Dubai, work, life etc.
Discussion
Hi,
My wife and I have 3 little children, and would value your opinions please:
I'd be grateful for your views on whether or not one should move to Dubai in terms of the economy in Dubai: is it as bad as the Press make out eg cars being abandoned in Airports and expats fleeing due to downturn? Is there opportunity in Dubai, and of so which sectors please?
Thank you. 911Fan.
My wife and I have 3 little children, and would value your opinions please:
I'd be grateful for your views on whether or not one should move to Dubai in terms of the economy in Dubai: is it as bad as the Press make out eg cars being abandoned in Airports and expats fleeing due to downturn? Is there opportunity in Dubai, and of so which sectors please?
Thank you. 911Fan.
It all depends on where your expertise lies as to whether there are any opportunities here. I'm an Events Manager and business is doing well, very well. I've been visiting the region for 4 1/2 years but only working here for the past 6 months so the first time I came it was boom, then I saw the crash, and now things feel like they're definitely picking back up (although not to the extent of 2007/08).
I love my life here - I earn more then I could in the UK (in fact, I couldn't even find a job in the UK) plus I have a better social life and enjoy work here more than I could ever imagine. On the flipside, I work harder then I could ever imagine.
Whether it's right for you and your family depends on you - have you lived/worked abroad before? Also, it depends on job offers - whether schools are included (you can be looking at £10k per year (ea.) for a good school over here.
Hopefully this give you a little insight...?
I love my life here - I earn more then I could in the UK (in fact, I couldn't even find a job in the UK) plus I have a better social life and enjoy work here more than I could ever imagine. On the flipside, I work harder then I could ever imagine.
Whether it's right for you and your family depends on you - have you lived/worked abroad before? Also, it depends on job offers - whether schools are included (you can be looking at £10k per year (ea.) for a good school over here.
Hopefully this give you a little insight...?
TobyLaRohne said:
What sector do you work in first? A good contract should be the nr1 priority out here, if you want Middle East money and a stable job Qatar is where it is at at the moment, the market here only has one way to go!
But it means living in Qatar 
OP - Please don't believe everything you read in the papers, yes certain sectors have taken a hammering but it also weeded a lot of the cowboys out, we are long past the worse imo.
From my limited experience in your sector, people here are very price sensitive, that's why the Indian subcontinent does well from the Middle East, so much of it is outsourced.
The little uns will be your biggest cost, school fees are pretty eye watering I think.
In terms of quality of life, for both you and them though, Dubai pisses all over anything the Uk has to offer.
I spent my formative years here (5-15) and it was an amazing place to grow up, came back 5 years ago at 27, kicking myself that I waited so long.
Impspeed, who do you work for out of interest?
TobyLaRohne said:
It's not all bad here! I am an out doors sort of person and I went back to Dubai recently for a day, if my company offered me a cast iron contract and 25% more money to move to Dubai I wouldn't leave Qatar....(30% and I'd consider it )
What is there to do outdoors wise in Qatar that we don't have? ) IMHO Dubai or Qatar are great if you don't have a family. However (again IMHO) the quality of life for a family with kids is 1,000 times better in Europe or the USA, than the Middle East. I'm back in the UK now and I can hear kids playing outside on the estate, a rarity in Dubai even in the winter. Also IMHO Singapore seems to offer everything Dubai doesn't so if that is an option then I suggest you take a closer look.
I love many things about the Middle East, and I own a house in Muscat still. I wouldn't bring kids up there either. Money isn't everything (but then in my line of work I can earn good money in the West too).
I love many things about the Middle East, and I own a house in Muscat still. I wouldn't bring kids up there either. Money isn't everything (but then in my line of work I can earn good money in the West too).
dxbtiger said:
What is there to do outdoors wise in Qatar that we don't have?
There are no obnoxious, rude, assholes filling every bar, keen to show off how much they earn, and push other people around, there are no pissed up holiday makers screeching and screaming at each other, there is 1/10th of the traffic, expats look out for each other here, the desert is only 25min away, we actually go quad biking, camping, exploring abandoned fishing villages, jetsking, fishing and scuba diving on cool shipwrecks....in Dubai, in the year that I was there all anyone wanted to do while I was there was go to a brunch or bar and get hammered, oh and my commute to work is 20minutes on a bad day, covering 11km, it used to take that to get onto SZR from the marina some days! AND I've seen my salary go up twice a year by more than a couple of thousand a month each time since I arrived in 2010 whereas our Dubai office hasn't offered a pay rise since 2009... Dubai isn't for me I'm afraid. I understand why alot of people like it, but my personality just doesn't mesh with the lifestyle there. I understand you can do all the activities in Dubai but you'd be hard pushed to find any bugger who actually wants to, and that was my problem.My daydream (which might differ from the reality) is that I will work hard, and in the eves and weekend actually go outside with my children without being controlled by rainy or cold weather as in UK.
Then, eg 10 years from now, when the children are older eg 15 yrs old we'll have all had our fun in the sun and they'll be focussed on either GCSE's or hotwiring cars, and life is a bit more serious we can relocate for a phase when mucking around with their parents isn;t cool for them anymore. What u reckon?
I'm just keen to figure out what I'd do in Dubai (I like it bcse it has Asian/Indian culture, food etc) for work, is the IT trade strong please?
Does Qatar have the equivalent of eg a Mena Bazaar please?
Cheers
Then, eg 10 years from now, when the children are older eg 15 yrs old we'll have all had our fun in the sun and they'll be focussed on either GCSE's or hotwiring cars, and life is a bit more serious we can relocate for a phase when mucking around with their parents isn;t cool for them anymore. What u reckon?
I'm just keen to figure out what I'd do in Dubai (I like it bcse it has Asian/Indian culture, food etc) for work, is the IT trade strong please?
Does Qatar have the equivalent of eg a Mena Bazaar please?
Cheers
911fan said:
We have a small software company; crosses all industries.
what type of software? if it is industrial - scada, plc progamming etc. - then you'll be quids in. if it's something generic then you probably won't. job stability can be cast iron in dubai. depends on your sector. my company do very little business in the middle east, using dubai mainly as a convenient logistics hub.
Targarama said:
IMHO Dubai or Qatar are great if you don't have a family. However (again IMHO) the quality of life for a family with kids is 1,000 times better in Europe or the USA, than the Middle East. I'm back in the UK now and I can hear kids playing outside on the estate, a rarity in Dubai even in the winter. Also IMHO Singapore seems to offer everything Dubai doesn't so if that is an option then I suggest you take a closer look.
I love many things about the Middle East, and I own a house in Muscat still. I wouldn't bring kids up there either. Money isn't everything (but then in my line of work I can earn good money in the West too).
My personal view is the exact opposite. Dubai is the perfect place to bring up a young family providing the cost of education is covered.I love many things about the Middle East, and I own a house in Muscat still. I wouldn't bring kids up there either. Money isn't everything (but then in my line of work I can earn good money in the West too).
Safer, more secure, more family friendly, more home help to make the daily grind bearable. Sure, they can't play all day outdoors in summer, but even in the hottest weather, my kids spent an hour or so in the pool or at the beach as the sun set.
I am back in the UK now and honestly dreading the start of the school year.
Strangely enough, my kids are desperate to play in the rain and go to parks. In contrast, kids brought up in the UK see the beach and hot weather as a special treat! Go figure.
TobyLaRohne said:
There are no obnoxious, rude, assholes filling every bar, keen to show off how much they earn, and push other people around, there are no pissed up holiday makers screeching and screaming at each other, there is 1/10th of the traffic, expats look out for each other here, the desert is only 25min away, we actually go quad biking, camping, exploring abandoned fishing villages, jetsking, fishing and scuba diving on cool shipwrecks....in Dubai, in the year that I was there all anyone wanted to do while I was there was go to a brunch or bar and get hammered, oh and my commute to work is 20minutes on a bad day, covering 11km, it used to take that to get onto SZR from the marina some days! AND I've seen my salary go up twice a year by more than a couple of thousand a month each time since I arrived in 2010 whereas our Dubai office hasn't offered a pay rise since 2009... Dubai isn't for me I'm afraid. I understand why alot of people like it, but my personality just doesn't mesh with the lifestyle there. I understand you can do all the activities in Dubai but you'd be hard pushed to find any bugger who actually wants to, and that was my problem.
Fair enough, Qatar sounds like Dubai used to be then in that respect.I guess it is a lot about finding the right group of people as well, wherever you are.
Off the top of my head I think I've brunched 4 times this year (normally birthdays), we avoid the bars that attract the crowd you mention. The missus goes riding 2-3 times a week, I play golf at least 3 times a month, that alongside sailing, fishing etc means a more varied lifestyle than the atypical Dubaite that ends up on the front page of The Sun!
I think everyone in this section agrees that quality of life, alongside earning potential far outweighs the UK. There is a lot to be said for having the sun on your back 365 days a year
king tedious during the summer.Gassing Station | Middle East | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff