Life in Dubai
 

Hello,

Beside the negative points about the company (EK) can I get some comments about life in DXB ??
How it is to live there for a family with 1 kid.

I know Dubai is very hot but exempt this..

Thanks in advance.

There is a book called Dubai Explorer that I have found to be very accurate. Everything from places to shop to how to get a drivers licence. Abu Dhabi Dubai Family Explorer is also great, however some duplication will be there.

Thank you,

Anybody with experience feedback please ??

:)

Hey Dizo,

You'll LOVE Dubai! It's fantastic.

Great infrastructure, almost NO traffic jams and the drivers are SO courteous and self disciplined that accidents are a rarity! Not even the need for speed traps because EVERYONE, especially the modestly sized 4x4's with dark windows, drive at least 10 - 20 miles/hr slower than the speed limit!

And cheap! Wow! Go out for a meal or a night on the town and you'll STRUGGLE to get rid of the cash in your pocket. :uhoh:
Grocery shopping is almost not worth mentioning because the inflation rate is negligible and if you decide to dump EK accommodation and find your own, you'll pocket at least two thirds the FO housing allowance.

There's an abundance of flora and fauna and the undulating scenery is definitely another thing you'll enjoy.

See you soon! :ok:

Hey Warlock2000, you forgot to mention the beautiful National Flower of the UAE. It is prolific and can be seen in many locations throughout the whole of the UAE and yet sadly it is not indigenous to the country. (For those of you who don't know, its the very abundant transparent blue plastic bag). :sad:

Dizo,

I hope you understood that Warlock was being sarcastic and right on the spot also !!! Dubai is like mirage in the desert, nothing is real, especially people. I don't know how old your child is but forget about whole lots of activitiy for him/her. It's not a family world here at all. Children get bored a lot. And seriously, it's not a world at all except if you like to be constantly in competition with the others concerning money, way of life, car etc. etc.

For the lonely loosers there are always the bars, which is a nice way to burn your money really quickly.......but that will not be your case cause it seems you are a family man. So sorry about all this, but after a while you kind of get tired of all you have to do is watch sand, accidents on the road..........Take all the good manners you have been taught back home in a civilised world and forget about all of them here. You will have to be patient.......very patient.

Don't get fooled, Dubai is VERY VERY expensive.

Good luck.

Thank you Billy for your feedback.
I am just wondering, If there so many people unhappy with that place why staying there ?
It must be somehow something that attract you, isn't it ??
I understand that with an F/O salary there is not many things to do and will not have a Sheik life aspecialy if you want to save a minimum amount of money.
It is very difficult to have an objective overview as there are only bad comments. What did you thought about being in Dubai before joining EK ? Was it different then ?

I appreciate your help guys.

Dizo, check your PM's.

Acccording to an article in The Gulf News today petrol is to go up by about 30% on 1st September to reduce the losses being made by the distribution companies. It will still be cheap in global terms (about £1 a gallon) but it is an indication of the way prices in Dubai are heading.

Dizo.

Good question....If it is so bad, why do so many stay.

Been in Dubai over 6 years now and, in rare moments of lucidity, I consider it a better place for me and the family than most others.

I worked for EK for over 5 years but bailed out earlier in the year. EK is a strange place to work, the bureaucracy drives you crazy (was a manager with 50+ staff but my financial authority was less than 500 USD) . I was not Flight deck but was on the technical side, mainly in Ops. Never expect a straight answer or actual commitment if you join EK.

However, me, wife and 1 kid do like it here. The kid loves it and has a lifestyle that the UK could not provide, especially the safety aspect which is a big plus as far as I am concerned.

In terms of cost of living, compared to the UK, schooling is better (1 year for the same as 1 term in the UK), Housing was cheap and we took a 3 year fixed term deal with the option to buy (but costs have increased massivly plus the house will probably fall down in a year or 2). Cars and petrol a lot cheaper than the UK.

General living costs are on a par with the UK but utilities are expensive. Telecomms costs are very high and Internet is aout 5 times the cost in the UK. Standard of living, in my opinion is good but it don't suit everybody.

In summary, I stayed in Dubai after leaving EK cause I like it here and have made many great friends. The social life is good and it is an expanding place with lots of opportunities.

Hope this helps. Tried to give a balanced view.