# Living in Dubai and working in Riyadh



## Wrighty (Jan 11, 2013)

Hi all

I am new to the forum. I currently live and work in Riyadh with my family living back in the UK. In order to help us all survive and see more of each other we are going to move them out to Dubai in September when the new school term starts. That way I can go back to Dubai every weekend and see them.

I am looking for advice from anybody else that does this in terms of what the visa situation is for me (currently I have an Iqama and exit/re-entry in KSA) also what flights and airline are the best / cheapest.

Also where do you think the best places to live are if the kids are going to a school like Repton?

We will be looking for a 4 bed villa or apartment with pool and good for families so any recommendations for good places would be great.

We have a trip scheduled for Feb to scope it all out together so any help or advice would be much appreciated 

Many thanks


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

I am assuming you have researched Dubai and realize that in theory, you can not move and live here unless you work here, but want to make sure that is the case. Respond, and then will go forward from there and assist. There are ways around it, but lets see what you have researched.


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## Wrighty (Jan 11, 2013)

Jynxgirl said:


> I am assuming you have researched Dubai and realize that in theory, you can not move and live here unless you work here, but want to make sure that is the case. Respond, and then will go forward from there and assist. There are ways around it, but lets see what you have researched.


Hi there - thanks for the response.

I was not aware of that - the company that owns my business has an office in Dubai and has said that they will help take care of it. I am not sure what the laws are in this regard but imagined that as I knew others on this forum do it, that it should be possible.

Thanks


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

If your company said they would help you, then I am going to assume that they are going to provide you with a visa. Make sure that this is the case. You have to have a visa to sponsor your family. Your children are not able to attend school, until/if they have valid visas. You are able to purchase a villa/apartment (do alot of research, usually isnt highly recommended but some people do it anyhow) but that doesnt give you a visa to live here and sponsor your family. You can not rent a villa anymore though I believe, unless you have a visa (or it is in process). Check if your company is going to sponsor you, and then if they wont, there are ways around it but it is costly. People set up companies in the free zones, and that enables them to get a visa for here. It is a costly option though.


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## Wrighty (Jan 11, 2013)

Jynxgirl said:


> If your company said they would help you, then I am going to assume that they are going to provide you with a visa. Make sure that this is the case. You have to have a visa to sponsor your family. Your children are not able to attend school, until/if they have valid visas. You are able to purchase a villa/apartment (do alot of research, usually isnt highly recommended but some people do it anyhow) but that doesnt give you a visa to live here and sponsor your family. You can not rent a villa anymore though I believe, unless you have a visa (or it is in process). Check if your company is going to sponsor you, and then if they wont, there are ways around it but it is costly. People set up companies in the free zones, and that enables them to get a visa for here. It is a costly option though.


Thank you - I will do that. If their Dubai office sponsors me / my family then will that solve the problem of getting them / me a visa? Can I have this as well as my Saudi Iqama?

Who are the best people to talk to with regards rentals of villa's?

Thanks for the help.


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

Wrighty said:


> Thank you - I will do that. If their Dubai office sponsors me / my family then will that solve the problem of getting them / me a visa? Can I have this as well as my Saudi Iqama?
> 
> Who are the best people to talk to with regards rentals of villa's?
> 
> Thanks for the help.


If your family will sponsor you and your family, that would solve your problem. You can have both. 

You can try dubizzle.com to look at rentals. There has been discussions on here and some recommendations for agents. I have never went through it, but appears that to find a villa is a process that most the time is frustrating it seems.


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## Roadworrier (Jul 3, 2012)

Jynxgirl said:


> If your family will sponsor you and your family, that would solve your problem. You can have both.
> 
> You can try dubizzle.com to look at rentals. There has been discussions on here and some recommendations for agents. I have never went through it, but appears that to find a villa is a process that most the time is frustrating it seems.


Suggest you look at the prices and ads, but don't really start looking until your visa process is far enough along that you know you will be getting a pink permit. There are plenty of really bad salespeople out there and dicey fly-by-night real estate firms (if they can be called that), but the more motivated, legitimate sales / rental agents from the better firms (such as Betterhomes, Cluttons, etc) will tend to be harder to find and get appointments with. From my experience, they are much more likely to make time for you if you have a clear deadline (say a 2-week window) in which you have to find a place, and a good idea where you want to live. "Getting on the list" for the next vacancy like in the States doesn't work here. Nearly all villas are freehold properties (or Emirati-owned, in the case of the non-freehold areas) rented out by the owners.

Keep in mind that when you get your pink permit, you will be stuck in the UAE (no exit to KSA) until you complete your health exams / Emirates ID / residence visa stamping, which could take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks (especially for residency in Abu Dhabi where you have to procure health insurance in order to receive a residence visa).


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## Jager (May 26, 2012)

It sounds like you have every thing under control, but another option to bear in mind is that you could/can obtain a residency visa in Dubai by buying freehold property if it is worth more than 1m Dhs. 

I don't have any first hand knowledge of the scheme, but others here might.


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

Buying doesnt give you a residential visa you need to be able to send your children to school here nor to be here for long term. You can come play here and spend your money for a time if you buy, but without a job... they dont want you here for much longer then that 

If your company doesnt provide you with a visa, another option would be to move to oman.


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## Felixtoo2 (Jan 16, 2009)

Something else to take into account is whether or not your company will pay schooling allowance and medical fees for your family in Dubai.


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## Antoinatte (Nov 8, 2018)

*Wrighty*

Hi there,
I am mailing this on the off chance that it is received since it is such an old post. I was googling working in Riyadh and fmily living in Dubai and this thread popped up.
My husband is in the process of negotiating a job in Riyadh and myself and our 2 boys aged 7 and 8 would live in Dubai.
Did you end up moving to Riyadh and doing a weekly commute ? If so how did it all work out?
Thanks a million
Antoinette


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## Tackledummy (Jul 14, 2013)

Antoinatte said:


> Hi there,
> I am mailing this on the off chance that it is received since it is such an old post. I was googling working in Riyadh and fmily living in Dubai and this thread popped up.
> My husband is in the process of negotiating a job in Riyadh and myself and our 2 boys aged 7 and 8 would live in Dubai.
> Did you end up moving to Riyadh and doing a weekly commute ? If so how did it all work out?
> ...


Not sure where "Wrighty" is, but I'm almost doing exactly this right now (me & family resident in Dubai, I travel to Riyadh weekly for work).

The big difference is my visa is from Dubai. I work for a big Saudi retailer, but it has operations in Dubai, so my visa is from that branch of the company - they then sponsor my family, and provide yearly tickets & medical insurance (as well as all the other typical allowances (transportation, schooling etc)).

In addition - my weekly flights & accommodation are provided by the company to Riyadh (and a daily allowance for expenses). This is pretty unusual and if I had to pay for my own flights/accommodation (4 flights per month, and accommodation in KSA as well as UAE), it'd put a big strain on the whole proposition.

So, as I mentioned above, and by several of the other posters previously, I'd check where hubbies visa will be from, as if it is Iqama from KSA, then typically, you couldn't formally reside in Dubai, go to school, get housing, etc etc etc. Depending on your passport, you can travel to and from Dubai easily enough, but can't do anything properly whilst you're here!

Good luck....... hope this isn't too big a spanner in the works!


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