# Going to Dubai



## blundell (Mar 24, 2009)

Hi guys i've read all the stickys and scanned the posts, they seem to say stuff about once your there, so i get that. but here's my situation.

I want to learn Arabic therefore I want to move to Dubai for at least a year. I have a Degree in Computing and savings. So when I get there I'll either just get a bar job or get a job to do with my degree.

What the hell do i do now?! Do I just book a flight over there and stay in a hotel till i find accom? 

I know this is the basic question, but I can't find the basic answer on the forum and I don't know the actual keywords to put into google. Please help. 

Yes obviously I need a Visa, or do i? can i just get one to live there for a year? tbh I have no clue.

Thanks for your time.


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## blundell (Mar 24, 2009)

Ok I've found a website (which I cant link because of illogical forum rules ) 

It's saying I can get a visa to live in Dubai for 90 days (Visit Visa), then if I get a job within those 90 days I can get a three year renewable visa (Residence Visa) because I would be sponsored by my employer.

Could I ask would I be able to get the Residence Visa even if I just get a simple job like bar tender?

Also would it be easier to look for jobs on the net, or use my 90 days?

And has any1 who's gone to Dubai from the UK learnt Arabic? If so how hard was it how long would you say it took for the basics/fluent? Obviously your still learning all the time as it is a very hard language.

Cheers guys n gals


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## jander13 (Mar 12, 2009)

blundell said:


> Hi guys i've read all the stickys and scanned the posts, they seem to say stuff about once your there, so i get that. but here's my situation.
> 
> I want to learn Arabic therefore I want to move to Dubai for at least a year. I have a Degree in Computing and savings. So when I get there I'll either just get a bar job or get a job to do with my degree.
> 
> ...


if you are coming to dubai maybe you should learn urdu! probably wont get many chances to speak in arabic.

as for how to come here, you can get a visit visa from any U.A.E embassy then come here as a tourist and look for a job, if you find a company to hire you there's process by which they can sponsor you and get you a resident visa. 

if you aren't coming with a job offer your best bet is a visit visa and then looking for jobs here but you would make it much easier on yourself if you could arrange a job before coming to dubai then your company would take care of everything.

make sure not to stay more than what's allowed on your visit visa because there are serious fines (money) for that and good luck!


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## blundell (Mar 24, 2009)

jander13 said:


> if you are coming to dubai maybe you should learn urdu! probably wont get many chances to speak in arabic.
> 
> make sure not to stay more than what's allowed on your visit visa because there are serious fines (money) for that and good luck!


Ah well most of my reason for coming to dubai was to immerse myself in arabic! Could you recommend some other cities in UAE then for arabic? or would it be another country completely?


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## jander13 (Mar 12, 2009)

arabic isn't a requirement here really, most people can "communicate" in english sometimes mixing in sign language and rough gestures!

almost all the bars here are parts of hotels one way or another so i assume if you can actually find a job at a bar the hotel will be your sponsor and i am sure you can get a residence visa that way because i haven't seen any local bartenders serving drinks in their cute arab outfit yet.


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## jander13 (Mar 12, 2009)

blundell said:


> Ah well most of my reason for coming to dubai was to immerse myself in arabic! Could you recommend some other cities in UAE then for arabic? or would it be another country completely?



you wanna be a bartender and immerse yourself in arabic? tough mission you have there!

i don't think i can recommend a country in middle east where you can serve alcohol and immerse yourself in arabic at the same time, perhaps lebanon? i don't know tbh.


but if you can find a different job perhaps saudi arabia might be a better place to immerse yourself in arabic.


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## blundell (Mar 24, 2009)

jander13 said:


> you wanna be a bartender and immerse yourself in arabic? tough mission you have there!
> 
> but if you can find a different job perhaps saudi arabia might be a better place to immerse yourself in arabic.


Thanks for the help jander.

No no bartender was just if I can't get a proper job! I Have a degree in Computing and can program in Java/J2ME so i'd look down those avenues first!

Saudi Arabia it is then!

You see my plan is to move abroad for two/three years learn Arabic then come back to the UK and get a job where translation is needed.


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## jander13 (Mar 12, 2009)

blundell said:


> Thanks for the help jander.
> 
> No no bartender was just if I can't get a proper job! I Have a degree in Computing and can program in Java/J2ME so i'd look down those avenues first!
> 
> ...



No problem, Dubai is a very international city but U.A.E is a country and i am sure there are other emirates here you can look into that are less international than Dubai and arabic is used more. Saudi Arabia should a good place to learn Arabic, I have several co-workers who spent years working in Saudi Arabia and all of them can somewhat communicate in Arabic and they didn't even try to learn. You should keep in mind though that getting a job and getting into saudi arabia is probably 20x harder than U.A.E but i don't know the exact details.

good luck


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## blundell (Mar 24, 2009)

jander13 said:


> No problem, Dubai is a very international city but U.A.E is a country and i am sure there are other emirates here you can look into that are less international than Dubai and arabic is used more.


Hmm Yeah it does look harder to get in Saudi Arabia an I wouldn't no were to start.

So if I wanted to go to Sharijah, Ajman, Umm al Quain or Abu Dhabi you would say there less international i.e. more likelihood of Arabic conversation, but they would have the exact same Visa requirements of Dubai as its all the UAE?


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## Dubai1 (Feb 2, 2009)

blundell said:


> Hmm Yeah it does look harder to get in Saudi Arabia an I wouldn't no were to start.
> 
> So if I wanted to go to Sharijah, Ajman, Umm al Quain or Abu Dhabi you would say there less international i.e. more likelihood of Arabic conversation, but they would have the exact same Visa requirements of Dubai as its all the UAE?


Why don't you try Yemen?????

Or you could get a job cleaning my car..........


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## sgilli3 (Mar 23, 2008)

blundell said:


> Hmm Yeah it does look harder to get in Saudi Arabia an I wouldn't no were to start.
> 
> So if I wanted to go to Sharijah, Ajman, Umm al Quain or Abu Dhabi you would say there less international i.e. more likelihood of Arabic conversation, but they would have the exact same Visa requirements of Dubai as its all the UAE?


English is spoken in all of the Emirates, but- you will get more opportunities to speak Arabic in the other emirates.

To get residency, you will need to be sponsored by an employer.

You can enter on a visit visa, and if you secure a job, it will be transferred to a residency visa.

Cost of living is still quite high ( even though rental prices are dropping- I would still consider them high)

You can pretty much rule out barwork etc.
Most of those jobs are given to people from the Phillipines, as they are paid less wages than those from the west.

Hope this helps a little.


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