Mullet

I did miss that point......couldn't even imagine living apart for any more than a couple of weeks, how do you cope?

Blue Cat

doesn't bother me in the slightest when my husband is away, I quite enjoy the peace

Nic1

I think this is quite an interesting post - why can't your children be normal here ? My two were brought up in ME and had what I would call a normal life. They weren't cooped up in a villa all summer, we went to the beach, to the country club (before it closed), went to DOSC, went sailing, met up with friends, went to the cinema, had sleepovers, had BBQs and went on holiday. What would they have done in the summer in UK that is different ?

I think that for many people living in ME is that often (maybe less so now) women don't have to work if they don't want to and can stay at home with their kids if they want. So that whole 'what to do with them during the long summer holidays' thing isn't an issue.

I loved Dubai and miss it hugely. Wouldn't change a thing really - except maybe those two years in Riyadh

N

Blue Cat

Nic you and I are the same in that respect as were all our other friends who have done over 20 years here with the kids and the Country Club etc, it seems these days people want/expect too much. We only went to the UK for two weeks and it is the first year that I have been to the UK in the summer for about 8 years. We spend every summer here and with a 5 year who loves the pool, plenty sun cream on and a cool bag and we are off. I am not sure how easy it will be when she hits her teens, time will tell but your two managed in Saudi so I am pretty sure Mitten will manage here

commander

We enjoy it here, but then again (in our eyes) we have made the move out of dubai to AD at the right time.

Life is what you make it, we both have a great social and sporting life, if you are into cycling and triathlon etc then whilst there is not the interest levels here as in europe, there is a great group in both dxb and ad.

Also I spent approx 1 year working away for 4 weeks at a time in Korea which took some of the hassles away from the day to day grind of living here.


We are happy but we know in 2 years(ish) it will be time to go, no regrets, that will be 8 years for my wife

Cry haddock

I'm leaving for good in two weeks, after 5 years and a week (gratuity ) and this place has been great to both of us (now 31, married no kids, wife worked throughout). Sure it has been an enormous pain in the arrse at times, and a mild level of irritation most of the time but if you make the best of the good and ignore the bad then it will be great. Has to make sense financially though.

Funnily enough, once I resigned i have become so much more aware of the stupidity of alot of life here but at least i can ignore it and count the days! small example - landord demands 10 days additional rent so that he can paint the house etc and not lose any rent between me leaving and the next guy arriving - and to him it makes perfect sense. Have enjoyed Dubai though.

Blue Cat

so where you off to Mr Haddock

Kim67

No, no regrets for me. There've been some frustrations (which we all face every day) and I agree with Spart that the quality of education is disappointing. But it's been a great experience for the kids and they're young enough to not have fallen too far behind with things when they get home. Our plan was always to come for only two years while my husband gets his business up and running and then move on. So we're over half way through and things are fine - there are certainly worse places we could be living. We've met loads of great friends and love the cultural diversity of Dubai. I spent the summer here with the kids and it went really quickly and wasn't boring at all. The pollution and dust is probably the biggest minus for us as one of my kids has a condition that can cause COPD and our main priority is to get out of this environment before it does too much damage to the lungs.

Ethos83

I came out to Dubai during the boom, and I hated the place at first. But now that the dust has settled Dubai has become a much easier place to live.

I have a good job with great opportunities for advancement, loads of savings and a decent salary (but can have my paycut back?). I have made several good friends, have several outdoor activities to occupy my free time, and love the fact that I can go camping so easily. I can now say I am happy in Dubai, despite the BE broads who periodically chew me out.

Dubai is not my ideal city. A lot of Dubai is fairly artificial as you would expect of a place so new. Old Dubai is nothing special. I despise the locals and the quality of service is annoying. If things go bad for you here, they go very, very bad very, very quickly. If I had an offer to move to Singapore or HK, I'd be on the first plane out of here. But I have come to terms with the place and its limitations and I now focus on its positives, which does revolve around outdoor activities, beautiful weather 6 months of the year, fancy bars and malls, and meeting people from every corner of the globe.

But my position is that of a young-ish single with no family to support. Despite the rent decreases Dubai is still a hellish expensive city and prices for goods and dining out still seem to be going up on a weekly basis.

commander

The dust is an issue for us...I would hate for my nipper to develop a permanent respiratory condition that can be clearly attributed to living in dust and air conditioning.

People who turn a blind eye to it are plainly deluded.

Blue Cat

why despise the locals? do you actually know any? that is a shame you feel like that.

Blue Cat

we have got those humidifier things in the house and they are on 24/7.

Ethos83

Others have touched on the subject. The sheer arrogance of so many of them and the way they (as a group) treat the marginalised expats in Dubai, especially the Indians and Philippinos is what really causes me to despise them. So many of them take the attitude that they're special, when in reality they just won a form of lottery regarding the initial oil boom and sponge off an outlandishly extravagant welfare state while doing next to nothing to contribute back to the greater society. While there are certainly hard working, dedicated and kind Emiratis, that's not a description that can be applied to their society as a whole.

And yes, I've had personal encounters with them. One of them deliberately bumped into me with his supersized land cruiser because I wasn't moving fast enough (in person, mind you, not in a car.

commander

Locals are not my favourite breed either to be honest...

I had an emerati woman cut me up on saturday. We both exchanged a verbal and she said that 'she is correct cause this is her country'

I reminded her that if it wasn't for people like me that actually work here, she would have to trade her X6 in for a camel that her fat husband probibly knobs on a weekly basis.

It was lost on her...

Foxes

its been coming upto 18 months of life in the UAE for the family - and no regrets as yet - enjoying the culture, weather and security the UAE brings as well as already saving $$$ which would take me at least 6 years to save in the UK - and thats with páying an extortionate amount of rent in AD !!

if you have an open mind and an ability to weather the initial storms - life in the UAE as an expat is well reccomended imho.....hope the next 18 months are just as fruitful ;-)