# From Ireland to Dubai



## familyoffour (Sep 10, 2012)

Hi All,

I have been offered a promotion with my company which will mean myself and my family relocate from Ireland to Dubai where I'll take up a Middle East Regional Position. I travelled to Dubai last week for some meetings and liked what I saw. Depending on the offer etc. it looks like we would be moving out there in early January.

We are very excited about the possible move and this site has been very helpful so far. I have some general questions in relation to Dubai life in general which I hope you can help with.

We are relocating from Ireland, our children (twin boys) will turn three years old in January when we would be moving over.

1. Myself and my wife will be going over in the next week or so for a few days to see how we both feel about the move, what sort of practical things should we look into while over there? We will probably have three days there.

2. I will probably have to travel a lot around the ME region so it's important to me that my wife will have activities to become involved in and also have friends to spend time with. We are both pretty outgoing and usually find it easy to make friends, is there a good community in Dubai, mother toddler groups and kiddie groups etc?

3. I guess we need to start registering our boys for school soon and this will more than likely dictate what area we live in. Can anyone recommend what I should we look for in schools? I know there are American and British curriculum schools in Dubai. Do most Irish families choose British or American Schools?

4. We will not know anybody over there initially but is it easy to come by babysitters just for the odd night out alone? In Ireland among friends and neighbours we occasionally take turns minding each others kids does this happen in Dubai?

I have tonnes of questions, thanks for reading and I appreciate any feedback.


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## familyoffour (Sep 10, 2012)

familyoffour said:


> Hi All,
> 
> I have been offered a promotion with my company which will mean myself and my family relocate from Ireland to Dubai where I'll take up a Middle East Regional Position. I travelled to Dubai last week for some meetings and liked what I saw. Depending on the offer etc. it looks like we would be moving out there in early January.
> 
> ...


Anybody got any feedback


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## Mr Rossi (May 16, 2009)

1 - Make sure your contract either covered school fees and medical bills or your salary is high enough to cover both. School fees in particular are a killer.

2 - Yes

3 - Not a parent so can't advise on schools but you're thinking along the right tracks of school first then look at somewhere to live.

4 - Chances are you'll end up employing a maid in some capacity, if so make sure they are capable of babysitting and pay them for it. Failing that the usual routes of friends, neighbours, sleep overs with school friends etc.


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## vantage (May 10, 2012)

there are American and British Schools. Also look into the International Baccelaureate (IB) option. Very useful if you are likely to travel elsewhere in the future. Very portable.
There are English curriculum schools full of English kids, and their are English Curriculum schools full of the whole melting pot of nations. Both good options - depends on the quality of the teaching. You want schools where the teachers have taught in the UK before coming out here. You don't want your child taught by graduate teachers, who have not first worked in the UK, in my opinion. A lot of schools have full profiles of their teachers on their websites.
Schools with the word 'English' in the title are just as likely to be Indian schools.

At 3 years old, they can start in Foundation stage in September '13.
FS2 is the first compulsory year of schooling (aged 4) but many opt to put their kids in to FS1, rather than nursery, as this guarantees a place for FS2, where the entry queues really hot up!

Check whether your company has a debenture at any school. Gets you up the lists! For example, the child of an Emirates pilot can seemilngly stroll into any school ahead of any waiting list, however long!

If you make friends easily, you'll have no problem. Children are a good way in. particularly at nursery / school run etc. As a bloke you'll know how how having a toddler along makes a group of women smile and chat to you, rather than wonder why you're hanging around like a pervert....! (...alegedly!)
There are those on the school run that look normal, balanced people, and those that have spent several hours getting made-up, putting on a fancy outfit, and the kids are merely an accessory, like the handbag and ridiculous shoes. There is a far higher percentage of high maintenance people here! I avoid them like the plague!

lots of advice on here to tell you how to work out if your overall package 'really' makes this a promotion for you. I'll not repeat it.

school first - house second. Sound advice. Dubai is a BIG and LONG place. you could end up commuting 15km to school in one direction, and 10km to work in the other. You don't want to live on the road. 

if you are looking at houses and schools, and know where your work is, try the drive during rush hour while you're here. you'll get a much more realistic idea than doing it on a weekend morning.


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## familyoffour (Sep 10, 2012)

Thanks very much guys. Appreciate the feedback.


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## Cos_mo (Feb 9, 2012)

JBS in jumeira is an IB school and employs mainly Irish and Scottish teachers. Great facilities also.


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