Sorry about the duff gen on the driving. I thought you had to wait until your visa was issued for your licence, but now i think about it i was incorrect. Anyway enough of that. Mirdiff is just another place in Dubai. It is about as far away as you can get from the "new" centre of town, which is near Jebel Ali where the new hotels, marina and residential estates are being built. The plus side of this is that the rents in Mirdiff are about as cheap as you can get in dubai. The down side is that it is a (relatively) long way to the schools and the beach and the beach clubs. If saving money is your thing, you could also think about Sharjah. It is not that much further than Mirdiff, and the rents are considerably cheaper than Dubai but it is a "dry" emirate. I know we have at least one Westerner living there using the housing allowance. Another option for you may be to rent a serviced apartment for a few weeks while you sort yourself out. I dont know how much they cost, but assuming you will get your allowance as soon as you arrive, then i think it should affordable for a while. Rule number one in Dubai is never rush into anything when you first get here. You will almost certainly be ripped off. Take your time to find your feet then bargain like crazy, and i am sure you will find something to suit.