media work / general help!
 

My girlfriend and I are considering moving to Dubai altho' we're finding the decision hard to make. We're both late 20s Londoners and work in media. Does anyone know of any opportunities for TV production work out there as I currently work in that field? I know quite a few companies have HQ's at media city but don't really know if they recruit foreign staff. Also, have heard that it is illegal for unmarried couples to live together in Dubai - what's the score? Any other advice about the culture / way of life etc would be great, we've never been to the place and are finding our future hard to imagine!:confused:

Re: media work / general help!
 

:) Hi Nick,

I'm still learning myself having made a few visits. Yes, you need to be married to live together in Dubai, so if your not palnning on getting hitched then stay where you are but if on the other hand you want to .......... then what are waiting for!
If you have contacts for HQ's then I would advise that you fax them your details, the more companys that you get in touc with the better.
You need to have a job, in order to sponser your wife other wise she can't work.
You may find that they will employ foreigners as all nationalitys work together in most curcumstances.
The culture is easy going though it is polite for us ladies to dress without reveiling to much and therefore avoiding un wanted attention.
On the beach however is differant, but again its polite to wrap up when going into a beach restuarant.
The poeple over there are very friendly, and sometimes to helpfull but mean well.
You cannot go wrong if you follow the few simple rules and guidelines.

HTH
Heart of Gold

The 'married to live together' is a myth, pure and simple. I lived there for three years and Oman before that for 6 years. in both I lived with a couple of different women and didn't get married 'til just before we left. If you live in Sharjah, the Emirate above Dubai, then you will face problems. Dubai is a very liberal place with certain limitations which you must respect as you are in a Muslim country. The same applies for many friends and colleagues, some of whom lived with the opposite sex as flat mates, nothing more.
Imagine a clean western city with a very low crime rate (most of which comes from household burglary) and you have Dubai. It is a very easy friendly place to live.
As far as TV production goes, you are in an Arab speaking country with great resources and little English language television. You are fairly limited in that respect as there are 100's of Egyptians, Lebanese, Syrians etc who can do your job just as well for a fraction of the cost. But don't be disheartened as there are many other avenues you can explore if you have media production. The ad agencies often need to do TV commercials, there is a burgeoning exhibition industry. As with so many expat countries, Dubai is about networking and getting yourself known. In that respect it is more difficult to get a job before you get there, but not too tough once you are there.
Give it a go, you're young and experienced. If it doesn't work, move on.

media work
 

Thanks for the comments, I'm guessing from the varied answers re living together that it's officially not allowed but not a rule that's enforced? Any more feedback would be welcome. As it is my girlfriend who has a job and I who will be looking on arrival, I hope that won't be a problem! I was planning on using the three month holiday allowance and converting to a working visa once I've found a job. Does anyone know any English speakers working in TV / commercials though? Would be nice to here of someone already doing it.