Jo72130

Hi I fancy a complete change (I'm a police officer in the uk) and I may have the chsnge to go and work in Dubai doing something completely different.. Does anybody have any positives or negatives they could share?

A few things I am thinking about is.. I have a dog can I take her and does anybody know the cost? How do western women get on I would be going by myself? Is there lots of places to make friends as I imagine it's a very lonely place at first! Thinking longer term how are the schools should I find a hotty and marry and have children?

Any help appreciated!

Cheers

matthew agus

Hi,

this place can be lonely at first, but everybody wants to make new friends here.

meetup.com is good for social activities as well as internations.com.

Ive been here 4 months now and don't regret any of it at all and have friend here that in in there 5th year and still love it. I took a career change and it is good to mix it up.

powersmurf

Im in the same boat as you...ex job now living in San Fran but thinking of heading over to Dubai. Looking at all possible options and doing something totally different.

Let me know how you get on and if you make the move!!

Eeyore

You have a potential job lined up, or are you planning to just come over here and see what you can find? What are you qualified to do outside of police work?

nicci82

Hi, we are considering a move ourselves, british expat living in ireland at the moment and have been doing a bit of research. Regards to moving dogs over there, we have two a yellow lab and shar pei, and were quoted 750euro each with custom built crate each (which you can have for a while before the move for them to get used to, and keep afterwards, could come in handy or sell to get some cash back.) That was for dublin to adu dhabi and is about 650sterling i think, and for two big dogs. I know its a different route but might give you a bit of an idea of price.

Vicious B

I wanted to give my 2 cents on this.
I've been living in Dubai for 9 years. I moved here on my own straight from University and have loved every minute. There are plenty of ways to meet friends, but you have to be up for saying yes to everything (any social situations - even if it takes you out of your comfort zone)!

As a female, i've never felt as safe as I do in Dubai, you can go out till any time of the night/ day and generally not have any trouble. That's not to say there is no crime here, but compared to home (London) there's not much. The only trouble i've ever really seen is a few fights outside bars/ nightclubs, but they never get really bad.

On the man front...there are plenty here...quite a lot of players though...but I think that's mainly because the single ones are quite young...that said I have seen quite a few of my friends find BFs and get married...I'm recently single and having a great time.

I would highly recommend sharing an apartment even if just for a couple of months till you find your feet...it will give you a chance to meet some people and you won't feel quite so lonely to start off with. Have a look on Dubizzle.com there are plenty of people looking to share - plus the rents are getting so expensive now!

Bringing your dog, not an issue. I'm not sure on the cost, but put a post on Expatwoman.com and someone will surely know the answer or point you in the right direction. (BTW - expatwoman.com is a great place to find out about Dubai, pros and cons etc. I use it all the time, even now 9yrs on!)

People are pretty friendly, since we are all expats here. I recommend to anyone to try Dubai, just make sure that whatever salary you are being offered is enough to live on

That's all for now, PM me if you have any further questions (this site was brilliant help for me when I was looking to move over...so always willing to help others!!!)

Patsy Stoned

However... if you are going to share an apartment, not such a good idea to bring your dog out. I would suggest .. leave your dog in the UK, with family if you can. You will be working all day, you won't be able to afford a villa with a garden, nor a maid to keep an eye on the dog. I think it is better to come out on your own.