Dubai - Work move - Pros and Cons

Artery said:
As someone else has mentioned too, think of the money you'll be able to save. Your kids will get the experience of living abroad and understanding other cultures and if anything it should do well for their education. Think of the stories they'll be able to tell people.
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Living as an expat in Dubai your kids will experience almost zero Arab culture as most ex pats live in exclusive communities full of other expats and attend the local American school with other expat kids! You have to dig pretty deep to find any substantial colour ute and tradition in Dubai!

I would happily take my wife and kid abroad but Dubai mega money or not just doesn't appeal!
 
Em3bbs said:
Have you been over to Dubai at all? I've been, admittedly only for a week, but it's probably the last place I'd want to live especially now I have kids. Absolutely no culture, the place feels soulless/fake and the heat is unbearable. I'm certainly not averse to living outside the UK, I did so for five years but I'd not consider Dubai.

I had to laugh at the 'lots to do' there post from someone. If you look at *every* single Dubai thread people go there, do a dune buggy ride and go to Ferrari World. I can imagine the novelty of those things will wear off quite quickly.
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Ditto on this. I have been there and hated the place, the (lack of) culture, and the heat. The locals would not also pee on you if you were on fire; it's a truly soulless place. My father also lived and worked in that area of the world for a few years and just talking about it makes his blood boil.

It is certainly not a place that I would want to raise kids for a few years lest they think that the place represented normality.
 
Freefaller said:
Okay....well we are poles apart on that. So we'll just leave it at that. I have no reason to stand up for it but just glad there are more open minded people in the world
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There's nothing open-minded about state-sanctioned homophobia, sexism and xenophobia, it is indeed the antithesis of open-mindedness. To suggest closed mindedness on the basis of objective facts is absurd.
 
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asim18 said:
Absolutely this.

I don't understand the comments about education. I doubt OP or his wife are retarded or something and are perfectly capable of schooling their kids even if they have to do it at home! 2 years in a foreign country will teach your kids far more valuable things than 2 years in the national curriculum.

If you were alone it would be another matter but the whole family and only 2 years! Do it!!!
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Well my wife is a primary school teacher so home schooling would be an option if there were issues.
 
DampCat said:
The education is totally fine. There are myriad well performing schools to choose from with many curriculums.

The schools can be, however, expensive. You need to factor that cost in.

I lived there for a few years, and my sister has been there for 15. One thing I learned is you'll not find a balanced thread on this forum about the place.
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Work pays for the schooling.
 
I would not.

A country built upon what amounts to slave labour. People from the east working in almost inhumane conditions, and this isn't just Dubai you also have Arabia and Qatar as well.

Do what's best for you and your family. The grass isn't always greener... but 2 years is nothing.
 
In a nutshell? Its hot, it stinks. It's the middle east. I don't think you could pay me enough to live there.

On the other hand you might really like the place.
 
SpeedFreak said:
Well my wife is a primary school teacher so home schooling would be an option if there were issues.
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Yeah because home schooling is great for a kids social development.

If you can shield your kids from the reality of the middle east then fine, they will probably be ok. If the finances will be hugely improved then it will also be worth it for 2-3 years. Just don't stay too long.
 
asim18 said:
Absolutely this.

I don't understand the comments about education. I doubt OP or his wife are retarded or something and are perfectly capable of schooling their kids even if they have to do it at home! 2 years in a foreign country will teach your kids far more valuable things than 2 years in the national curriculum.

If you were alone it would be another matter but the whole family and only 2 years! Do it!!!
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The reason I first mentioned education is that it is widely understood that moving your kids around during it can often have a negative impact it's bad enough moving within a country but moving internationally ups the ante so I would only consider it for a country I really wanted to live in that I thought my kids would genuinely benefit from and Dubai for me doesn't fit that criteria if the primary driver is money I wouldn't do it.
 
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Energize said:
There's nothing open-minded about state-sanctioned homophobia, sexism and xenophobia, it is indeed the antithesis of open-mindedness. To suggest closed mindedness on the basis of objective facts is absurd.
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I think it is wonderful that we can have such different opinions, and I thank you for sharing yours. :) I completely disagree and have had a completely different experience from my time in the Middle East, but of course I will see things differently, and being challenged by different opinions and perceptions is critical in life.

You may be right to a certain extent, but it is also not as extreme as you make out - but I've said my piece I'll leave it at that. But thank you for contributing to the discussion, although I personally feel you're not quite right, that doesn't matter. :)
 
I know plenty of families that have raised their children to be perfectly normal human beings. Honestly this thread is full of tripe. As always.
 
I think I'd rather go for two years and leave my wife and kids in a nice country. Then go home every 6 weeks or so and let the kids benefit from the money I'd earned when away from them. Screw dragging my whole family there. I spent 2 months working in uae and that was more than enough.
 
Great opportunity, earnings potential, life experience etc

However be careful of the well being of your kids/wife etc.

Saying that 2 years is nothing in the grand scheme of things and kids adapt pretty well to most situations. Give it a go, if it doesn't work out, come home. It's not the end of the world but I'd always be inclined to give something a try, rather than sit about in 5 years and think - "god i wish I'd taken that chance"

Good luck with your choice.
 
What I haven't seen asked or answered in the thread is what happens after the 3 years. Does it extend, do you have a guaranteed job to come back to, would you be satisfied doing the same job after the 3 years experience.

With a family involved, I would be tempted to haggle that you do 6 months there without the family (thus avoiding disruption to school, family, friends and social life) and see for yourself what it would be like. GD is its usual polarized opinions.
 
I'd take the chance...

There's loads of Expats there so you can still socialise and it'll be a great experience what's to be afraid of?

Even better that the kids are young if they were in secondary it'd be worse.
 
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