honnadep

Hi

Moving to Dubai, but want to live in UK Expat area and need English speaking school for my 9 year old -
Please can anyone advise where the best area to live with other other UK families and what schools? - Jess/Dess??
So far the areas that I have heard of are:
The Ranches
The Springs
The meadows
The Greens
Mirdiff (?)

Which one of these or any other would be best for me to look at ? , as husband travels and would like to make friends and be with other like minded UK expats..

Thanks a lot in advance for any advice .....

MataHari

oh...this could be fun
what exactly is a 'like minded' UK expat?

Kim67

Most communities you've mentioned have a mixtures of expats from all over the world (as well as a few locals for good measure). Do some research on schools, make your applications, get a place at one, then make a decision about where you want to live. Probably the nicest part of coming to Dubai is the great mix of people and cultures and the value your family (especially kids) get from that.

MataHari

exactly...why come to a place like Dubai and only mix with the same people you'd mix with back home, I never quite understand that...

Kim67

By the way, neither of us that have answered are from the UK - you won't even find all British Expats on a British Expat information forum.

Kim67

Yep, I know, but I guess it happens everywhere - Australia's larger cities have some suburbs that have a particular ethnic group as the majority living there. It's sad and sometimes causes friction. I really happy that my kids have had this opportunity to mix so well with so many different cultures.

honnadep

Why could this be fun?

Just looking for some help..

Living away from UK at at the moment with NO English familes around where I live - so would be nice to be around familes with young children, who are / speak english !..thats all..

Kim67

You'd be pretty safe in most places here, even most local families speak english.

Ethos83

Dubai is crawling with British expats. Almost as common as cockroaches, so it seems.

Ok, I will be nice here.

The expat community is substantial, and there will be Brits from all walks of society out here so you will find people you have things in common with (along with Australians, Kiwis, South Africans and other Europeans who are from similar backgrounds).

Where to live is going to be dictated by your budget. What is your housing allowance?

Schools? If you are flying out here next week, forget about JESS or DESS, but there's plenty of school places to go around at the more minor schools.

You will soon discover that you will not have a proper 'expat' experience out here. This isn't Jakarta or Jeddah. Your life will be very normal except that help is cheap, the Arabs change the laws at whim to suit themselves and some things are more expensive and others are cheaper, but your daily life will not be too different from any typical suburban lifestyle in the West.

Sue

Hi honnadep,

I'm not in Dubai, but just wanted to stop by and welcome you to the site. It's always nerve wracking when you make that first move abroad, we all want to do right by our families and find the right areas to live. Especially when you have children. I wish you the best of luck with your move to Dubai, and hope that you enjoy using our site and getting to know our members. Who really are a great bunch.

Roadking

I'm not a great bunch!

MataHari

but are you like minded like...

Roadking

I don't think I'm like anything, like.

Why are we talking like Spugsy, like?

MataHari

just trying to find like minded people like...'t is not easy you know

anyway, we should welcome Honnadep and find out a bit more about her and what she likes so we can give her some advice...

welcome Honnadep

Roadking

I like yer thinking, like.

Welcome Hondapen. Jumeirah/Umm Sequim is also somewhere you could consider. There are several schools around that area that would suit and it's full of minded people, like.