When I made the move from Ireland to Dubai in January 2014, I didn't really know what to expect upon arrival. The phrase “I’ll sort it out when I get there” was used all too frequently, and while that’s a nice attitude to have, it would have been nice to have known a little more.
There were several sites that allowed me to research what was required for living and working in Dubai, but for the most part, they were vague and pretty negative at times, also. There was quite a bit of scaremonger tactics going on regarding the culture and lifestyle in UAE, which I have since discovered to be mostly unfounded, and it was difficult to find any real stories which I could personally relate to.
Just over a year on, I’ve decided to detail six points which I hope might clear some of the essentials up for anyone moving (or thinking about moving) to the region:
Just over a year on, I’ve decided to detail six points which I hope might clear some of the essentials up for anyone moving (or thinking about moving) to the region:
Culture Shock
I had never been to the Middle East before moving here and I expected that there would be a considerable culture shock coming from Ireland. The only shock was that there was absolutely no shock.
The Emirate of Dubai is extremely westernized and although Arabic is the national language, I am yet to meet a person who has been unable to speak fluent English. The food is the same as what you’ve had at home, no matter where home is for you, as there is everything and anything you could ever want to eat on offer. A lot of people talk about alcohol and how it isn’t freely available in Muslim culture, but rest assured, if it is alcohol you are after, you can drink to your heart’s content.
All of the above are certainly true for Dubai, maybe not so much for other Emirates (outside of Abu Dhabi) or other countries in the region, where the culture is more reserved and conservative.
All of the above are certainly true for Dubai, maybe not so much for other Emirates (outside of Abu Dhabi) or other countries in the region, where the culture is more reserved and conservative.
Summer Heat
I was worried about how hot summer was going to be when I moved to Dubai. As we moved into May and June and temperatures started to rise, I began to wonder if I would actually make it through the summer at all. After a few weeks of shielding myself from the outdoors, which actually makes it infinitely more difficult to handle being outside when required, I decided to man up and get going outside.
As soon as I made this conscious decision, I no longer had any issue with the temperatures and lived life as normal, playing golf, football etc. The only real issue I have with summer now is that the air conditioning goes into overdrive everywhere, and I find myself having to walk out of the office a couple of times every day just to warm up!
Don’t get me wrong, it is still hot, as 40 something degrees is always going to be hot, but I will take 40 degrees and sunny over 2 degrees and wet every day of the week. There are four very hot months in the year, which leaves eight months with absolutely perfect weather.
If you really, really don’t like hot weather, the Middle East is not for you, but otherwise, I wouldn’t be too concerned about it.
I was worried about how hot summer was going to be when I moved to Dubai. As we moved into May and June and temperatures started to rise, I began to wonder if I would actually make it through the summer at all. After a few weeks of shielding myself from the outdoors, which actually makes it infinitely more difficult to handle being outside when required, I decided to man up and get going outside.
As soon as I made this conscious decision, I no longer had any issue with the temperatures and lived life as normal, playing golf, football etc. The only real issue I have with summer now is that the air conditioning goes into overdrive everywhere, and I find myself having to walk out of the office a couple of times every day just to warm up!
Don’t get me wrong, it is still hot, as 40 something degrees is always going to be hot, but I will take 40 degrees and sunny over 2 degrees and wet every day of the week. There are four very hot months in the year, which leaves eight months with absolutely perfect weather.
If you really, really don’t like hot weather, the Middle East is not for you, but otherwise, I wouldn’t be too concerned about it.
Employment
I looked for employment from Ireland for several months before making the move, but found my options fairly limited as the standard response (whenever I got one) was that they were only considering UAE residents. After a few months of this, I decided that the only way to make it happen was to hand in my notice in Ireland and make my way over.
Upon arrival, the landscape totally changed and there were plenty of opportunities once I was on the ground and available to interview. Depending on your line of work, as certain occupations are not paid as well as you might think in Dubai, you will more than likely have a greater salary than you would in other regions. Needless to say, it’s tax free too so you should find yourself with a bit more disposable income than you are used to.
A working visa is required to stay in UAE, and when you arrive at customs, you will receive a visit visa which gives you 30 days to enjoy your surroundings before you have to leave the country. If you are planning on moving over jobless in the hope that you will find employment when you get here, worry not, as you can do a simple border run by car to Oman which only takes about three hours. Theoretically, you could continue to do this indefinitely, and I know people who have used this solution for up to a year.
My advice would be to make sure that you have enough cash to survive for at least three to four months when you get to Dubai if you are going with nothing lined up. You should find something in this time and if not, well, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Accommodation
The word on the internet, and seemingly everywhere else, was that rent for an apartment or villa would have to be paid in one lump sum for the entire year, which wouldn’t be ideal. In my experience, however, this is not the case at all. Most landlords will advertise an apartment saying that they want all of the rent to come in one cheque, but the majority are happy to negotiate this to three or four payments throughout the year.
This is still a bit of a shock to the system when you are used to paying on a monthly basis, but depending on what company you join, they may help you out with this, and if not, any of the banks can once you have had an account for a couple of months.
There are also places that will allow you to rent on a month to month basis, although they will charge you a premium to do so. These are always furnished and are probably the best option for the first few months after arriving, as you don’t need to make any kind of commitment.
Documentation
If you have any important documentation (passport etc.) that is close to expiration, make sure that you update it before leaving your home country. Trying to manage these kind of things through embassies is a nightmare, and you’ll end up giving far more time and money to the process than you should.
Another thing to watch out for, and something that caught me, is getting your highest qualification attested. I had not done this before moving to Dubai, and as a result I had my brother circling around Dublin bringing my Masters degree to the Joint Arab Chamber and the Foreign Ministry and every other imaginable place to get it stamped and certified. The knock on affect to this was that it held up my visa process when I started working, which led to three unnecessary border runs to Oman. Don’t bring this hassle on yourself, get this sorted while you are at home.
Driving
For the majority of countries (not sure which exactly), your home driving licence will be recognised in the UAE. This will continue to be recognised until your residency becomes official, at which stage you will need to go the RTA and convert your old licence. No fuss, takes no longer than 30 minutes.
Accommodation
The word on the internet, and seemingly everywhere else, was that rent for an apartment or villa would have to be paid in one lump sum for the entire year, which wouldn’t be ideal. In my experience, however, this is not the case at all. Most landlords will advertise an apartment saying that they want all of the rent to come in one cheque, but the majority are happy to negotiate this to three or four payments throughout the year.
This is still a bit of a shock to the system when you are used to paying on a monthly basis, but depending on what company you join, they may help you out with this, and if not, any of the banks can once you have had an account for a couple of months.
There are also places that will allow you to rent on a month to month basis, although they will charge you a premium to do so. These are always furnished and are probably the best option for the first few months after arriving, as you don’t need to make any kind of commitment.
Documentation
If you have any important documentation (passport etc.) that is close to expiration, make sure that you update it before leaving your home country. Trying to manage these kind of things through embassies is a nightmare, and you’ll end up giving far more time and money to the process than you should.
Another thing to watch out for, and something that caught me, is getting your highest qualification attested. I had not done this before moving to Dubai, and as a result I had my brother circling around Dublin bringing my Masters degree to the Joint Arab Chamber and the Foreign Ministry and every other imaginable place to get it stamped and certified. The knock on affect to this was that it held up my visa process when I started working, which led to three unnecessary border runs to Oman. Don’t bring this hassle on yourself, get this sorted while you are at home.
Driving
For the majority of countries (not sure which exactly), your home driving licence will be recognised in the UAE. This will continue to be recognised until your residency becomes official, at which stage you will need to go the RTA and convert your old licence. No fuss, takes no longer than 30 minutes.
I would strongly recommend renting a car as soon as you possibly can after landing, as Dubai is very much a driving city. Though there is a metro and tram system, and taxis are ridiculously cheap, it is quite difficult to get around without your own car. The roads can be a little crazy at times, maybe not for the faint hearted, but you’ll adapt and won’t see anything wrong with it over time. As it is a new city, the roads are very easy to navigate also and it won’t take you long to get your bearings.
Moving to Dubai was one of the best decisions that I have ever made, the combination of the weather, economy and attitude of the people is a winning one for me. I hope that this article was of help to you if you are moving or considering a move, and I would be more than happy to connect with and offer any further advice to anyone who has any questions.
It probably sounds like Dubai Tourism are funding this article, but it’s all true…
About The Author
Barry Moroney is employed as Marketing Manager at biz-group in Dubai, UAE. He is passionate about new technologies, social media and content marketing, and writes a marketing blog on his website at barrymoroney.com.
About The Author
Barry Moroney is employed as Marketing Manager at biz-group in Dubai, UAE. He is passionate about new technologies, social media and content marketing, and writes a marketing blog on his website at barrymoroney.com.
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