Should we make the move to Dubai!?

clo1

Hi myself and my husband (Newly married=no kids) are considering moving to Dubai next year for a period of 2 years. I will be 33 and he will be 38.

We are just wondering has anyone here been in a similar position and made the move and does anyone have any advice on this? Any pros/cons?

The reason we would be moving would be to earn more money (quicker )than we would in Ireland mainly and see another part of the world and come back and buy another house in Dublin . I am a teacher and my husband works in finance so we assume we could find a job easy enough?

However my worry is that given Our ages it might be lonely or hard to make friends out there as we aren’t young and into the party scene.also we are in already in an extremely fortunate position to both be in permanent jobs at the minute and I would be leaving an AP position here at home with six years experience. We also own a duplex apartment in dublin and already have a nice disposable income. I know most people go to Dubai for more permanent work and so they can buy their first house back home so maybe for us the move doesn’t make sense?

i know the teaching days are longer in Dubai and there’s less holidays so maybe the salary difference wouldn’t be worth it?

what are people’s opinions or advice on this ? Is there really better income and better quality of life to be had over there?

Caranica

Check out the Living Abroad forum on here. Should have people who've actually made that move over there.

walterking

Somebody is obviously extremely jealous that the OP has an opportunity and is thinking of expanding their horizons and bettering themselves for the future.

For the OP - living in a different country with a different culture is an exceptional opportunity. It will take work, but once you are open to adhering to local customs and culture it can be very enlightening and will bring huge benefits to you and, if you choose to have children, huge benefits to them too as they will be brought up to understand and respect different cultures

You are at good ages as you will appreciate the opportunities and benefit greatly from them. And if its financially rewarding, enjoy the rewards and never ever make apology for it.

clo1

Thank you very much for the encouragement!

ted1

There’s very little local culture in Dubai. It’s all ex pats.

I found Dubai to be a sh1t h0le would recommend Abu Dhabi or Muscat over it.

lots of modern day slavery and trafficking visible in Dubai.

The kids won’t be bought up to respect anyone. They’ll be bought up thinking that Asians are there to serve the white man. That money and material goods are king.

positron

Dubai is a strange place, wealthy but tacky, safe but strange etc etc. Fairly unequal in how they treat foreign workers - Irish / white folks in general are treated much much better than non-whites.

swimming in a sea

I've only been on a holiday in Dubai and a separate holiday in Abu Dhabi, i'd prefer Abu Dhabi as it's quieter. I'd say cost of living is the major thing to think about, as if you're bored or lonely then you'll need hobbies/socialise and that's what might cut into the higher salary pretty quickly.

I'd like to go but I'd need a job with school fees added in.

Have a read of UAE human rights, and see if you are still happy enough to go there.

CramCycle

My sister done it years ago. Loads of people out there to socialise with so you won't be lonely. She was passed from contract to contract so had enough here. Her partner went on a career break for 5 years and after that decided they were staying until they couldn't. Be warned there are not as many teaching jobs out there as there used to be and they are not as secure as they used to be.

Research before you go, work might not be as easy as you think to get out there anymore.

They fly out to loads of destinations for weekend breaks and have had experiences they would never have gotten here.

Made enough to buy a house outright (which they just have), so with the difficulty in getting teaching jobs they won't be stuck on their return. Not based in Dublin mind you.

Positives: Good pay, lots of cheap holiday options, experiences you can have together you won't get anywhere else

Negatives: Teaching might not be as easy to get a job in on your return unless you have a career break option. There are not as many jobs out there as there once was.

Ponster

Please reply to the OP and not other posters.

maninasia

Arabs are white?

ted1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119475178#Comment_119475178

They are in the minority there.

maninasia

Yes but whats this got to do with whites? White people are generally working as white collar professionals working in services .

I assume theres way more Arabs than whites in Dubai and that majority of biz are run by them.

Icsics

Definitely go! Take a career break & research the jobs on tes.co.uk. Look at all UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain. Different packages for different schools, but you won’t regret it

El Gato De Negocios

My brother has been over there for the last 5 years. He loves it and has zero inclination to come back to Ireland. There is a large Irish community over there but also a wealth of other nationalities. He recently got engaged to a girl he met over there and is talking about settling there long term. Rent is reasonable (comparative to what you'd pay in Dublin for a similar standard), very safe place to bring up kids, good education system and its tax free. Im at a different life stage and have kids but if my circumstances were different I'd go there for a couple of years.

ted1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119475194#Comment_119475194

More whites than Arabs.

youll see the Asians raking the lawns or coming off building sites with no sun shade. Being collected in clapped out busses with no air con , bring driving out to the dessert compound.

the nannies and Maids working for the white Collars professionals will all be Asians.

The young girls working as prostituties or been kept by sugar daddies. Are Asian, African or Russian.

https://www.globalmediainsight.com/blog/uae-population-statistics/#uae2022

It is quite evident that the expatriates outnumber the nationals in the UAE. While the expat population totals around 88.52% i.e. 8.92 million, the nationals only amount to 11.48% i.e. 1.16 million

micosoft

Refreshing it's not the usual Ireland whingefest.

So really it depends on three things:

1. You can live without the outdoors/culture and spend two years in an Airconditioned apartment binge watching Netflix.
2. You are extremely disciplined and have a savings plan.
3. Understand pension implications as that's the best/biggest tax break you will ever get.

The reality of Dubai is that it is it has a certain lifestyle that encourages you to spend. So instead of having a Dubai salary with Irish expenditures you end up living the Dubai lifestyle and spending more on day to day stuff because all your peers do. And then when you get really bored you blow the rest on expensive holidays to get away from the heat. Most people who live in Dubai get trapped in that lifestyle and don't actually save any money just like people working in the City of London earn insane salaries but end up spending 60k on private schools. I think this is the mistake most people make when they think the grass is greener.

By all means go with your eyes open!

Furze99

OP should check their ethics and moral code first. Dubai/ UAE - where some of the dirtiest & blood soaked money in the world is washed a bit cleaner. Where Russian oligarchs have sought refuge from sanctions imposed by the EU and others over their filthy invasion of their neighbours.

If any of that bothers you, think twice. If it doesn't, sure you're grand.

maninasia

Yes but who is employing all these foreigners? Mostly the locals isnt it. Construction etc.

Also why are you saying white?...expats have all kinds of origin in Dubai. I believe a large amount of white collars are from other Middle eastern countries and Asia also.

ted1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119475489#Comment_119475489

No, it’s international companies. While some asians may work in white collar. The OPs kids won’t see them. They’ll only see them used as shaves with no white person working among them

maninasia

so international companies are the problem not white people?

dory

I think this thread has run its course. The OP got their answer.