I'm amazed at the responses here. First of all they pick out isolated incidents, and they are isolated, and say that there is not a low crime rate. Noone is saying there in no crime, but it is most certainly a tiny fraction of the crime you would find in any part of the UK. "You need 150k for decent accomodation", what a load of rubbish. Some people really do lose touch with reality, and if the place does not have it's own private swimming pool, 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms its just not up to scratch. 80-90,000 dirhams a year if you are willing to look around yourself, and ask around yourself and do some leg work, will get you very good accomodation.
Guys here are saying the prices are rising etc. etc. Have they seen the real estate markets activity back in the UK or Australia??? They are driving around here, in a car that cost them half what it would back home, paying less than half the price for the petrol, and half the price for insurance, leaving the engine running while they do their grocery shopping, and then driving home to their company paid accomodation, and having dinner with their children who are attending company paid private education, while the maid/nanny does all the work for a quarter of what they pay back home, and I can guess the dinnertime conversation. "Oh this place is unbearable, and I just can't wait to get home to where the sky is that nice grey colour, and you can feel the warm drizzle on the back of your neck during summer".
As was said earlier, if you don't like it bugger off. For a lot of us, the weather is great 8 months of the year. The job opportunities are fantastic, and the tax rate is zero. The facilities, including education and health are world class. The nightlife and restaurants are brilliant. Most employers pay for almost everything (how many employers pay for your kids education, your accomodation, and flights home/for holidays back in the UK guys).
I know that you will come up with some more isolated reasons why the UAE and Dubai in particular sucks, eg. the traffic, the cost of food, whatever. And yes there are always downsides, but to anyone coming out here, or thinking of it. Sit down and write down all the pros and cons and you may find that the UAE is for you. And for all the knockers, do the same, and if it works out that the UAE is not for you, do us all a favour, and sod off.
