Eeyore

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Have you compared the cost of living in UK with here lately?

Yes, I have. And I don't see a massive difference. The things that are cheaper here are at least balanced out, and often outweighed, by the things that are more expensive.

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The place empties because companies pay for return tickets to your place of origin each year

Ah right, so all those people who get out of the country for six to eight weeks each summer *aren't* doing so to escape the heat at all? I see. Clearly I have been misled.

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Do companies pay for your air tickets each year to go on holiday from UK?

Well, that makes everything worthwhile, doesn't it? Especially since many companies here no longer buy tickets for you on request, they simply tell you that part of your monthly salary counts as your "flight allowance", and it's up to you to save it over the year and use it towards your plane tickets.

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Try getting out of bed early and enjoy a bit of a siesta at lunchtime

I work, so lunchtime siestas are out.

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Have you priced good education in UK these days? Have a look and see how much it'll cost you, once you've paid your income tax, NI, council tax, petrol tax ........

There are plenty of superb state schools in the UK that rival, and in many cases outperform, private fee-paying schools. By contrast, the quality of education provided in the UAE seems (from anecdotal evidence, because of course there's no proper inspection system here) largely to be comparable to an average UK state school.

twistopher, you might be able to blot out the colossal poverty and inequality that exists here, but I'm afraid I have a social conscience. It matters to me.

Oh, but it *will*.

The UAE is trying to acquire global legitimacy by joining all sorts of international trade and business bodies, most of which require prospective entrant nations to have achieved certain levels of socioeconomic development. That's why labourers' rights and VAT are on the way - and they're just the start.

You might prefer it if everyone just shut the hell up and enjoyed the cheap petrol, but societies absolutely require criticism and dissent in order to develop, improve and grow. I was brought up to be a thinking, questioning human being with a social conscience, and it will take an awful lot more than cheap petrol and constant sunshine for me to forget that. It was obviously much easier for you, so fair enough.

I don't place the UK on a pedestal at all. But on the whole, unless one is so desperately shallow that cheap petrol and constant sunshine are all that one needs to enjoy a happy, fulfilling life, I think it's a better long-term bet than the UAE.

Blue Cat

I see your point Gareth but what about those of us who have been here that long they don't feel as though they have anywhere else to go back too?? My family have been here for getting onto 16 years, over 20 (short spell in UK and Spain). I feel like a fish out of water in the UK. This place has it's faults and the ill treament of labourers is close to my heart. I have been working with www.helpinghandsuae.com to try and make their lives easier. I regularly raise money at my events which in turns raises awareness to their plight. Things will change but it takes time. We have to remember that this asian workforce is the reason that we can enjoy alot of the leisures that the expats have come accustomed to. Cheap beauty treatments, childcare, gardening and the like. Even taking the car for a good valet costs buttons. Whilst alot of the asian work force are abused and have no rights there are a good percentage out there who are happy with their package and regularly send money back to their home countries. Some have even managed to build good businesses at 'home'.

The UK aint for me, the crime for starters would worry me, and I know this place isn't crime free but for now I feel safe in this weird world we live in!!!

Up until 5 years ago or so you never heard a person criticise this place, they all adored it and embraced it with it's faults. In the last five years there has been a massive influx of expatriates - all needed roofs over their heads - and unfortunately these are the ones who do all the whingeing. Well if they hadn't come in the first place no one would have needed to live in 'new Dubai' and we wouldn't have half the problems we do have.

over and out - need to pay the maid and the gardener, and get the nanny to look after my daughter while I pop out for a glass or two and quick manicure! then I need to dash off and get my duty free vodka, cheap fags, fill up the car (a nice shiny new one) and get ready for a slap dinner at the Burj

Blue Cat

that is the longest post I have ever done, I need to get out more

twistopher

Gareth,
It seems from your rant that you're a rampant militant bent on changing things - you won't. People have tried for decades and have failed.
They've been talking about income tax, VAT, workers rights since mid 70's and clearly they've made such great strides forward!! (not)
You seem to be very unhappy with the way things are run out here - i suppose you'll be leaving soon? Or are you one of those 2-faced people who are happy to summon the waiter (who is paid very little) to get you a G&T, and then moan to your mates about the grinding poverty, abuse of the poor etc. Or do you actually get out of your car and pump the petrol yourself?
I think we'll have to agree to disagree because, unlike you, i have better things to do with my life - work being one of them.
I also work - with many of the poor abused workers you mention - approx 10,000 of them at any one time. Ask them where they would be given a choice and every one of them says here, earning comparatively good money which allows them to send good money home to their families. The vast majority of them have a choice, and they choose to be here.
Of course, i'd love it if everybody in the world earned as much as they wanted - but let's face reality and get on with life.
So, lets agree to disagree and move on? Somehow i don't think so.

Eeyore

Well, you don't have to go back to your home country, do you? It's a big old world!

Which is precisely my point - *we* can only get cheap car valeting and house cleaning because so many *other* people are treated so badly. The idea, promulgated by some (not you, of course), that we should just accept the benefits and ignore the very real human cost, is just plain offensive. It's the kind of Thatcherite, screw-you-Jack-I'm-alright attitude that has done such social damage in the UK.

The crime is massively overhyped in the papers, but then it always was. Most people in the UK don't live in constant fear of crime.

Far from it, of course!

But of course, Dubai *needs* them to come.

Blue Cat

I am ok here for the time being
I would rather be able to take Little Miss swimming and running around in the park than to some council swimming baths at home.

The weather doesn't bother me at all, infact the summer is my favourite time of year. It's great! roads are quiet and you can always get a sun lounger at the pool, and there are no tourists!!!!!

Eeyore

Ah, right, so you're *not* actually going to engage with any of the points I made?

Doesn't surprise me.

We're working on our exit plan, yes. We'd leave tomorrow if we could, but sadly we can't.

We're actually doing okay money-wise - not as well as we'd like, and certainly not as well as we would have been 5 years ago, but we're still in the top-earning 4.6% of the population. In simple money terms we'll be worse off when we go back to the UK, but then we're not so shallow as to believe that money is everything.

I don't drink.

I did actually try when I first got here, but the looks of horror on the faces of the pump attendants, the waving hands and the "No no no sir! We pump!" put me off trying again.

When I first got here, I also used to dispose of my tray in the food courts the way one would anywhere else in the world, until it was pointed out to me that I was taking away someone else's job.

Ah yes, the old "better things to do" evasion technique. You're happy to write long posts telling people to shut up or leave, but as soon as you come up with someone who's actually going to debate with you, hold you to account and ask you to justify what you're saying, you get cold feet.

Or rather, you find "better things to do"

Yeah. ***** 'em. We're alright and that's what matters, innit?

SimpleMind

There does appear to be 2 very opposite points of view about Dubai, I can only assume that the truth lies somewhere in between.

I'm sure it'll all become clear to me once I get there.

Incidentally, the top 4.6%, what is that?

Eeyore

Most people in Dubai earn 3000 dhs per month or less.

Just 4.6% of the population earns more than 20,000 dhs per month.

Zannie

Ha..ha... it's so funny how people think they know somebody by their posts! Twistopher, I know GarethR very, very well, and you are sooooo wrong!!

I hate Dubai this time of year, mostly due to the heat. I like to be able to go outside without the risk of heatstroke. I would love to vacate this place for the summer, but hate not to have my husband with me. By October, I start to enjoy the place again. Dubai definitely has it's faults and one of its main faults is not accepting them. But all that aside, Dubai isn't a bad place and I like it for the short-term.

What people need to realise, Dubai isn't the hardship posting it once was, so most employment packages here aren't anything like they used to be. People moving here are lured by the so-called champagne lifestyle they believe all western expats are enjoying, which isn't true.

Oh and BTW, I do my own ironing, cleaning and apart from having a gardener once a week to tend to our garden (at the landlord's request), we also water our own garden!

Blue Cat

not where we are, but it doesn't matter, I have a great husband and daughter and some wonderful friends - many whom I have met here on this site

Blue Cat

and if you weren't here I would miss you and your little Rose

Blue Cat

in that case we are in the top 4.6%

shiva

PAH.......where to begin....... best not to really but read my signature some of you.

People are exploited pretty much everywhere INCLUDING the UK, where do you think all the summer fruit comes from for a start (cheap europeans who are exploited,I know I've met them and woked with them). If your all so ****ing worried about it then i shouldnt bother getting up tommorrow cos nothing you can or will ever do will change that, take India and China for a start, 1 in 3 people on earth, the vast majority of which are in abject poverty and near slavery, if you dont like it i suggest you dont buy any goods either made there or containing parts made there. so out goes all electronic goods etc.

People que up, save up etc for years to get exploited in the gulf and the west so they can send money home to provide a better life for their families FACT. stop being such a bunch of idiot bleeding heart liberals, the world is like this, grow up and realise its been this way for 10,000 yrs and will in all likely hood be so for as long again. I'm not saying its morally right, just that thats the way it is

Crime in the UK....hhhmmm if you havent been a victim then your very lucky.

weather, hhmm yes well all of you from the south of england do enjoy nice summers and not too bad winters. try living further north than moscow and see what you have to say then.


........i'm bored now


but if you want to know when this place was last nice to live in, well its before all you moaning wankers turned up in droves.

SimpleMind

Sounds like Britishexpats is a sort of match-making/dating/mates site to me.