you as you are her sponsor (as well as all the other documents as well !!!! long live chauvernism!!!

usually with a bank account they will not open one until you have recieved at least 3 salary cheques (or have proof that you have recieved them). you employer for the first 3 months will have to pay you in cash or cheque (which you need to have your passort to bank)...

PLASTIC IS KING - except in taxis and abras (water taxis) .... cold hard cash!

sorry on re-reading that huge essay i must applogies for the poor spelling and grammer.... blame it on all the free booze

sorry on re-reading that huge essay i must applogies for the poor spelling and grammer.... blame it on all the free booze

Thats fine dbxsoul... With all the help you keep offering people you can go ahead and do all the spelling errors you want!!!!!!!

Hi and thanks again dbxsoul. Actually we have just been to Dubai and I am shocked!! It is amazing!! Had a look around at some supermarkets and it looks reasonably priced to me-even alcohol is OK price wise (Singapore prices were much, much higher, so for a Muslim country I was quite surprised).Also the 21 factor doesn't affect me I was amazed at how spread out Dubai is and you could end up living in basically one pocket of Dubai with everything you need in that particular area. I was interested in one thing though although a lot of the people joke about you don't need immunisations etc why do they fog (for example around the Springs they had a sign up that they fog once a week or month-I can't remember now)? (We have lived in places (developing country) where mosquitoes are a problem for malaria, dengue fever and Japanese encephalitis-although I don't think this is a prob is it a preventative measure or something else?)
Dubai is such an ultra modern place. Mind blowing architecture! Now for the bad news-the traffic!! I was panic striken being driven-left hand drive is difficult to grasp at first and I kept my eyes closed most of the time when we were in taxis because it is like being in some race but then there are traffic jams too. However this didn't seem to worry the driver we had who reversed down the freeway then turned and drove against the traffic on the shoulder, then cut into the traffic to take the previous exit we had gone past to avoid the traffic jam. I don't know what was more shocking-that he did this or that everyone else was doing it too including trucks which couldn't see behind themselves when reversing!!
I also noticed the dress code is normal. Weather wise it was beautiful and we didn't find it humid at all-but as you've said and from what everyone told us it changes and gets really foul over the next few months.
One thing I noticed is in the milk section of the Supermarket they had Laban milk? Is that just a brand name? When I read on the side panel it had cow's milk in it and a whole lot of additives? I did ask about low lactose milk while I was there (one of my children has lactose intolerance we think due to having some severe food poisoning several times while living away) in a Spinneys at Jumeriah (???) anyway, the manager said they will be getting it in as well as GM free soy milk and some other UHT milks because of customer requests.I did also notice credit cards are widely used-nothing wrong with being a secondary card holder-just means I spend and the primary card holder(being my husband) pays the bills!

Overall I thought it was a pretty fantastic place.Thanks again for all your info. It is exactly as you said.

Laban milk is known as Laban Ayran. It is not really milk. Its yogurt milk - Laban meaning yogurt in Arabic.

We drink it in Lebanon. It is based from 1% milk but has a lot of salt in it and doesn't taste like mild in the slightest. It is very good though, but I would say for the untamed palette, it might need some getting used to

Buy it, try it... But if your kids are lactose intolerent then don't make them drink it. Yogurt has lactose last I checked.

gald you enjoyed your visit! they spray at the springs/ meadows etc for mosquitos .... they thought it would be a great idea to build these artificial lakes in the middle of the developments. from what i have heard the running costs of keeping the lakes aerated is now an issue, electrical, maintenace etc... during the cooler months of the year there are normally mosquitos arround, now with these large bodies of still water they have actually created an artificial breeding ground.... i must admit that a lot of the time they will build something or plan something without considering the practical implications first! apparently emaar is working on a long-term solution for the mozzies ....

the traffic.... helpful hint number 8..... i also came from a country where you drive on the left, was quiet easy to switch over though.. just watch out for the round-abouts and cornering through large interchanges.... keep to the right of the blue arrow! ....

the traffic .... helpful hint number 9 .... when in rome .... if you drive politely you will be taken advantage of! you need to be more aggressive, forget about using indicators, take the off ramp (from the fast lane) at the last possible moment, be able to drive within 15cm of someone's bumber at 140km/ hour... learn how to flash your headlights - apparently this makes the driver in the car in front of you veer wildly out of your way... ?
break from 160 to 120 only after you have gone through the speed trap ... this always amazes me... everyone knows where the traps are... yet they seem to think the camera is activated as they are directly along side of it.... so they apply breaks just on the camera .... haven't they ever noticed the the flash comes from the front, as they are approaching the camera... and the little photo shows the front of the car, not the side of their head .....

otherwise you'll be okay ..... just be warned... the glitz and glamour does wear off, one the realities and circumstances settle in!!!!! don't say i didn't warn you!

i must agree with liban, laban is an aquired taste!!!

Thanks for the replies! Can anyone help on temporary accomodation? We are looking at a serviced apartment in the Burj Dubai area, preferably. Is there any reasonably priced accomodation (with cooking facilities and a pool) until we can settle on a place to live? Also is there anything you wish you brought with you (or left behind) to Dubai?

You can try the Pearl Residence. I stayed there when I first arrived, not the Ritz, but quiet comfortable and central.

http://www.indiatravelite.com/Internati ... idence.htm

Pool on the roof, within walking/ staggering distance of some pubs, close to some of the shopping centres. mmm... think a pool room downstairs.

Although, if they don't have space one of the Desert Sands hotel/ accomodations is sure to have...

i wish i had left most of my clothes behind! i brought tons... sweaters included. travel light you can buy most of you need here.

Hi there,

If your still having difficulty finding somewhere to rent or buy in Dubai, my boyfriend who is from the UK is working in the real estate industry in Dubai, if you email him and tell him your requirements he can research properties for you that best suit your requirements, his email is grdodd46@hotmail.com, hope it all goes well for you.

Hey GAB,

You can eat during Ramadan, just do it in your own home, many offices now have eating areas for non-muslims during ramadan, and restuarants often black out their windows so you can eat in there, it's not as difficult as it used to be. Not sure what rules the schools have though. Ever thought about looking at villas in Mirdiff? Much cheaper still than anywhere else, we have a 3 bed 3 storey with front and back yard, shared pool and gym for 70,000Dhs.

I too brought my dog and cat to the UAE, they cope very well with the climate change, although they moult like anything, of course during the summer they just bum around in doors and don't really like going for walks because of the heat, 10 mins round the block and the dog is desperate to get into the AC. In winter it's much better and there are loads of sand dunes to go racing around in.

Bear in mind you can't take your dog to the beach or parks here unless you're prepared to drive and find a remote beach.

Getting the animals here was relatively easy, although watch it at pick up as all the guys at the cargo act like it's a circus and crowd around, and don't understand when you tell them to back off as they might get bitten as they're freaking the animal out.

If you need any help, Dubai kennels are brilliant, they have a website, just google it.

Oh just a point on vaccines, I would recommend making sure you have a Diphtheria jab before coming as this sort of infection can be rife and not pleasant.

It never ceases to amaze me what they hand out over the counter here, but if you require antibiotics make sure you check which ones and if you actually require them as very often they hand them out like sweets for coughs and colds and flu and of course they're useless for treating those.

Codeine without a prescripttion is illegal, just look at the case of the Brit woman who got caught out for not having a prescriptions for pain killers.