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| City: |
Dubai |
| Country: |
U.A.E.
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| Submitter's Name: |
Jo |
| Nationality: |
South Africa |
| Arrival Date: |
September 13, 07 |
| Date Submitted: |
October 29, 2007 |
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Dubai - is unrelentingly hot! currently almost winter - the minimum temperature goes down to about 23 degrees. I love the city - it is fast and vibrant and chaotic. Fast cars, fast people, unbelievable drivers, lots of money, amazing buildings and hotels - the most fantastic spas - so cheap! and petrol is even cheaper...... |
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Locals are extremely tolerant towards Westerners. The dress is from one extreme to the other. All western women can dress however they please - there are no restrictions. However, don´t be rude to locals as you could end up in jail! Nothing feels negative - everything feels positive. Its a great city for families, singles and even couples. Homosexuality and Lesbianism is not accepted in the UAE and is \"illegal\". There don´t seem to be any gender, religious or racial prejudices in the UAE. As a westerner you can dress however you feel appropriate - women run around in shorts and flip flops in the malls where local women dress with obeyas or even the burqa. I do know though (having talked to a local man) that the way western women dress is not appealing to local men! No security concerns - it is seemingly crime free - however you take your life into your hands driving on the roads!!! |
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You have to be sponsored by your company with a job offer in order to get a work visa and only certain countries citizens are allowed into UAE without visas. |
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Expensive, expensive, expensive!!! Average 2 bedroom apartment costs AED140,000 per annum to rent and you have to pay upfront with 1 cheque. Occasionally two cheques are acceptable. Make sure the suburb is ok.... there are some yucky suburbs in Dubai.... The average villa costs AED250,000 per year - this has 4 bedrooms and plenty bathrooms.... |
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Yes, its very common to have help = mostly philippino or indian = maids, drivers, nannies - they are badly paid here and the cost varies from AED1000 to AED3000 per month. |
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It is best to have a home line - mobiles are relatively cheap but mobile plans are expensive to start up, as all expats are expected to pay a big deposit. The two providers are DU and ETISALAT. The quality of the service is not bad - it depends which country you are comparing it to! Internet service is also provided by the two listed above and wireless is available everywhere - lots of cafes and shopping centres have wireless hook up - as do most new apartments. This is normally included in the rent (so don´t know what it costs) - a lot of sites are blocked by the government (they are strict on anything that has even remote sexual connotations) - but in the outlying areas these can be reached via wireless connection - i.e. Skype or Expat.com All magazines and newspapers are available in English - there are plenty and the English speakers are well catered for - Dubai is truly bilingual.
The postal service leaves a lot to be desired - compared to say Argentina, the service is good! |
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Bilingual Arabic and English - English is spoken everywhere and hardly any local don´t speak it. The workers here - i.e. Philippino and Indian speak and comprehend English extremely poorly - so it is difficult to communicate - especially telephonically! |
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Water is mostly drinkable from the taps - but most people drink bottled water which is cheap - 1.5 litres is about 1.5 AED don´t know the costs of gas or electricity as that is also included in the rent |
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Employment is relatively easy here. There are headhunter and plenty recruitment agencies. Gulf News is available online and lists jobs - a good expat website is |
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Currency is Dirrhams (AED - Arab Emirate Dirrham) - bank accounts are very hard to open!! The banking service here is terrible and you need 6 months of bank statements, copy of work visa, and also bank applications completed. |
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Expensive! Good doctors - I visited one this week - AED265 for one visit and medicine (antibiotics and other prescribed drugs) is not readily available and is terrifyingly expensive! The visa requirements for health are a lung/chest Xray (can only be done in local clinic!) and an AIDS blood test. |
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Cannot comment - don´t have children |
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Easy to own a car - they are cheap - easy to rent one - also very cheap. A small car - ie.e. Toyota Yaris costs approx. AED1750 per month to rent. Depending on the country where you come from - if it is acceptable in the UAE - you can easily get a drivers licence. I come from NZ so it is interchangeable - costs AED125. However if you come from the Cayman Islands you have to retake the drivers test and that is very costly as they demand you take driving lessons - so could get into the thousands of AED\'s and many fail the test over and over again! Challenging!
Taxis are cheap and they drive like maniacs - as does everyone in this city.
No other public transportation at this stage, but the metro will be completed in 2009 - buses are notoriously unreliable.
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Everything is available in Dubai - it is very international in this department and beauty care is cheap - i.e. spas and pampering. Everything (apartment from RENT) in Dubai is cheaper than in other major cities...... you can find everything here - it is far cheaper to buy new things than to ship all your old goods. The Mall of the Emirates has everything - from everyday inexpensive to designer. Clothes, furniture - well known international name brand stores. |
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don´t know - its hot - so gyms are used more than outdoor sport
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| and type Dubai into for other helpful information |
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City Description
Healthcare
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