Paidtoplease

Hi All BE

My friend is thinking about taking up a post here in Dubai but he has a 16 year Old daughter and 18 year old son, what is it like here for that age group???

Thanks

shakh your bootie

ask pookie.

Paidtoplease

Good thinking

gedge

what would his 18 year old do?
unless he's finishing school perhaps, i doubt there will be much of a future for him there

Paidtoplease

Not sure that the 18 year old is coming will find out today but defo the 16 year old is(if he decides to take job), I can get technical stuff info re schools etc but not the social side od life here

gedge

if it was a 16 yo son i'd say no worries, loads to do
but i've no idea how a teenage girl would get on

however my biggest concern would be how the kid(s) would cope with leaving behind all their friends and social life they currently have
at that age i reckon it'd be a hard one to sell to them

shakh your bootie

I know a lot of families with teen-age kids here that love it. Also know expats my age who were brought up here & chose to come back & live here after uni. I'd say it's a pretty decent lifestyle. Better than hanging out in parks & shopping centres & dodgy pubs which is what they would probably do in the UK...

Paidtoplease

Funny I asked this question when out last night and the answer I got was nothing to do but hang about the Malls

Hense why I asking those in the know, would hate the guy to make the wrong decission for the family...

lionheart

Doesn't BB have an 18yo daughter here? Why not ask her?

gedge

nothing to do... that's teenagers for you
there's plenty to do if they put their idle minds to it

Paidtoplease

That's the point gedge .....teenagers !!!

shakh your bootie

yes. like joyriding.

gedge

...and sniffing glue

you know that's not what i meant

shakh your bootie

Of course.

Seriously, the UAE offers loads of opportunities for kids that they wouldn't get in the UK. I've met 12 year olds who can tackle dune driving better than I can here! "Adventure" sports are far more affordable than in the UK. Kids get exposure to poly-culturalism, opportunity to learn language immersively. I think it can be a great experience for the right kind of young person.

gedge

spot on, ok it's an outdoor lifestyle that may take a bit of getting used to but kids are adaptable
all that fresh air and exercise has got to be good for the kids, beats slouching around a shopping centre etc.