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Don't move to Dubai

Don't move to Dubai

Old Apr 18th 2009, 10:26 am
  #61  
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Default Re: Don't move to Dubai

Originally Posted by johnah9
Granted some people are in a fortunate position to get the gilded contracts - school fees - accommodation - all the bells and whistles. This proportion is a tiny percentile of the expat community. Those sort of contracts were previously achievable but there is no way on this Earth, in this financial climate, that those type of contracts are sustainable apart from for a small privileged few. The Dubai myth was built on these types of contracts - we live in totally different times and the information circulated out there has to reflect this. The majority of people are not looked after this molly coddled way - and it will be very long time before that happens again, if ever. I was reaching out to a entirely different demographic.
I would not and have not ever accepted a position that did not give me those benefits.
I am an Expat to make money in the most comfortable as possible situation.
It is all about research , patience and experience. And of course, being able to sell yourself.

Oh...and actually having knowledge that others want....
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Old Apr 18th 2009, 10:34 am
  #62  
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Default Re: Don't move to Dubai

Originally Posted by commander
Can anyone honestly say Dubai has an expat 'community'..na didn't think so.
there are many disguises to a community nowadays - of which an internet forum is one and the 'old'' social gatherings are another. The fact it there are a lot of ex-pats in both communitites who at the current time are going through their own relative hardship for one reason or another. there are other potential new brit expats who should take heed from the message of this thread that if you are coming over from the UK - do as much research as poss - and even then - expect the unexpected in the UAE !!

best of luck to everyone in the current climate !
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Old Apr 18th 2009, 1:40 pm
  #63  
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Default Re: Don't move to Dubai

hhmmmm,

i'm long term expat and dont have any package benefits. i pay for it all out my own pocket. does that mean i'm not a proper expat, i mean i've only been here on and off since 1977 ?

why am i here, cos its home, i have family here and i can afford to be here, am i better off here than in the uk, hell yeah, are my rental costs eye watering, hell yeah.

am i jealous of people with a full expat package yes and no. yes cos its easy, pain free and mentally seems to cost less, no because i dont work for anyone but myself and then only as and when i want to (pretty much anyway).

my point: things arent as simple or as easily split as portrayed so far in this thread, that said i dont know anyone who's been downsized, sacked etc and thats from a crowd with a mix of full package bods and pay their own ways who have been here anywhere from 1 yr to 10+ yrs.

i have said i before and i'll stick to it when i say that a whole worlds of muppets have arrived recently and i dont know anyone who's shedding a tear that they are now fleeing in droves,good riddance to shite i say.

expat life is what you make it package or no package makes little odds
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Old Apr 18th 2009, 1:50 pm
  #64  
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Default Re: Don't move to Dubai

Originally Posted by shiva
hhmmmm,

i'm long term expat and dont have any package benefits. i pay for it all out my own pocket. does that mean i'm not a proper expat, i mean i've only been here on and off since 1977 ?

why am i here, cos its home, i have family here and i can afford to be here, am i better off here than in the uk, hell yeah, are my rental costs eye watering, hell yeah.

am i jealous of people with a full expat package yes and no. yes cos its easy, pain free and mentally seems to cost less, no because i dont work for anyone but myself and then only as and when i want to (pretty much anyway).

my point: things arent as simple or as easily split as portrayed so far in this thread, that said i dont know anyone who's been downsized, sacked etc and thats from a crowd with a mix of full package bods and pay their own ways who have been here anywhere from 1 yr to 10+ yrs.

i have said i before and i'll stick to it when i say that a whole worlds of muppets have arrived recently and i dont know anyone who's shedding a tear that they are now fleeing in droves,good riddance to shite i say.

expat life is what you make it package or no package makes little odds
I agree with you to a certain extent Shiva, I am rather guessing that you don't get into debt to rent your home though? expat life is what you make it, you are right there, but if you don't get the right income and do the right research it can all end up in tears, as people are now finding out.

i have said i before and i'll stick to it when i say that a whole worlds of muppets have arrived recently and i dont know anyone who's shedding a tear that they are now fleeing in droves,good riddance to shite i say.

not alot of people have the guts to say this, good on you for being so honest.
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Old Apr 18th 2009, 2:02 pm
  #65  
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Default Re: Don't move to Dubai

Originally Posted by Blue Cat
I agree with you to a certain extent Shiva, I am rather guessing that you don't get into debt to rent your home though? expat life is what you make it, you are right there, but if you don't get the right income and do the right research it can all end up in tears, as people are now finding out.

i have said i before and i'll stick to it when i say that a whole worlds of muppets have arrived recently and i dont know anyone who's shedding a tear that they are now fleeing in droves,good riddance to shite i say.

not alot of people have the guts to say this, good on you for being so honest.

no, your right, i didnt go into debt to get it, we now live in a ****ing huge vila but saved up and took a couple of years to make sure i could afford it before we upgraded from pokey springs (which was the cheapest option i could get at first...how things change).

when came out at first i got screwed within weeks of arriving, had great job which went tits up, got another one paying 10k aed per month no perks at all, wife wasnt working at the time either, so whilst a good salary makes it easier it doesnt mean that a shit one is impossible to live on.

as for guts, nah no guts needed its true, all we need now is for some of the locals madcapped property bubble fueled greed to be tempered and then this place wil be a great place to live again!!!
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Old Apr 18th 2009, 2:11 pm
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Default Re: Don't move to Dubai

Originally Posted by shiva
no, your right, i didnt go into debt to get it, we now live in a ****ing huge vila but saved up and took a couple of years to make sure i could afford it before we upgraded from pokey springs (which was the cheapest option i could get at first...how things change).

when came out at first i got screwed within weeks of arriving, had great job which went tits up, got another one paying 10k aed per month no perks at all, wife wasnt working at the time either, so whilst a good salary makes it easier it doesnt mean that a shit one is impossible to live on.

as for guts, nah no guts needed its true, all we need now is for some of the locals madcapped property bubble fueled greed to be tempered and then this place wil be a great place to live again!!!
karma on it's way

there has been many an arguement on here over the full package etc etc, I know I had a few run in's with Gareth over the last couple of years. At the end of the day you have to earn x amount of cash to be able to cover your overheads. We have never had to pay rent, we have been lucky in the respect that we have either been given the allowance up front or have had accomodation provided for us. On this occasion we will be getting a villa in the company name and they will pay all expenses. The down side of that is if we lost this job we techically end up homeless but that is a gamble we have to take.
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Old Apr 18th 2009, 6:45 pm
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Default Re: Don't move to Dubai

[QUOTE=FunnyFeline;7487859] My fiance and I aren't looking for the more luxurious lifestyle - we want quality of life. That, to us, means sunshine filled days, being able to sit outside on an evening having a drink together, being able to plan BBQ's at the weekend [QUOTE]

You do not seem to realise how hot it is during the Summer! It is so hot and humid that you will have to live inside in air conditioned buiuldings for about 3 or 4 months. It is too unpleasnet to even sit outside in the evenings.
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Old Apr 18th 2009, 9:27 pm
  #68  
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Default Re: Don't move to Dubai

Originally Posted by johnah9
Hi all.

What a load of nonsense I’ve been reading on the forum. I usually use the forum for research on things to do, places to go etc, and find it a great resource but I'm so infuriated by these declarations of ‘sweet Dubai’, that I simply had to join this maelstrom of nothingness. Perpetuating the notion that all is hunky dory in this land of gold – it is not OK – far from it.

Be very careful about deciding to uproot your whole life from the cushion of friends and family back home.

In answer to a post toady asking about JBR, and place to live: JBR looks very like the New York 'Projects'. A savagely disastrous experiment in high-rise living - this country hasn't had the crack problem but it would seem the Chechen warlords are gunning their own people down wily nilly in JBR, and lets not mention the Lebanese singer who was recently stabbed numerous times, her throat being sliced for good measure – she did die. Yes, yes JBR sounds a fab dabby dab place to move to.

I moved to Old Town, Downtown, so as to not be surrounded by people that could "just about" afford it. A distressing consequence, for me, of this global downturn is that rental prices have fallen through the floor and any old nouveaux riche trash can move in. As has above and beside me – rubbish being chucked over balconies, remains of bbq coals being chucked over the balconies, my once beautiful garden is now a bloody ashtray, and every weekend we have grotesque expletives blearing around us from all angles. Emaar (the contractor that has built Downtown Burj Dubai) has laid off so many workers (not just the laborers’) that they have not the capacity to investigate complaints, or police the rules of polite living.

We moved out here on a single wage of 30,000AED per month. We do not have an extravagant lifestyle. We do not have the luxury 4x4. We do not eat out at all. We cannot afford to drink champagne (and never could even with a wage coming in). We’ve just about survived. Living costs are astronomical, and yes it [wages] is all tax free but believe me the money is clawed back in so many ways – just take broadband – 80 quid per month for a decent speed! My other half was not paid 2 bonuses in a row, and when made redundant last month was given 1 month wages – no repatriation (even though this was in the employment contract) costs – was told, in a around about way, to take us to court. Kaput. This company was a multi-national – one has to remember one is working in a country that has very little employment rights for its workers – western, or otherwise. They [the companies] know it would take one so long, and be completely cost prohibitive, take them to court. One has to just put up.

Those that are living the lifestyle Dubai portrays, in its amazing PR machine, are up to their eyes in serious debt. Be under no illusion on that fact.

We know of 3 couples in the last 4 months that have moved out here, on one wage. The working partners in 2 of these coupes, within 10 weeks, were made redundant. Of the other couple: he was told he was taking a 50% pay cut or could “walk now” – walk now not really being an option as the £25,000 loan taken out for their apartment meant jail if he “walked’. Please be aware that debt here in this land of Gold is a criminal offense, not like in the UK where it is, primarily, classed as a civil offense – no gestures of good will from the banks here, no time to find another job = banged up. Many banks ask you to sign a blank cheque when taking out a loan – this is so they can take back, in one go, the amount you owe should you be made redundant. Companies are obliged to let the banks know you have been made redundant – just to cover any potential lawsuit against themselves for recovery of an employee’s debt. They [your company] might be very nice and sincere to your face but they will rat you out in a split second. All of these 3 couples have gone from being so excited and hopeful for their futures together in this land of Gold, to being utterly introverted and depressed because of the apprehension and disappointment they face every morning.

I have not found a job in 7 months – I have excellent references, I have a degree, and I speak Arabic. I moved out with the notion I could have a couple of months off – then get back to it. The jobs market in Dubai is non-existent. The job search websites are uploading new jobs all the time but these are simply not real jobs. They are doing an exercise in CV gathering – the best out of the bunch – for when things do pick up. I have this on good authority.

Be very very careful when considering a move out here, especially when given all these facts.

Oh, and to those of you who will say, “just leave if you don’t like it” – that’s just not an option for some people; it’s not an option for most people, actually.
Wow, 5 pages of blah blah..

all i can say is, at least your not bitter...
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Old Apr 19th 2009, 3:26 am
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Default Re: Don't move to Dubai

[QUOTE=DiggerBarnes;7491490][QUOTE=FunnyFeline;7487859] My fiance and I aren't looking for the more luxurious lifestyle - we want quality of life. That, to us, means sunshine filled days, being able to sit outside on an evening having a drink together, being able to plan BBQ's at the weekend

You do not seem to realise how hot it is during the Summer! It is so hot and humid that you will have to live inside in air conditioned buiuldings for about 3 or 4 months. It is too unpleasnet to even sit outside in the evenings.

agreed sitting out at night is a pain, but we stay here every summer and it really hasn't stopped us doing much, plenty sun cream, a cold swimming pool and we are fine
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Old Apr 19th 2009, 5:46 am
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Default Re: Don't move to Dubai

my god, I only joined this forum to see if I could find a golf partner but just been reading these comments and cant believe the anti Dubai rubbish that keeps getting posted in every media (especially in UK) and here, can only pressume that the several Editors of these newspapers bought property late last year on the Palm and have now delared "War on Dubai!" everyone has a right to their opinions and dubai is far from perfect but having been an expat for 14 years both in Australia and here it really aint that bad here when you compare lifestyle, safe society, 0% tax etc. I'm sure I could write a 4000 word essay on whats wrong with Britain and it wouldnt get any press whatsoever because we all know the country is in the SH..T for years.....

WHY did we all leave in the first place - think about your reasons for wanting a new life & for trying something different? this place isnt for everyone and the pavements havent been gold plated here for a very long time but it does still have a lot going for it....times are tougher now here for a lot of people but the next few months will be a cleaning out process and genuinely believe Dubai will be a better and more friendly place come end of the year once all the moaners have gone.....

I have the upmost sympathy for anyone who is anywhere who has lost their job but if your expecting the UK to be anything better READ the papers - its not just articles about how bad Dubai is....
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Old Apr 19th 2009, 11:23 am
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Default Re: Don't move to Dubai

Originally Posted by GingerWizard
my god, I only joined this forum to see if I could find a golf partner but just been reading these comments and cant believe the anti Dubai rubbish that keeps getting posted in every media (especially in UK) and here, can only pressume that the several Editors of these newspapers bought property late last year on the Palm and have now delared "War on Dubai!" everyone has a right to their opinions and dubai is far from perfect but having been an expat for 14 years both in Australia and here it really aint that bad here when you compare lifestyle, safe society, 0% tax etc. I'm sure I could write a 4000 word essay on whats wrong with Britain and it wouldnt get any press whatsoever because we all know the country is in the SH..T for years.....

WHY did we all leave in the first place - think about your reasons for wanting a new life & for trying something different? this place isnt for everyone and the pavements havent been gold plated here for a very long time but it does still have a lot going for it....times are tougher now here for a lot of people but the next few months will be a cleaning out process and genuinely believe Dubai will be a better and more friendly place come end of the year once all the moaners have gone.....

I have the upmost sympathy for anyone who is anywhere who has lost their job but if your expecting the UK to be anything better READ the papers - its not just articles about how bad Dubai is....

someone said to me the other day, that if they were out of work they would rather pass a couple of months here than the UK, valid point. (if you are able to do so)
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Old Apr 19th 2009, 12:00 pm
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Default Re: Don't move to Dubai

Originally Posted by Blue Cat
someone said to me the other day, that if they were out of work they would rather pass a couple of months here than the UK, valid point. (if you are able to do so)
no matter which country you're in, in times of stress, be it through job loss or something else, the beaucracy and society of a country come second to the support of friends and family. you can be in the most supportive 'state' on the planet (some of the scandinavians ones come to mind) and it doesn't count for squat if your friends and family aren't there to help.

so, if you're in the ME and you're feeling a bit down and out, no government is going to help you, your mates taking you out for a pint and a bit of cheer up is far better.

as for job prospects/the financial side EVERYWHERE is in the crapper at the moment, and uplifting to a different country NOW would be absolutely insane. stay put, ride it out, wait for the dawn, you'll be right...
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Old Apr 19th 2009, 1:17 pm
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Default Re: Don't move to Dubai

So, if we were to summarise this thread: Do move to Dubai if you want, but make sure you do as much research as possible into the pros and cons. And don't, whatever you do, believe the Piers Morgan programme or that ridiculous new Emirates TV advert. It's a wonderful, wonderful life indeed.
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Old Apr 19th 2009, 3:13 pm
  #74  
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Default Re: Don't move to Dubai

That about sums it up LJ
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Old Apr 27th 2009, 12:01 pm
  #75  
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Default Re: Don't move to Dubai

[QUOTE=DiggerBarnes;7491490][QUOTE=FunnyFeline;7487859] My fiance and I aren't looking for the more luxurious lifestyle - we want quality of life. That, to us, means sunshine filled days, being able to sit outside on an evening having a drink together, being able to plan BBQ's at the weekend

You do not seem to realise how hot it is during the Summer! It is so hot and humid that you will have to live inside in air conditioned buiuldings for about 3 or 4 months. It is too unpleasnet to even sit outside in the evenings.
Yes DB I do know all too well how hot it is in the summer, and we will probably have to be inside for most of those 3 months....I'm talking about the majority of the other months in Dubai! I am coming from Ireland, where the past 3 years we have had NO summer and it has, to be honest, totally P*SS*D me off!! We have not been able to have more than 4 BBQ's in 3 years (the God's honest truth)...!

When I say we are looking for quality of life & sunshine filled days, I'm talking about coming from a country that has NONE at all! I know exactly how hot it is going to be when we arrive...but we'll be having BBQ's well into the year when people at home are wrapping up from the cold!!

Nuff said!!
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