Dubai or Australia? Teens especially!
 

Hi,
Looking for the family either to move to Adeliade, Australia or to Dubai, UAE. We have job offers in both places, with comfortable salaries. The job is as a Consultant Surgeon at a goverment and private in both locations. I have done research into both locations and know about social freedoms, rights, lifestyles and laws ect. I'm only 13, and would love to move somewhere where I can meet new friends ect. One advantage of Dubai is that I and my parents would both meet fellow expat friends, looking to explore other parts of the world and at the end of the day, have fun! People say the luxurious expat lifestyle is one to love with huge lifestyle and financial advantages. I would love to grow up in another country with fellow expat children!
But on the other hand Australia and it's fantastic lifestyle calls! Adeliade is know as the nicest city to live in, as it has easy living and it's only 20 mins to CBD, hills and sea. Do you think growing up in Austrlaia would be better than Dubai? I am currently stuck in this mindset of choosing either Dubai or Australia. Someone please just say what you think!
Thanks :)

Re: Dubai or Australia? Teens especially!
 

As an Australian parent who has lived in Dubai, I wouldn't live in the Middle East with teenage kids. It's great when the kids are small but as you get older, schooling and university options become much more difficult. The legal drinking age in Dubai is 21 as opposed to 18 in Australia, public displays of affection are illegal, as is sex and pregnancy outside of marriage. Dubai is great if you want the true "expat dream" but sometimes it feels as though to achieve that, you must sell your soul to the devil.

Re: Dubai or Australia? Teens especially!
 

Do you fancy not eating anything at daytime during Ramadan as courtesy to local customs?

I will always prefer living in Western culture.

Re: Dubai or Australia? Teens especially!
 

Western kids are still able to eat and drink at school and at home, it's just in public that you can't eat - and if you live in Dubai, you get to know the curtained off cafes and restaurants where you can go and have a coffee and bit to eat with friends during the day.

Re: Dubai or Australia? Teens especially!
 

...still!

Re: Dubai or Australia? Teens especially!
 

It's kinda fun sitting in a darkened coffee shop with a pile of friends feeling like a gang of naughty school kids. Not so much fun when it's 50 degrees and you're running around doing the school run and everything else and not able to have a sip of water. Or the poor workers who work out in that heat during the day - a few years ago it was ruled that they could drink water during Ramadan, but most of them still don't.

Re: Dubai or Australia? Teens especially!
 

Your parents are allowing/asking their 13 year old to decide where you'll all move to? Wow! That's both incredibly liberal of them, and also puts a heap of pressure on a child. Where would they prefer to pursue their careers and lives? They're the ones who will have to go to work, negotiate the day to day stuff like housing, transport, bill paying etc - plus they're the ones responsible for your well being, not the other way around.

I can see the reasoning in asking for your opinion, but can't for the life of me fathom why they'd leave the decision up to you :blink:

Re: Dubai or Australia? Teens especially!
 

i will only stay in dubai for one week maximum at a time...

Re: Dubai or Australia? Teens especially!
 

You can always stop over in Dubai on the way to Australia.

What do you mean by "expat lifestyle"?

Do you like bacon?

Re: Dubai or Australia? Teens especially!
 

:lol: the original post has to be a wind-up

Re: Dubai or Australia? Teens especially!
 

You can buy bacon in the pork shop.

Re: Dubai or Australia? Teens especially!
 

no public sex. oh wait...

Re: Dubai or Australia? Teens especially!
 

Yes, all of the above should be encouraged for teenages :rofl:

Re: Dubai or Australia? Teens especially!
 

Unfortunately the consequences of both drinking underage and sex are far less in Australia.(not that I would encourage either for my children).

I think anyone that has lived in the middle east knows some sad stories of what teenagers got up to there.

For the original poster Australia would be my choice for teenagers - safe,healthier and more opportunities.

Poitin -My oldest was 11 when we left - best decision ever.

Re: Dubai or Australia? Teens especially!
 

I don't know why anyone would want to raise their western children in a backward musllim country that practices strict sharia law

I like money as much as anyone else but there is more to life that money