Thread: Hello from a New Dubian!

Hello site!
We are a couple with a 5 year old daughter who has just moved to Dubai 2 weeks ago and so far we love it here. We are looking to get to know fellow expats and make some new friends for our new life as an expat family!

We would love to hear from anyone in Dubai, so please come and say hello... we don't bite! :)

John, Lisa and little Tiff

x

So far so good yes thank you! Cant wait to get my licence so im mobile and able to terrorize the whole city without having to find a taxi!

But yes, weather is great, people are lovely, food is fantastic..!

Were abouts are you!?

Originally Posted by Keeliz

Hello site!
We are a couple with a 5 year old daughter who has just moved to Dubai 2 weeks ago and so far we love it here. We are looking to get to know fellow expats and make some new friends for our new life as an expat family!

We would love to hear from anyone in Dubai, so please come and say hello... we don't bite! :)

John, Lisa and little Tiff

x

Hi what work do you or your hubby do there please?

My husband is a senior quantity surveyor...


UAE will clear the roads for me im sure...wwwwweeeeeeeee........nice long motorways with 5 lanes? Off we go!

Hi Keeliz

Yes ive heard about the roads in Dubai, they sound a dream. I dont think good roads are top priority here but to be fair a lot of them are pretty decent.

Is it as expensive as i hear it is over there. You know, like a meal out, drinks etc
What about property rentals, i bet they are high.

I bet the shopping there is pure paradise

What sort of accommodation do you have, do you live in a complex bound with the employer/nationality or are you somewhere else?

Hi Keeliz and welcome,

Do you have to do much of a test for your license? Being mobile is so important!

Hi all....

The roads are fantastic yes, but still snarl up with bad traffic at rush hours, and the accident rate is really REALLY high. Looking at the driving standard of locals id say no, not to much hassle to get a licence, but then when i spoke to local office to do it they say i need minumum 40 hours (uk lesson hours dont count) to even sit test. I think its all about the dosh in this place, the dosh and ticking all the boxes. I have never met a place so red taped and democratic, everything has a form, every form has a counter form and each needs 3 signatures a letter of consent from employer, visa copies and 8 photos, for ANYTHING you wanna do. Its extremely frustrating sometimes because on top of that no one seems to rush anything and it can feel like you are chasing your tail somewhat!!
At the minute we are in a 2 bedroomed apparetment which is still very spacious. It has a bathroom to each bedroom, fully furnished kitchen, open plan lounge diner and a laundry room. There is a pool attached to the block which is barely used by residents. It is next to 2 building sites, but then were isnt these days over here. This accomodation for us is temporary as the employer is attempting to find somewere with a garden so we can let the little girl play outside, otherwise she climbs the walls at home!!

Expense wise, property is stupidly expensive, i have heard of some families paying 180 000 dhs or to us a round 50k a year to RENT a 3 bed villa in the arabian ranches (this is one the most sought after expat addresses though!) I have no idea how much our place is a month but it wont be much i wouldnt have thought...
Dubai has things called brunches at some hotels every friday in the city and its a system were u book (well in advance - they are popular) and u go from 12 lunch time and its a eat and drink what you like buffet style affair that lasts all day. It includes alcohol and for 60£ a head in english money it can include champagne too! There are no limits but they do cut the alcohol off at around 4pm. Otherwise eating out is much the same in the uk, but the overall standard is better. If you eat were the locals eat its much cheaper and the food is still lovly, since being here we gone posh hotel, and 'slummed it' in a local restaurant and i could not give a preference on quality. The only thing is, unless you eat out in hotels you can have a glass of vino with your meal, which does get frustrating, i have never drunk so much orange juice!
Shopping, if you love it, it is a paradise yes, they have just opened the dubai mall 10 mins from which includes an olympic sized ice rink, nearly 250 eateries and restaurants and - wait for it - 1250 shops making it the largest mall in the world. And it is. The thing is absolutely HUGE. The cost of shopping at the minute is not much cheaper (unless you want something like a tv) due to the dirham falling from 7 dirham to the pound to 5 dirham to the pound.doesnt sound much but it makes a difference of hundreds of pounds a month to us the fall in rate means our wage is worth 500 pounds less a month. Someone better start buying stuff again soon!!
The place is amazing though everything is a strive to perfection, the people are lovely, the beaches and parks are huge and immaculate, crime is virtually zero and everything is catered for. They have literally thought of everything, in the taxi cue at the malls there are little fans to blow you etc lol

The place is so well worth a visit at least, now im here im so glad we made the move, life is so much more enjoyable here than what we had at home. No shortage of stuff to do no matter what time or day and no one seems to judge, at home some people can give snobbish looks if your shoes are 3 months old here no one cares you can wear what you like and no one will bat an eye lid, its great!

Sounds wonderful. Thanks for telling us all about it. I find it really intersting hearing all about other places and how people are settling in.

Im still thinking about those damn krispy kremes lol!

Actually Lee my OH will be making a business trip to Dubai early next year.
He is in partnership with someone who has developed a revolutionary new led light and Dubai is one of the top places on the list to market it.

Think i might see if i can tag along now, do a bit of retail therapy via the krispy kreme shop!!!