Hubby thinking of applying for a job in Dubai. We have two children 13 and 10. Worried about the weather, education and what expat communities there are to live in.
Thank you for your help.

don't worry...it will be fine...!! weather is fabulous, education good and expats communities aplenty...you just need to make sure you have the right package to enjoy it...

MM, xx

what aspect of the weather is concerning you?

Education is good, but expensive i believe and there are waiting lists...

(others may advise more)

As MM says, Dubai is paradise IF you have a good enough package to enjoy it because EVERYTHING is for profit...nothing is cheap here... (apart from motoring)

Housing
Electricity/Water
Schooling
Shopping

enjoy

Thank you both.

Weather worrying as appears very hot, how do you cope in such heats. Is everywhere air conditioned, ie schools etc. I presume for summer months nobody ventures outside much.

Can you give me any names of good expat communities.

Thank you again.

everywhere is air conditioned. In summer it does get really hot, but you just get on with life as normal, i.e instead of going to the beach, go to a hotel and spend all day drinking champers and eating fine food

Ranches
Springs
Meadows
Lakes (Exclusive gated community)
Mirdiff

there are loads, Dubai really is one big Expat community...best thing and most important thing is to find out where your OH is working, as its best to live there as the traffic is a bit of a problem here

(replace bit by effin massive)

Thank you again.

Will look into expat communities and let you know.

I wouldnt even bother too much until you know where your hubby will be working, then look...

Fair chunk of info on the wiki to get you started, but it all depends on how much coinage you can pry out of the employer for benefits.

Welcome to BE though

We know lots of parents who feel that despite the pay, pay and pay again culture of education here, the actual education received is no better than what you'd expect from an average British state school. That's not to denigrate average British state schools, it's more to indicate that just because you're paying it doesn't mean you're getting all the extra bells and whistles that come with a fee-paying education in the UK.

With children aged 13 and 10, you'll be forking out a *lot* each term in school fees. You'll also need a 3-bed place (at a minimum), which won't be cheap either.

Dubai will be a very expensive prospect for you - make sure the package you're offered is a very big one!

You’re up late Gareth...

Agree totally, Dubai can be a wonderful place to live and raise your kids. BUT the 'package' that we refer to has to be good...

There are loads of threads on 'packages' that go into detail on different posters experiences (good and bad) so you will get a jist of what, and how much you will need to have a comfortable life here...

I wouldn’t look too much into moving with kids at such an important age, until you have got a job offer, then weigh up the 'Package'
and decide if it’s worth the upheaval...

That aside, it’s a great place to live.......



(thats why i moved to Abu Dhabi)

why not go visit and see if you like it... I know lots of people that have been out there and just hated it... and similarly people that have been out there and make it a life goal to get out there...

there's also a huge exhibition going on this weekend on sat and sun (in london if you're anywhere near) for jobs abroad... i was there last year and found that you can get quite a lot of useful information, although the middle east wasn't represented by a lot of stalls.

lol...

As well as making sure you get the right package also ensure you can get into one of the better schools. There are numerous secondary schools in Dubai now, but many of them aren't that good to be honest. With a child at 13 as someone else has said the schooling needs to be right.

Good luck
Nicola

You are right to be concerned about the weather. Its over 35 degC eight months of the year, but its the summer humidity which is the real pain in the backside. Not everyone's cup of tea to be sure!

Not that I'm an expert on schools here, but my childminder has lived here 20 years and would only recommend DESS and JESS as they are ofsted inspected every year and are not making huge profits on increasing their fees.

Sam, as everyone mentions, a decent package will make the difference whether you'll be struggling here financially or not.

A lot depends on what sort of job your husband is looking for. Unless he's able to negociate a big salary, you'll need a package to include the following:

Housing Allowance - not many companies these days will give you enough to cover the current rents being asked. If you do, you are very lucky. You'll need at least 200-250K+ per year for rent for a min 3 bedroom villa.

Free return flights home each year for the whole family.

Health Insurance for the whole family.

Relocation expenses to get here!

School Fees!

And if your very lucky you make get:

Company car
DEWA paid (electric and water bills)
Costs towards furniture/curtains etc..

Unfortunately, big packages are getting rarer as Dubai isn't the hard posting it used to be, so companies don't need to try too hard to get people willing to work here compared to 5 to 10 years ago.